APHIS Proposes New System for Regulation of Bovine Imports for Tuberculosis, Brucellosis

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Dec. 16 issued a proposed rule (here) that would overhaul its regulations on the prevention of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, including provisions on importation of cattle. Under the proposal, APHIS would scrap the current two-tiered system of general import requirements for most countries and country-specific requirements for Canada, Mexico and Ireland. In its place, the proposed regulations would establish a system that would classify regions of the world based on their prevalence of brucellosis or bovine tuberculosis and whether they have a program for control of the diseases that meets certain standards. Conditions on importation of cattle and bison would correspond to the classification level of the region from where the cattle or bison is exported, ranging from Level I to V for bovine tuberculosis and I to III for brucellosis, said APHIS. The regulations would also establish a process to allow regions to request a particular classification, it said. Comments on the proposed rule are due March 15.