[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 62927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30136]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, and 98

[Docket No. 94-106-14]
RIN 0579-AA11


Importation of Animals and Animal Products

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We are announcing the availability through the World Wide Web 
of requests received by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) to recognize regions for the purpose of exporting animals or 
animal products to the United States and to assess the disease risk 
presented by specific commodities exported from those regions.

ADDRESSES: To review requests received by APHIS, along with information 
submitted to support those requests, go to the APHIS Regionalization 
Request page on the World Wide Web. The Web page URL is http://
www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/reg-request.html. Once you have reached the Web 
page, click on the box labeled ``Click Here.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gary Colgrove, Chief Staff 
Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231. (301) 734-8590; or e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 28, 1997, we published in the 
Federal Register (62 FR 56000-56026, Docket No. 94-106-9) a final rule 
establishing procedures for recognizing regions, rather than only 
countries, for the purpose of exporting animals and animal products to 
the United States. The final rule also established procedures by which 
regions may request permission to export animals and animal products to 
the United States under specified conditions, based on the regions 
disease status.
    In the final rule, we stated that we will, in general, process 
applications and risk assessments according to the following 
procedures:
    1. The official of the national government of any country who has 
the authority in that country to request such a change may submit a 
request to the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) that all or part of the country be recognized as a 
region, be included within an adjacent previously recognized region, or 
be made part of a region larger than the country.
    2. Each request for approval to export a particular type of animal 
or animal product to the United States from a foreign region must be 
made to the Administrator, and must include information regarding the 
following: The veterinary services organization in the region; the 
disease and vaccination status of the region; the disease status of 
adjacent regions and the degree of separation from those regions; the 
control of the movement of animals and products from regions of higher 
risk; policies and infrastructure for disease control in the region; 
surveillance practices and diagnostic laboratory capabilities in the 
region; and livestock demographics and marketing practices in the 
region.
    In the final rule, we also stated that the above information would 
be made available to the public prior to our initiating any rulemaking 
action on the request. We are giving notice that this information may 
be viewed at the Web page described under the heading ADDRESSES.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 147a, 150ee, 161, 162, 450, and 1622; 19 
U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 102-105, 111, 114a, 134a, 134b, 134c, 134d, 
134f, 135, 136, and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and 4332; 7 
CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 3rd day of November, 1998.
John R. Clifford,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-30136 Filed 11-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P