APHIS Proposes More Flexible Regulations on Livestock Exports
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing sweeping changes to its regulations on the export of live animals, hatching eggs, and animal germplasm. The proposed rule (here) would “remove most of the requirements for export health certifications, tests, and treatments from the regulations, and instead would direct exporters to follow the requirements of the importing country regarding such processes and procedures,” said APHIS. Export health certificate requirements would be maintained for livestock, and would be required for eggs and germplasm if mandated by the importing country. APHIS would also allow, in some cases, pre-export inspection to occur at facilities other than an export inspection facility at the port of export. Comments on the proposed rule are due April 27.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
APHIS says it has “not substantively amended” its export regulations “for many years.” Currently, “some provisions, such as those that require pre-export inspection of livestock at an export inspection facility associated with the port of embarkation and those that set forth specific construction and maintenance standards for export inspection facilities and ocean vessels, sometimes interfere with exports,” it said. APHIS also currently requires testing that is not mandated by the importing country or necessary to assure livestock health and welfare, said APHIS. “For these reasons, we are proposing to remove requirements that we have determined to be unnecessary or overly prescriptive from the regulations in order to provide exporters and APHIS with more options for inspecting and handling livestock intended for export.”
Highlights of the proposed rule are as follows:
Export health certificate for livestock. APHIS would still require an export health certificate for all exported livestock, whether or not it is required by the importing country. At a minimum, certificates would have to list the species, breed, sex and age of each animal; the method of individual identification; the importing country; the consignor and consignee; a signature and certification from an accredited veterinarian that the livestock has been inspected and is fit for export; ad an endorsement from the APHIS veterinarian responsible for the state of origin. Livestock health certificates would also be required to contain all other information required by the importing country.
Export certificates for eggs and germplasm. The proposed rule would also require, only if mandated by the importing country, export certificates for animals other than livestock, or for any animal semen, animal embryos, hatching eggs, other embryonated eggs, or gametes. The certificate would have to meet all information and issuance requirements specified by that importing country.
Testing requirements. APHIS would no longer specify a list of species-specific testing requirements. Instead, livestock intended for export would have to undergo all sampling and testing required by the importing country. Testing would also follow location and timeframe requirements specified by the importing country.
Import permit required. The proposed rule would prohibit the export of any animal, animal semen, animal embryos, hatching eggs, other embyonated eggs, or gametes unless the importing country issues an import permit or “other written instruction” allowing the animal or other commodity to enter, and APHIS concurs with the export.
(See the proposed rule for other requirements, including identification; pre-export inspection; rest, feed, and water prior to export; vessel and aircraft conditions; and port, export inspection and isolation facility requirements.)