. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1834 
19 June 2008  
 (08-2901) 
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):  Live swine, swine semen,  pork, and pork products 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  Czech 
Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  FINAL RULE:  
Importation of Live Swine, Swine Semen, Pork , and Pork Products From the Czech Republic, 
Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland (Docket No . APHIS–2006–0106) (available in English, 
7 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health In spection Service is amending the 
regulations governing the importation of an imals and animal products to add the Czech 
Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to the region of the European Union that we 
recognize as low risk for clas sical swine fever (CSF).  We are also adding the Czech 
Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to the li st of regions we consider free from swine 
vesicular disease (SVD) an d adding Latvia and Lithuania to the list of regions considered free 
from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and rinderpest.  These actions will relieve some 
restrictions on the importation into the United States of certain animals and animal products 
from those regions, while continuing to protect against the introduction of CSF, SVD, and 
FMD, and rinderpest into the United States.  
The effective date of the final rule is 13 December 2007. On 12 February 2007, APHIS published in th e Federal Register (72 FR 6490–6499, Docket 
No. APHIS 2006–0106) a proposal to amend the re gulations governing the importation of 
animals and animal products to add the Czech Republic , Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to the 
region of the European Union that we recogniz e  a s  l o w - r i s k  f o r  C S F .   I n  a d d i t i o n ,  w e  
proposed to add the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithua nia, and Poland to the list of regions we 
consider free from SVD and to a dd Latvia and Lithuania to the list of regions considered free 
from FMD and rinderpest.  We also proposed to  make other miscellaneous changes to the 
regulations.  These actions  were intended to relieve some rest rictions on the importation into 
the United States of certain animals and animal products from those regions, while continuing to protect against the introduction of CSF, SVD,  FMD, and rinderpest into the United States. G/SPS/N/USA/1834 
Page 2  
 
  We solicited comments concerning our propos al for 60 days ending 13 April 2007.  We 
received six comments by that date.  They were from private citizens, a State animal health commission, industry groups, and Poland's Mini stry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 
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 :   
28 November 2007 (Volume 72, Number 228), Pages 67227-67233; Available in English. 
Full text and additional information:  Go to http://www.gpoaccess. gov/fr/advanced.html , 
select 2007 FR Vol. 72, type 67227 in search box. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  31 December 2007 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  31 December 2007 
12. Final date for comments:  Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
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;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov