Import Inspections
The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is considering accepting applications for import inspection establishments outside the traditional area.
FSIS states that it must inspect all shipments of meat, poultry, or egg products at an official import inspection establishment after the shipments meet U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requirements. All facilities intending to operate as official import inspection establishments must apply for a federal grant of inspection.
Since 1990 FSIS has limited GOIs for official import inspection establishments to facilities within 50 miles of conventional ports of entry, generally located around the perimeter of the U.S. in consideration of food defense and security issues as well as inspection resource constraints. However, those concerns have largely been addressed by advances in technology and regulatory requirements.
As a result, to provide more flexibilities to importers and domestic establishments, FSIS will consider, on a case-by-case basis, GOIs for official import inspection establishments outside the traditional 50-mile radius. Factors to be assessed will include the availability of inspection program personnel to staff the establishment, the expected volume of product, and the hours the establishment would be operating.
Poultry from Japan
Effective Dec. 10, APHIS has imposed the restrictions listed below on importations from Ehime prefecture in Japan based on determinations that highly-pathogenic avian influenza exists in domestic birds in this area.
- Imports of unprocessed avian products and byproducts and certain fresh poultry products originating from or transiting this area are prohibited.
- Imports of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, and hatching eggs originating from or transiting this area are prohibited.
- Processed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting this area, imported as cargo, must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the products were treated according to APHIS requirements.
- Importation as cargo of fresh, unprocessed shell/table eggs and other egg products, void of the shell (i.e., liquid eggs, dried egg whites), originating from or transiting this area is prohibited unless the products are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required for these shipments when consigned directly to an APHIS-approved establishment.
Separately, APHIS has removed restrictions on imports of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products originating from or transiting Kagawa and Niigata prefectures (effective Dec. 13) and Hokkaido prefecture (effective Dec. 16).
Cattle and Pigs from El Salvador
Effective Dec. 10 and until further notice, APHIS is restricting the importation of animal commodities originating from or transiting El Salvador based on a diagnosis of New World screwworm. Imports of live ruminants, swine, and their germplasm will be prohibited, while imports of dogs and horses will be allowed under certain circumstances. Similar restrictions were previously imposed on Guatemala.
Herbs from Ethiopia
APHIS has announced that fresh leaves and stems of rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia may be authorized for import into the continental U.S. beginning Dec. 20. Such imports will be subject to specified phytosanitary measures.
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