. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1680 
16 August 2007  
 (07-3460) 
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:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US 
Department of Agriculture 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Horses 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  All 
countries 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Temporary Importation of 
Horses; Noncompetitive Entertainment Horses Fr om Countries Affected  with Contagious 
Equine Metritis (available  in English, 8 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Insp ection Service is proposing to 
amend their regulations to allow noncompetitive entertainment horses from countries affected with contagious equine metriti s to be temporarily imported into the United States under 
certain conditions.  The regulations currently provide for the temporary importation of horses 
from countries affected with contagious equine metritis to comp ete in specified events.  In 
recent years it has become evident that simi lar provisions are needed for noncompetitive 
entertainment horses.  This action would allow the temporary importation of horses into the 
United States solely for public exhibition and entertainment purposes while continuing to 
protect against the introduction and disse mination of contagious equine metritis.  
7. 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    
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:    G/SPS/N/USA/1680 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   F e d e r a l  R e g i s t e r :   
2 August 2007 (Volume 72, Number 148),  Page 42318 (available in English) 
Available at Federal Register on-line via GPO Access website: 
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
 
Enter page # under "Quick Search" and link to relevant document. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  N/A 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  N/A 
12. Final date for comments:  1 October 2007.  Comments in general will be accepted at 
anytime after publication of the notic e of filing; however, if a final rule is promulgated, it will 
address only those comments that were rece ived prior to publication of the final rule. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  Dr. Ellen M. Buck, Veterinary Medical Officer,  Import/Export 
Animals, National Center for Import and E xport, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 39, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; +(1 301) 734-8364  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notificati on authority, [   ] Na tional enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if ava ilable) of other body:  United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Divi sion (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 
202) 720-1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 690-0677;  E- mail:  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov