. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/176
22 July 1999
(99-3060)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:    Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable).
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Pork
and pork products
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Importation of Pork and Pork
Products (7 pages)
5. Description of content: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is
proposing to amend the regulations concerning the importation of pork and pork productsinto the United States.  Specifically, APHIS proposes to allow pork that originates in a
region where African swine fever exists to be imported into the United States if it has been
heated to an internal temperature of at least 69  deg.C after the bones have been removed.
We also propose to provide an alternative, dry heat processing method for pork from regions
where swine vesicular disease exists.  In addition, we propose to make other minoramendments to the regulations for importing pork and pork products from regions where
African swine fever, swine vesicular disease, or hog cholera exists.  These proposed changes
would relieve some restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from regions
where these diseases exist without presenting a significant risk of introducing African swine
fever, hog cholera, or swine vesicular disease into the United States.
6. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety  [ X ] animal health [   ] plant protection
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease  [  ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
7. An international standard , guideline or recommendation does not exist [   ].
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations: We believe this action is in accordance with
international standards set by the Office International des Epizooties.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  64 FR 37897,
15 July 1999;  9 CFR Parts 94 and 96 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force: The date of entry into force will be announced when the
final rule is published in the Federal Register.G/SPS/N/USA/176
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:   13 September 1999
Agency or authority designated to handle comme nts:  [  ] National notification authority,
[  ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of
other body:   Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA
Detailed instruction on where and how to send commen ts is in the body of the full text – which
will be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
US SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority:
USDA/FAS/FSTD
Attn:  Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720 2239
Fax::  (202) 690 0677
E-mail address:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov