[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 154 (Friday, August 11, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 37546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16980]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 94

[Docket No. APHIS-2013-0061]
RIN 0579-AD96


Restrictions on the Importation of Fresh Pork and Pork Products 
From a Region in Mexico

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: We are withdrawing a proposed rule that would have defined a 
low-risk classical swine fever region in Mexico from which we would 
have allowed the importation of fresh pork and pork products into the 
United States under certain conditions. We are taking this action after 
reopening our risk evaluation of the classical swine fever status of 
Mexico using updated information.

DATES: As of August 11, 2017, the proposed rule published on July 29, 
2014, at 79 FR 43974, is withdrawn.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Chip Wells, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import 
Export Services, VS, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; [email protected]; (301) 851-3317.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 29, 2014, we published in the 
Federal Register (79 FR 43974-43980, Docket No. APHIS-2013-0061) a 
proposal \1\ to amend the regulations by recognizing a new Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-defined low-risk classical 
swine fever (CSF) region that would consist of all Mexican States 
except the nine States we currently recognize as CSF-free and the State 
of Chiapas, which we did not propose to recognize as CSF-free or low 
risk. We proposed to allow imports of pork and pork products from the 
APHIS-defined Mexican CSF region into the United States under certain 
conditions. The proposed requirements were intended to ensure that the 
pork and pork products were derived from swine housed on farms that met 
strict biosanitary standards and were not subject to contamination by 
means of commingling with animals or animal products that did not meet 
our requirements.
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    \1\ To view the proposed rule, supporting documents, and the 
comments we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0061.
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    We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 
September 29, 2014. We received 10 comments by that date. They were 
from producers' associations, the Government of Mexico, and 
individuals. The commenters addressed a number of issues, including the 
possible CSF risk posed by allowing such imports, our plans for 
implementing and enforcing the provisions of the proposed rule, and 
whether our requirements for imports from the proposed CSF low-risk 
region in Mexico were equivalent to those in place for the existing CSF 
low-risk region in the European Union.
    In 2015, the World Organization for Animal Health recognized Mexico 
as CSF-free. The Government of Mexico then requested that APHIS suspend 
its rulemaking and instead continue evaluating Mexico for CSF status.
    In response to that request, APHIS reopened its evaluation of the 
CSF status of Mexico, conducting a site visit in 2015. Findings from 
the resulting 2015 site visit report, along with updated surveillance 
data and information submitted by the Government of Mexico, led APHIS 
to determine that concerns identified in the earlier risk assessment 
that supported the July 2014 proposed rule had been addressed and that 
current conditions would support CSF-free recognition for all of 
Mexico.
    Therefore, we are withdrawing the July 29, 2014, proposed rule 
referenced above.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317; 21 
U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, August 7, 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-16980 Filed 8-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P