APHIS Import/Treatment Requirements for Certain Hides, Skins, and Bird Trophies from Regions With Certain Diseases
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective January 14, 2010, which establishes requirements for the import into the U.S. of certain hides and skins from regions with African swine fever (ASF) and from Mexico, and bird trophies from regions with exotic Newcastle disease (END).
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Import Requirements for Untanned Hides, Skins from ASF Regions
APHIS is now requiring that untanned swine hides and skins from regions with ASF go directly to an approved establishment upon importation into the U.S. and be subject to the handling and treatment requirements under 9 CFR 95.61. Specifically, APHIS is including swine hides and skins from regions with ASF under 9 CFR 95.5(a)(1) to state that:
Except for ruminant hides or skins from Mexico, any untanned hides or skins of ruminants from regions free of foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest and any untanned hides or skins of swine from regions free of foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, and African swine fever may be imported without further restriction.
(See APHIS final rule for other slaughter and treatment requirements for untanned ruminant hides or skins from regions free of ASF.)
Treatment for Imports of Hides, Skins from Mexico
APHIS is also requiring that deer and other ruminant hides and skins imported into the U.S. from Mexico be subjected to one of several possible treatments that APHIS views as effective in killing ticks that could transmit bovine babesiosis.
Specifically, APHIS is amending 9 CFR 95.5 to state that ruminant hides and skins from Mexico may enter the U.S. if they are:
(i) subjected to any one of the treatments specified in 9 CFR 95.5(a);
(ii) inspected and found to have been frozen solid for 24 hours by an inspector and are accompanied by a certificate attesting to that fact issued by the shipper or importer that is reviewed by the inspector, and are free from ticks;
(iii) free from ticks and are accompanied by a certificate issued by a full-time salaried veterinary officer of the Government of Mexico stating that they have been treated with an acaricide; or
(iv) bovine hides taken from cattle that were subjected to a tickicidal dip in one of the permitted dips at a Mexican facility 7 to 12 days prior to slaughter, and are free from ticks.
Import Requirements for Bird Trophies from END Regions
And lastly, APHIS is requiring that bird trophies from regions with END meet the requirements of 9 CFR 95.5 or go directly to an approved establishment upon importation into the U.S. and be subject to the requirements under 9 CFR 95.61. Specifically, APHIS is designating and adding a new paragraph at 9 CFR 95(c) to state that:
Bird trophies from regions designated as free of exotic Newcastle disease and free of HPAI subtype H5N1 may be imported without further restriction if accompanied by a certificate of origin issued by the national government of the region of export.
1As amended by the final rule, 9 CFR 95.6 requires that hides, skins and bird trophies which do not meet the conditions or requirements of 9 CFR 95.5 shall, after arrival at the port of entry, be: (1) consigned and subject to disinfection by such method or methods as prescribed; (2) moved from the port of arrival and sealed; and (3) handled to guard against the dissemination of foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, ASF, and END.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/24/06 news, 06082499 2, for BP summary of the proposed rule.)
APHIS contact - Tracye Butler (301) 734-7476
APHIS final rule (D/N APHIS-2006-0113, FR Pub 12/15/09) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-29798.pdf