G/SPS/N/USA/3025  
 
4 October 2018  
(18-6104) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AME RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): Siluriformes fish and fish products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners  
[X] Specific regions or countries: China  
5. Title of the notified document: Eligibility of the People's Republic of China To Export 
Siluriformes  Fish and Fish Products to the United States . Language(s): English.  Number 
of pages: 5 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2018-09-19/pdf/2018 -20379.pdf  
6. Description  of content: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to 
amend the Siluriformes fish inspection regulations to list China as a country eligible to 
export Siluriformes  fish and fish products to the United States. FSIS is proposing this 
action because the Agency has reviewed China's laws, regulations, and inspection system 
as implemented and has determined that China's  Siluriformes fish inspection system is 
equivalent to  the system that the United States has established under the Federal Meat 
Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations. Under this proposal, only raw 
Siluriformes fish and fish products produced in certified Chinese establishments would be 
eligib le for export to the United States. All such products would continue  to be subject to 
re-inspection at United States points -of-entry by FSIS inspectors.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect huma ns from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : CAC/GL 53 -2003 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation confor m to the relevant international standard?  G/SPS/N/USA/3025  
 
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  [X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 19 October 2018  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Roberta Wagner, Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; 
Tel: +(202) 205 0495  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Au thority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2018-09-19/pdf/2018 -20379 .pdf