. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/349
13 November 2000
(00-4781)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
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 - APHIS
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:  Ruminants or swine and their products
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Change in Disease Status of
KwaZulu-Natal Province in the Republic of South Africa Because of Rinderpest and Foot-
and-Mouth Disease (2 pages)
5. Description of content: APHIS is amending the regulations governing the importation of
certain animals, meat, and other animal products by removing KwaZulu-Natal, a province
in the Republic of South Africa, from the list of regions considered to be free of rinderpestand foot-and-mouth disease. We are taking this action because the existence of
foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed there. The effect of this action is to prohibit or
restrict the importation of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and
other products of ruminants or swine into the United States from KwaZulu-Natal.
Although we are removing the province of KwaZulu-Natal from the list of regions
considered to be free of rinderpest and FMD, we recognize that the National Department of
Agriculture responded immediately to the dete ction of the disease by imposing restrictions
on the movement of ruminants, swine, and ru minant and swine products from the affected
area and initiating measures to eradicate the disease. At the time of publication of this
interim rule, it appears that the outbreak is well controlled. Because of the National
Department of Agriculture's efforts to ensure that FMD does not spread beyond the province
of KwaZulu-Natal, we intend to reassess the situation in accordance with the standards ofthe OIE. As part of that reassessment process, we will consider all comments received on
this interim rule.
This future reassessment will determine whethe r it is necessary to continue to prohibit or
restrict the importation of ruminants or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and
other products of ruminants or swine from KwaZulu-Natal, or whether we can restore theprovince of KwaZulu-Natal to the list of regions considered free of rinderpest and FMD.
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           G/SPS/N/USA/349
Page 2
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s): To prevent the introduction of FMD into the United
States.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  APHIS is taking this action in accordance with
Articles 2.1.1 and 2.1.4 of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) Animal Health
Code.
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 65728,
2 November 2000 (Available in English)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable): This interim rule was
effective 12 September 2000.
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments: We
invite you to comment.  APHIS will consider all comments received by 2 January 2001.[    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Detailed instruction on where and how to send comments is in the body of the full text -
which will be sent upon request to the address below:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority:
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
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:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov