. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/961 
24 August 2004 
 (04-3544) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Meat (beef and pork) and poultry products 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
trading partners  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Frequency of Foreign 
Inspection System Supervisory Visits to Cer tified Foreign Establishments (available in 
English, 6 pages). 
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to 
amend its regulations to change the require d frequency of foreign inspection system 
supervisory visits to certified foreign establishments in order to align FSIS import requirements with those for dome stic establishments.  FSIS is proposing to eliminate the 
current requirement that supervis ory visits take place "not less frequently than one such visit 
per month".  In its place, the agency is propos ing to require foreign inspection systems to 
make “periodic supervisory visits ” to certified establishments in order to ensure that such 
establishments continue to meet FSIS or equi valent requirements for certification to export 
meat and poultry to the United States. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protec t territory from other 
damage from pests 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   Federal Register: 
18 August 2004 (Volume 69, Number 159), Pag es 51194-51196.  Available in English at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fram e/FrameRedirect.asp?main =/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/03-
033P.htm  
10. Proposed date of adoption:   May 2005 G/SPS/N/USA/961 
Page 2  
 
 11. Proposed date of entry into force:   June 2005 
12. Final date for comments:  18 October 2004 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA 
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods: 
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROM's , and hand-or courier-delivered items: 
Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, 300 12th Street, SW., Room 102 Cotton Annex, Washington, DC 20250. 
All submissions received must include th e Agency name and docket number 03-033P. 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority;  USDA/FAS/FSTSD; ATTN:  Julie 
Morin;  Room 5545 South Agriculture Buildi ng, Stop 1027;  1400 Independence Avenue, 
S.W., Washington, D.C., 20250;  Tel:  (202) 720-4051.