. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/149
2 March 1999
(99-0801)
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 (tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited
with the WTO.  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Pork
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Importation of Pork and Pork
Products from Yucatan and Sonora, Mexico
5. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is
proposing to amend the regulations concerning the importation of animal products to relieve
certain restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from the Mexican State of
Yucatan.  Currently, because of the existence of hog cholera in Mexico, pork and porkproducts from Yucatan must be heated or cured and dried to certain specifications to be
eligible for entry into the United States.  This proposal would establish new conditions for
the importation of fresh and processed pork and pork products from Yucatan into the United
States and would also provide for the movement through areas where hog cholera may exist
of pork and pork products from Yucatan in transit to the United States.  APHIS is also
proposing to amend the regulations that provide for the importation of fresh pork from the
Mexican State of Sonora to also allow the importation of pork products from Sonora and tomodify the import conditions for Sonoran pork and pork products so that those conditions
parallel the import conditions proposed for pork and pork products from Yucatan.  These
proposed amendments would provide for the importation of pork products from Sonora and
for the in-transit movement of Sonoran pork and pork products through areas where hog
cholera may exist and would make it clear that pork and pork products from Sonora must bederived from swine slaughtered at Federally inspected slaughter plants.
6. Objective and rationale:  Enhance international trade by removing some restrictions while
continuing to protect the United States from hog cholera disease.
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  ].
If an international standard, guideline or  recommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:  We believe this action is in accordance with international standards set
by the Office international des épizooties.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  64 FR 8755,
23 February1999 (available in English, 7 pages);  9 CFR Part 94G/SPS/N/USA/149
Page 2
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.
11. Final date for comments:  26 April 1999
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:   Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA
12. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telefax number and
E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
United States SPS Enquiry Point
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
Attn:  Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720 22 39
Fax:  (202) 690 06 77
E-mail:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov