[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83378-83379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26234]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0070]


Addition of Singapore 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 Singapore to the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list maintained on 
the APHIS website of regions considered to be affected with African 
swine fever (ASF). We have taken this action because of the 
confirmation of ASF in Singapore.

DATES: Singapore was added to the APHIS list of regions considered 
affected with ASF effective February 16, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Amber Kerk, Staff Officer, 
Regionalization Evaluation Services, Strategy and Policy, Veterinary 
Services, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Venture II, 3rd Floor, Raleigh, 
NC 27606; phone: (608) 662-0625; 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 African swine fever (ASF). 
ASF is a

[[Page 83379]]

highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine that can spread 
rapidly 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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions/. This list is referenced in Sec.  94.8(a)(2) of the 
regulations.
    Section 94.8(a)(3) of the regulations states that APHIS will add a 
region to the list referenced in Sec.  94.8(a)(2) upon determining ASF 
exists in the region or having reason to believe the disease 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 (WOAH),\1\ or from other sources the 
Administrator determines to be reliable, or upon determining that there 
is reason to believe the disease exists in the region. Section 
94.8(a)(1) of the regulations specifies the criteria on which the 
Administrator bases the reason to believe ASF exists in a region. 
Section 94.8(b) prohibits the importation of pork and pork products 
from regions listed in accordance with Sec.  94.8 except if processed 
and treated in accordance with the provisions specified in that section 
or consigned to an APHIS-approved establishment for further processing. 
Section 96.2 restricts the importation of swine casings that originated 
in or were processed in a region where ASF exists, as listed under 
Sec.  94.8(a).
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    \1\ The World Organization for Animal Health internationally 
follows a British English spelling of ``organisation'' in its name; 
also, it was formerly the Office International des Epizooties, or 
OIE, but on May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the 
acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH.
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    On February 9, 2023, the veterinary authorities of Singapore 
reported to WOAH the occurrence of ASF in that country. In response to 
that report, on February 16, 2023, APHIS added Singapore to the list of 
regions where ASF exists or the Administrator has reason to believe 
that ASF exists, in compliance with Sec.  94.8(a)(3). This notice 
serves as an official record and public notification of that action.
    As a result, pork and pork products from Singapore, including 
casings, are subject to APHIS import restrictions designed to mitigate 
the risk of ASF introduction into the United States.

Congressional Review Act

    Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this action 
as not a major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
    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 24th day of November 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-26234 Filed 11-28-23; 8:45 am]
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