APHIS Asks for Comments on U.S.-Canada Trade During Animal Disease Outbreaks
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by July 14 on a new draft agreement on U.S.-Canada trade during outbreaks of highly-contagious animal diseases. Under the draft framework between APHIS and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, each country would be able to initially restrict imports of commodities that could potentially spread the disease from the affected country. But each would also be required to recognize quarantined “areas of control” once established, and would at that point have to allow imports from non-infected zones. Each country could re-impose restrictions if the disease is found in the purportedly non-infected zone.
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The draft framework sets procedures for representatives of Canada and the U.S. to monitor outbreak responses, and “contains contingencies to address the rare instances when a widespread, multi-focal, or rapidly progressing outbreak may temporarily overwhelm the resources of the affected country and negatively impact its ability to contain the disease agent through zoning,” said APHIS. It also “outlines a strategy for APHIS and CFIA to work with other Federal, State, provincial, and non-governmental stakeholders to develop the means necessary to facilitate zoning recognition during an outbreak and minimize cross-border trade disruptions,” it said.
(Federal Register 05/13/14)