. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/USA/2321 
17 January 2012  
 (12-0252) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  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 numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Animals and animal products 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed Rule: Information from Foreign Regions 
Applying for Recognition of Animal Hea lth Status (Docket No. APHIS-2007-0158) 
Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  5 
 http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2007-0158-0001  
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend the regulations that gove rn the importation of animals and animal 
products by revising the list of factors APHIS considers when evaluating the animal health 
status of a foreign region. Additionally, we  are proposing criteria for considering a region 
to be historically free of a specific disease.  These changes would make clearer the type of 
information APHIS needs from a requesting region to most expeditiously conduct an 
evaluation. 
Federal Register:  28 December 2011 Volume 76, Number 249 (Pages 81404-81408) 
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. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[X] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    G/SPS/N/USA/2321 
Page 2  
 
  [ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [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) :  Not applicable 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  27 February 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
You may submit comments by either of the following methods: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docum entDetail;D=APHIS-2007-0158-0001 . 
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your  comment to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0158, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, AP HIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road 
Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. 
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov/#! docketDetail;D=APHIS-2007-0158 . 
For further information contact:  Dr. Kelly Rhodes, Regionalization Evaluation Services, 
Sanitary Trade Issues Team, National Cent er for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; +1 (301) 734-4356 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), St op 1014, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +1 
(202) 720 1301;  Fax:  + 1 (202) 720 0433;   E-mail:  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov