[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26810-26811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12067]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0016]


Addition of Mongolia to the List of Regions Affected by African 
Swine Fever

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have added Mongolia to the 
list of regions that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
considers to be affected with African swine fever (ASF). We are taking 
this action because of the confirmation of ASF in Mongolia.

DATES: Mongolia was added to the APHIS list of regions considered 
affected with ASF on January 10, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Rebecca Gordon, Import Risk 
Analyst, Strategy and Policy, VS, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 
200, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855-7741; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred 
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of specified 
animals and animal products to prevent the introduction into the United 
States of various animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease, 
bovine spongiform encephalopathy, swine vesicular disease, classical 
swine fever, and African swine fever (ASF). These are dangerous and 
destructive diseases of ruminants and swine.
    Section 94.8(a)(3) of the regulations states that the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will consider a region to have 
ASF and add it to the list referenced in Sec.  94.8(a)(2) upon 
determining ASF exists in the region, based on reports APHIS receives 
of outbreaks of the disease from veterinary officials of the exporting 
country, from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), or from 
other sources the Administrator determines to be reliable.
    ASF is a highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine that 
can spread rapidly in swine populations

[[Page 26811]]

with extremely high rates of morbidity and mortality. A list of regions 
where ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist is maintained on 
the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions/.
    In a report dated January 15, 2019, the veterinary authorities of 
Mongolia reported to the OIE confirmation of an ASF outbreak on January 
10, 2019. Therefore, in response to this outbreak, APHIS has added 
Mongolia to the list of regions where ASF exists or is reasonably 
believed to exist.
    Although the importation of most swine commodities from Mongolia 
into the United States is already restricted based on that country's 
classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and swine vesicular 
disease status, APHIS has determined that it is necessary to impose 
ASF-related restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products 
from Mongolia into the United States.
    As a result, pork and pork products from Mongolia, including 
casings, are subject to APHIS import restrictions designed to mitigate 
the risk of ASF introduction into the United States.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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, this 4th day of June 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-12067 Filed 6-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P