. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1745 
20 December 2007  
 (07-5698) 
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):  Sheep and goat semen 
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:  FINAL RULE.   
Importation of Sheep and Goat Semen (available in English, 4 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service had amended its 
regulations regarding the importa tion of animal germplasm by re moving specific restrictions 
on sheep semen from regions where scrapie exis ts and requiring the inclusion of additional 
information on the international health cert ificate accompanying sheep and goat semen.  
Experience and research have convinced APHI S that sheep and goat semen pose a minimal 
risk of transmitting scrapie.  This action w ill relieve restrictions on imported sheep semen 
while continuing to provide safeguards against the introduction and diss emination of scrapie.  
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:    
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 :   
15 November 2007 (Volume 72, Number 220), Pages 64126 - 64129;  Available in English. 
Available at Federal Register on-line via GPO Access website: 
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html  
Enter page #64126 under "Quick Search " and link to relevant document. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  N/A G/SPS/N/USA/1745 
Page 2  
 
  11. Proposed date of entry into force:  17 December 2007 
12. Final date for comments:  N/A (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: 
For further information contact: 
Dr. James P. Davis, Senior Staff Veterinarian, Technical Trade Services, National Center for 
Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Ro ad Unit 39, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 
734-0694. 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notificati on authority, [   ] Na tional enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Aut hority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 
20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720-1301;  Fa x:  +(1 202) 690-0677;  E-mail:  
us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov