G/SPS/N/USA/3024  
 
4 October 2018  
(18-6103) 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: Viet Nam  
5. Title of the notified document: Eligibility of the Socialist Republic of Viet nam 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 -20376.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to 
amend the Siluriformes fish inspection regulations to list Viet Nam as a country eligible to 
export Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States. FSIS is pro posing this 
action because the Agency has reviewed Viet Nam's laws, regulations, and inspection 
system as implemented and has determined that Viet Nam'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 Vietnamese 
establishments would be eligible for e xport to the United States. All such pro ducts would 
continue to be subject to re -inspection at US points -of-entry by FSIS inspectors.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans 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 conform to the relevant international standard?  G/SPS/N/USA/3024  
 
- 2 - 
 
  [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 Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail a ddress (if available) of other body:   
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2018-09-19/pdf/2018 -20376.pdf