Importation of Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef from Japan, 48494-48500 [05-16422]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 159 (Thursday, August 18, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48494-48500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16422]


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Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 159 / Thursday, August 18, 2005 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 48494]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 94

[Docket No. 05-004-1]
RIN 0579-AB93


Importation of Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef from Japan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the 
importation of meat and other edible animal products by allowing, under 
certain conditions, the importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from 
Japan. We are proposing this action in response to a request from the 
Government of Japan and after conducting an analysis of the risk that 
indicates that such beef can be safely imported from Japan under the 
conditions described in this proposal.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
September 19, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     EDOCKET: Go to https://www.epa.gov/feddocket to submit or 
view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the 
official public docket, and access those documents in the public docket 
that are available electronically. Once you have entered EDOCKET, click 
on the ``View Open APHIS Dockets'' link to locate this document.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 05-004-1, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your 
comment refers to Docket No. 05-004-1.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for locating this 
docket and submitting comments.
    Other Information: All comments submitted in response to this 
proposal, as well as analyses for this proposal, are available at the 
EDOCKET Web site shown above and our reading room. The reading room is 
located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure 
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming. 
You may also view APHIS documents published in the Federal Register and 
related information on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/
rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gary Colgrove, Director, National 
Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 38, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA or the Department) 
regulates the importation of animals and animal products into the 
United States to guard against the introduction of animal diseases. The 
regulations in 9 CFR parts 93, 94, 95, and 96 (referred to below as the 
regulations) govern the importation of certain animals, birds, poultry, 
meat, other animal products and byproducts, hay, and straw into the 
United States in order to prevent the introduction of various animal 
diseases, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a chronic 
degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle.
    Section 94.18 of the regulations prohibits or restricts the 
importation into the United States of meat and certain other edible 
products due to BSE. Paragraph (a)(1) of Sec.  94.18 lists regions in 
which BSE is known to exist. Paragraph (a)(2) of Sec.  94.18 lists 
regions that present an undue risk of introducing BSE into the United 
States because their import requirements are less restrictive than 
those that would be acceptable for import into the United States and/or 
because the regions have inadequate surveillance for BSE. Paragraph 
(a)(3) of Sec.  94.18 lists regions that present a minimal risk of 
introducing BSE into the United States. Except for certain controlled 
transit movements, Sec.  94.18(b) prohibits the importation of meat, 
meat products, and most other edible products of ruminants that have 
been in any region listed in Sec.  94.18(a)(1) or (a)(2) and restricts 
the importation of those commodities from any region listed in Sec.  
94.18(a)(3).
    In an interim rule published in the Federal Register on October 16, 
2001 (66 FR 52483-52484, Docket No. 01-094-1), and effective on 
September 10, 2001, we amended the regulations by adding Japan to the 
list in Sec.  94.18(a)(1) of regions where BSE exists. That action was 
prompted by the confirmation of BSE in a native-born animal in Japan. 
The effect of the interim rule was to prohibit the importation of 
ruminants that have been in Japan, as well as meat, meat products, and 
most other products and byproducts of ruminants that have been in 
Japan.
    Immediately following the detection of the BSE-infected cow, the 
Government of Japan initiated an epidemiological investigation and took 
a series of measures to detect and control BSE in Japan, including 
measures to ensure that tissues that have the potential to carry 
infectious levels of the BSE agent are removed from cattle at 
slaughter, a ban on the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants is in 
place, and increase BSE surveillance.
    The Government of Japan has requested that APHIS consider allowing 
the resumption of trade in beef from Japan to the United States. Prior 
to the 2001 ban on the importation of ruminants and ruminant products 
from Japan, Japan primarily exported to the United States boneless cuts 
of beef from cattle born, raised and slaughtered in Japan. Therefore, 
in response to Japan's request, we considered allowing the importation 
of whole cuts of boneless beef derived from cattle that were born, 
raised, and slaughtered in Japan and analyzed the animal health risks 
associated with that product.\1\ For a consideration of the risks to 
human

[[Page 48495]]

health, we consulted with the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 
of USDA, which is the public health agency that is responsible for 
ensuring the food safety of this product. The risk analysis is 
available on EDOCKET and in the APHIS reading room. (Information on 
accessing EDOCKET as well as the location and hours of the APHIS 
reading room may be found at the beginning of this document under 
ADDRESSES.) You may also request paper copies of the analysis by 
calling or writing the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Please refer to Docket No. 05-004-1 when requesting copies of 
the risk analysis.
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    \1\ In this proposal, we use the term ``whole cuts of boneless 
beef'' to refer to meat derived from the skeletal muscle of a bovine 
carcass, excluding all parts of the animal's head and diaphragm. 
Meat that has been ground, flaked, shaved, or otherwise processed, 
comminuted, or mechanically separated would not be whole cuts of 
boneless beef.
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    Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), the 
Secretary of Agriculture may prohibit the importation of any animal or 
article if the Secretary determines that the prohibition is necessary 
to prevent the introduction into or dissemination within the United 
States of any pest or disease of livestock. The Secretary has 
determined that it is not necessary to continue to prohibit the 
importation of whole cuts of boneless beef derived from cattle that 
were born, raised, and slaughtered in Japan, provided that the 
conditions described in this proposal are met. This determination is 
based on a number of factors, including research on BSE and the risk 
analysis prepared for this rulemaking.
    In this proposed rule, we will first provide some background on 
BSE. Next, we discuss the scientific evidence that provides a basis for 
the proposed conditions, then discuss the proposed conditions in 
further detail. Finally, we will briefly discuss the proposed 
conditions as they relate to international guidelines on BSE.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

    BSE is a progressive and fatal neurological disorder of cattle that 
results from an unconventional transmissible agent. BSE belongs to the 
family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies 
(TSEs). All TSEs affect the central nervous system of infected animals. 
However, the distribution of infectivity in the body of the animal and 
mode of transmission differ according to the species and TSE agent. In 
addition to BSE, TSEs include, among other diseases, scrapie in sheep 
and goats, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk, and variant 
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
    The agent that causes BSE has yet to be fully characterized. The 
theory that is most accepted in the international scientific community 
is that the agent is an abnormal form of a normal protein known as 
cellular prion protein. The BSE agent does not evoke a traditional 
immune response or inflammatory reaction in host animals. BSE is 
confirmed by post-mortem microscopic examination of an animal's brain 
tissue or by detection of the abnormal form of the prion protein in an 
animal's brain tissues. The pathogenic form of the protein is both less 
soluble and more resistant to degradation than the normal form. The BSE 
agent is resistant to heat and to normal sterilization processes. BSE 
is not a contagious disease; according to internationally accepted 
research, the only confirmed, natural route of transmission of BSE in 
cattle is the consumption of animal feed containing protein from 
ruminants infected with BSE.
    BSE was first documented in the United Kingdom in 1986 and has 
since been confirmed in native-born cattle in 22 European countries in 
addition to the United Kingdom, and in some non-European countries, 
including Japan, Israel, Canada, and the United States. Since November 
1986, there have been more than 186,000 confirmed cases of BSE in 
cattle worldwide. As of July 2005, Japan had reported a total of 20 
cases of BSE, including the initial case of BSE in September 2001 and 
two cases that are currently under further investigation.\2\
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    \2\ See the risk analysis for further information.
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    In the United States, there have been two confirmed cases of BSE, 
one an imported cow and one a native cow. The first case of BSE in the 
United States was identified in a dairy cow in Washington State on 
December 23, 2003. The epidemiological investigation and DNA test 
results confirmed that the infected cow was not indigenous to the 
United States, but rather was born and most likely became infected in 
Alberta, Canada, before Canada's 1997 implementation of a ban on 
feeding most mammalian protein to ruminants, which prevents the use of 
most mammalian protein in cattle feed. The second case of BSE in the 
United States was confirmed in an approximately 12-year-old beef cow in 
Texas on June 29, 2005. This animal was born well before the United 
States instituted a mammalian-to-ruminant feed ban in August 1997.
    Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a chronic and fatal 
neurodegenerative disease of humans, has been linked since 1996 through 
epidemiological, neuropathological, and experimental data to exposure 
to the BSE agent, most likely through consumption of cattle products 
contaminated with the agent before BSE control measures were in place. 
To date, approximately 170 probable and confirmed cases of vCJD have 
been identified worldwide. The majority of these cases have either been 
identified in the United Kingdom or were linked to exposure that 
occurred in the United Kingdom, and all cases have been linked to 
exposure in countries with native cases of BSE. Some studies estimate 
that more than 1 million cattle may have been infected with BSE 
throughout the epidemic in the United Kingdom. This number of infected 
cattle could have introduced a significant amount of infectivity into 
the human food supply. Yet, the low number of cases of vCJD identified 
to date indicates that there is a substantial species barrier that 
protects humans from widespread illness due to exposure to the BSE 
agent.

Factors Considered in the Development of the Proposed Import Conditions

BSE Infectivity

    Examination of naturally-occurring BSE cases and extensive well-
controlled BSE challenge studies have clearly demonstrated that the 
primary site for BSE accumulation in cattle is the central nervous 
system (brain, spinal cord, trigeminal ganglia, dorsal root ganglia 
(DRG), and eye).\3\ Small amounts of BSE infectivity accumulate in the 
distal ileum, and only trace amounts have been found in tonsil samples. 
Importantly, BSE studies in cattle to date have not detected 
infectivity in any other tissues than those listed above. These studies 
also have found that the level of infectious agent in these tissues 
varies with the age of the animal, with the highest levels of 
infectivity detected in the brain and spinal cord at the end stages of 
disease.
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    \3\ DRG are clusters of nerve cells attached to the spinal cord 
that are contained within the bones of the vertebral column. 
Trigeminal ganglia are clusters of nerve cells connected to the 
brain that lie close to the exterior of the skull.
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    BSE has a long incubation period. Research demonstrates that the 
incubation period for BSE in cattle is linked to the infectious dose 
received--i.e., the larger the infectious dose received, the shorter 
the incubation period. Cattle typically develop clinical signs after an 
average incubation of 4 to 6 years post-infection.
    This research on BSE has been used to develop effective, proven 
strategies for removal of these tissues from animals of appropriate age 
so that these tissues do not enter the food chain. In the United 
States, the FSIS regulations contained in 9 CFR 310.22 designate the 
brain, spinal cord, vertebral column

[[Page 48496]]

(excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse process of the 
thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), DRG, 
trigeminal ganglia, skull, and eyes of cattle 30 months of age and 
older, and the tonsils and the distal ileum of cattle of any age as 
SRMs and prohibit their use as human food.\4\
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    \4\ The skull and vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of 
the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar 
vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum) of cattle 30 months of age 
and older were designated as SRMs in the FSIS regulations because 
they contain high-risk tissues such as the brain and spinal cord.
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    BSE infectivity has never been demonstrated in the muscle tissue of 
cattle experimentally or naturally infected with BSE at any stage of 
the disease. Studies performed using TSEs other than BSE in non-bovine 
animals have detected prions in muscle tissue. However, the 
international scientific community largely considers that these studies 
cannot be directly extrapolated to BSE in cattle because of the 
significant interactions between the host species and the prion strain 
involved.
    Pathogenesis studies of naturally and experimentally infected 
cattle have not detected BSE infectivity in blood. However, 
transmission of BSE was demonstrated in sheep that received a 
transfusion of a large volume of blood drawn from other sheep that were 
experimentally infected with the BSE agent. The United Kingdom's 
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Spongiform 
Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) and the European Commission's 
Scientific Steering Committee (SSC), which are scientific advisory 
committees, evaluated the implication of this finding in relation to 
food safety.\5\ The SEAC concluded that the finding did not represent 
grounds for recommending any changes to the current control measures 
for BSE. The SSC determined that the research results do not support 
the hypothesis that bovine blood or muscle meat constitute a risk to 
human health.\6\
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    \5\ Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, Oct 19, 2000, 
Summary of SEAC Committee Meeting 29 September 2000. Available at 
https://www.defra.gov.uk/news/seac/seac500.htm.
    \6\ European Commission Scientific Steering Committee. ``The 
Implications of the Recent Papers on Transmission of BSE by Blood 
Transfusion in Sheep (Houston et al, 2000); Hunter et al, 2002), 
Adopted by the SSC at its Meeting of 12-13 September.'' Available at 
https://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/out280--en.pdf.
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    Based on this information, APHIS concludes that whole cuts of 
boneless beef do not present a BSE risk, provided that certain measures 
are in place to avoid contamination of the beef with potentially 
infectious tissues.

BSE Risk Factors for Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef

    The most significant risk management strategy for ensuring the 
safety of whole cuts of boneless beef is the prevention of cross-
contamination of the beef with SRMs during stunning and slaughter of 
the animal. Control measures that prevent contamination of such beef 
involve the establishment of procedures for the removal of SRMs, 
prohibitions on air-injection stunning and pithing, and splitting of 
carcasses. These potential pathways for contamination and the control 
measures that prevent contamination are described in detail in the risk 
analysis for this rulemaking.
    SRM Removal. Research has demonstrated that SRMs from infected 
cattle may contain BSE infectivity. Because infectivity has not been 
demonstrated in muscle tissue, the most important mitigation measure 
for whole cuts of boneless beef is the careful removal and segregation 
of SRMs. Removal of SRMs in a manner that avoids contamination of the 
beef with SRMs minimizes the risk of exposure to materials that have 
been demonstrated to contain the BSE agent in cattle.
    Air-Injection Stunning. Generally speaking, there are two types of 
captive bolt stunners used worldwide on livestock at slaughter: 
penetrative and non-penetrative. Penetrative captive bolt stun guns 
render cattle unconscious, quickly and painlessly, prior to slaughter. 
Penetrative captive bolt stun guns have steel bolts, powered by either 
compressed air or a blank cartridge, which are driven into the animal's 
brain. Captive bolt stun guns built or modified to inject compressed 
air into the cranium of cattle have been shown to force pieces of brain 
and other CNS tissue into the circulatory system of stunned cattle, 
thereby potentially spreading CNS tissue throughout the carcass. These 
studies prompted a prohibition on the use of air-injection stunning in 
the United States.\7\ Other types of penetrative captive bolt stunners 
include pneumatically operated stunners that do not inject air and 
standard cartridge-fired captive bolt stunners. In general, studies do 
not indicate that these other types of penetrative captive bolt 
stunners pose a significant risk of causing CNS tissue to be forced 
into the circulatory system of cattle.
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    \7\ See FSIS' interim final rule entitled, ``Prohibition of the 
Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used To Immobilize Cattle During 
Slaughter'' (Docket No. 01-033IF, 69 FR 1885-1891), published on 
January 12, 2004, for further information.
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    Pithing. Pithing involves the insertion of an elongated rod-shaped 
instrument into the cranial cavity of a stunned animal to further 
lacerate the CNS tissue. This process could cause dissemination of CNS 
tissue throughout the body of the animal during slaughter. This 
stunning method is banned in the European Union and has never been used 
in the United States.
    Carcass Splitting. During processing, infectivity could contaminate 
muscle tissue in cattle if tissue debris, specifically spinal cord, 
accumulates in the carcass splitting saw and is transferred to 
subsequent carcasses. This potential means of cross-contamination is 
very unlikely, however, provided that the SRMs of the cattle are 
effectively removed and cleaning and sanitation procedures that reduce 
the likelihood of cross-contamination from splitting saws are in place.
    To mitigate these risk factors, we are proposing to require the 
conditions discussed below to ensure that whole cuts of boneless beef 
exported to the United States from Japan are free of BSE contamination.

Proposed Import Conditions

    This proposal would allow the importation of whole cuts of boneless 
beef that are derived from cattle born, raised, and slaughtered in 
Japan, provided that the following conditions have been met:
     The beef is prepared in an establishment that is eligible 
to have its products imported into the United States under the Federal 
Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and the regulations 
in 9 CFR 327.2 and the beef meets all other applicable requirements of 
the FMIA and regulations thereunder (9 CFR chapter III), including the 
requirements for removal of specified risk materials (SRMs) and the 
prohibition on the use of air-injection stunning devices prior to 
slaughter on cattle from which the beef is derived.
     The beef is derived from cattle that were not subjected to 
a pithing process at slaughter.
     An authorized veterinary official of the Government of 
Japan certifies on an original certificate that the above conditions 
have been met.
    Following is a further description of and rationale for each of 
these proposed conditions.

Establishment Eligibility

    This proposal would require that the beef be prepared in an 
establishment that is eligible to have its products imported into the 
United States under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)

[[Page 48497]]

(21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and the regulations in 9 CFR 327.2.
    As required under the FMIA, FSIS ensures that imported meat in the 
U.S. marketplace is safe, wholesome, unadulterated, and properly 
labeled by (1) Determining if foreign countries and their 
establishments have implemented food safety system and inspection 
requirements equivalent to those in the United States and (2) 
reinspecting imported meat and poultry products from those countries 
through random sampling of shipments. The FSIS regulations in 9 CFR 
327.2 provide that countries eligible to export meat to the United 
States must have a meat inspection system determined by FSIS to be 
equivalent to the U.S. meat inspection system. The FSIS equivalency 
determination is based on a review of the foreign country's relevant 
laws and regulations and an on-site audit of the foreign country's 
inspection system. FSIS has determined that Japan's meat inspection 
system is equivalent and that Japan is eligible to export meat and meat 
products to the United States.
    Once a country is listed as eligible to export meat and meat 
products to the United States, it is responsible for certifying 
individual exporting establishments to FSIS and for providing annual 
recertification documentation. FSIS regularly conducts on-site audits 
of the eligible foreign inspection systems to ensure they remain 
equivalent to the U.S. system.

Other Applicable Requirements Under the FMIA

    This proposal would also require that the beef meet all other 
applicable requirements of the FMIA and regulations thereunder (9 CFR 
chapter III), including the requirements for removal of SRMs and the 
prohibition on the use of air-injection stunning devices prior to 
slaughter on cattle from which the beef is derived.
    SRM Removal. The FSIS regulations contained in 9 CFR 310.22 provide 
that establishments are responsible for ensuring that SRMs are 
completely removed from the carcass, segregated from edible products, 
and disposed of in an appropriate manner.\8\ Under the FSIS 
regulations, an establishment must incorporate such procedures into its 
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan or in its 
sanitation standard operating procedures (SOPs) or other prerequisite 
program. (HACCP is a process control system designed to identify and 
prevent microbial and other hazards in food production.) These 
procedures and requirements help to ensure that SRMs are effectively 
removed and handled in a manner to avoid contamination of the carcass.
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    \8\ See FSIS' interim final rule entitled, ``Prohibition of the 
Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for 
the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle'' (Docket No. 03-
025IF, 69 FR 1862-1874), published on January 12, 2004, for further 
information.
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    As mentioned above, one potential pathway for cross-contamination 
of muscle tissue of cattle is if potentially infectious tissue debris 
accumulates in the carcass splitting saw and is transferred to 
subsequent carcasses. FSIS has developed procedures to verify that 
cross-contamination of edible tissue with SRMs is reduced to the 
maximum extent practical in facilities that slaughter cattle, or 
process carcasses or parts of carcasses of cattle.\9\ This includes 
verification of sanitization procedures for equipment used to cut 
through SRMs.
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    \9\ See FSIS Notice 10-04.
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    Air-injection Stunning. The FSIS regulations in 9 CFR part 313 
prohibit the use of captive bolt stunners that deliberately inject 
compressed air into the cranium of cattle at the end stage of the 
penetration cycle. This requirement addresses the potential risk posed 
by the use of air-injection stunning devices, which may force pieces of 
brain and other CNS tissue into the circulatory system of stunned 
cattle.

Pithing

    This proposal would prohibit the use of pithing processes on the 
cattle from which the beef is derived. This requirement addresses the 
potential risk posed by pithing, which may force pieces of brain and 
other CNS tissue into the circulatory system of stunned cattle.

Certification

    We conclude that whole cuts of boneless beef derived from cattle 
born, raised, and slaughtered in Japan can be safely imported from 
Japan into the United States, provided the above-mentioned mitigation 
measures are met, as certified to on an original certificate issued by 
an authorized veterinary official of the Government of Japan.

International Guidelines on BSE

    International guidelines for trade in animal and animal products 
are developed by the World Organization for Animal Health (formerly 
known as the Office International des Epizooties (OIE)), which is 
recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the international 
organization responsible for the development of standards, guidelines, 
and recommendations with respect to animal health and zoonoses 
(diseases that are transmissible from animals to humans). The OIE 
guidelines for trade in terrestrial animals (mammals, birds, and bees) 
are detailed in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (available on the 
internet at https://www.oie.int). The guidelines on BSE are contained in 
Chapter 2.3.13 of the Code and supplemented by Appendix 3.8.4 of the 
Code.
    The 2005 OIE guidelines on BSE provide for three possible BSE 
classifications for an exporting country, zone, or compartment 
(referred to below as a region): Negligible risk, controlled risk, and 
undetermined risk.
    The OIE guidelines for negligible risk regions apply to those 
regions where either (1) there has been no indigenous cases of BSE or 
any imported cases of BSE have been completely destroyed, or (2) the 
last indigenous case of BSE was reported more than 7 years ago. In 
addition, a region may be considered a negligible risk for BSE if it 
has demonstrated, through an appropriate level of control and audit, 
that meat-and-bone meal and greaves derived from ruminants have not 
been fed to ruminants for at least 8 years, among other criteria. 
Controlled risk regions, in contrast, include regions where an 
indigenous case of BSE was reported within the last 7 years and regions 
that cannot demonstrate that a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban has been 
in place for at least 8 years. The OIE guidelines for undetermined risk 
regions apply to those regions that do not meet the recommended 
criteria for any other category.
    The export conditions contained in the OIE guidelines grow 
increasingly stringent as the status of a region moves from negligible 
risk through controlled risk to undetermined risk. For controlled risk 
regions, the OIE guidelines recommend that meat and meat products not 
contain SRMs and mechanically separated meat from the skull and 
vertebral column from cattle over 30 months of age, and that the meat 
and meat products be derived from cattle that received ante-mortem and 
post-mortem inspections and that the cattle were not subjected to an 
air-injection stunning or pithing process at slaughter, among other 
criteria.
    The proposed import conditions for whole cuts of boneless beef from 
Japan, including the requirements that the beef come from an 
establishment eligible to export meat to the United States under the 
FMIA and FSIS regulations, are consistent with the criteria for 
controlled risk regions. We believe this is appropriate, given that 
Japan has reported indigenous cases of BSE within

[[Page 48498]]

the last 7 years and has measures in place to control BSE risks, but 
these measures have not been in place long enough for Japan to be 
considered a negligible risk region. More details on the BSE situation 
in Japan and Japan's actions to protect animal and human health are 
contained in the risk analysis.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This proposed rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. 
The rule has been determined to be significant for the purposes of 
Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has been reviewed by the Office 
of Management and Budget.
    Under the Animal Health Protection Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to promulgate 
regulations that are necessary to prevent the introduction or 
dissemination of any pest or disease of livestock into the United 
States.
    This proposed rule would amend the regulations governing the 
importation of meat and other edible animal products by allowing, under 
certain conditions, the importation of whole cuts of boneless beef 
derived from cattle born, raised, and slaughtered in Japan. We are 
proposing this action in response to a request from the Government of 
Japan and after conducting an analysis of the risk that indicates that 
such beef can be safely imported from Japan under the conditions 
described in this proposal.
    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 603, we have performed an initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis, which is summarized below, regarding 
the impact of this proposed rule on small entities.\10\ This analysis 
also serves as our cost-benefit analysis under Executive Order 12866. 
Based on the information we have, there is no basis to conclude that 
this rule will result in any significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. However, we do not currently have 
all of the data necessary for a comprehensive analysis of the effects 
of this proposed rule on small entities. Therefore, we are inviting 
comments on the potential effects. In particular, we are interested in 
determining the number and kinds of small entities that would incur 
benefits or costs from the implementation of this proposed rule and the 
economic effect of those benefits and costs.
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    \10\ A copy of the full economic analysis is available for 
review on EDOCKET or in our reading room. (Information on accessing 
EDOCKET as well as the location and hours of the reading room may be 
found at the beginning of this document under ADDRESSES.)
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    This proposal would allow the importation of whole cuts of boneless 
beef derived from cattle that were born, raised, and slaughtered in 
Japan, provided that certain conditions are met. We expect that this 
proposal would have little or no economic impact on the majority of 
consumers and beef producers in the United States because the volume of 
beef imported from Japan is likely to be small and have only a minor 
impact on the overall domestic beef market.
    In 2001, APHIS placed a ban on the importation of ruminants and 
most ruminant products from Japan following the confirmation of one 
case of BSE in a native-born animal in that country. Prior to that ban, 
U.S. imports of boneless beef from Japan were negligible when compared 
to total imports of that commodity. Over the 4-year period, 1997-2000, 
for example, the volume of U.S. imports of boneless beef from Japan--
reported to be entirely fresh/chilled, as opposed to frozen--averaged a 
little less than 9 metric tons per year. This amount was less than 
0.005 percent of average annual U.S. imports of fresh/chilled boneless 
beef world-wide for the same period (202,540 metric tons).\11\ The 
average annual value of U.S. imports of boneless beef from Japan over 
this 4-year period was $808,000, less than 0.2 percent of the 4-year 
average annual value of U.S. imports of fresh/chilled boneless beef 
from all regions ($600 million). Including frozen boneless beef in the 
comparison over the same 4-year period diminishes Japan's annual 
average percentage share all the more, to about 0.001 percent of the 
quantity and about 0.05 percent of the value of all U.S. boneless beef 
imports. This impact would be further reduced if Japan's share of the 
U.S. total beef supply (domestic production plus imports minus exports, 
disregarding carryover stocks) were considered.
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    \11\ Trade statistics, unless otherwise indicated, are taken 
from the World Trade Atlas or the Global Trade Atlas (Global Trade 
Information Services), which report data from the Department of 
Commerce, U.S. Bureau of the Census. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
(HTS) 6-digit code for fresh/chilled boneless beef cuts is 020130; 
the HTS code for frozen boneless beef is 020230.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on the unit price of beef imported into the United States 
from Japan prior to the 2001 ban on the importation of ruminants and 
most ruminant products from Japan, it is assumed that all of the 
boneless beef imported from Japan prior to the ban was Wagyu beef. (The 
term ``Wagyu,'' which literally translates to Japanese cattle, refers 
to purebred Japanese Black or Japanese Brown breeds of cattle. Wagyu 
beef is a high-priced specialty meat widely acclaimed for its flavor 
and tenderness. ``Kobe beef'' refers to Wagyu beef that is produced in 
the Kobe area of Japan.) Japan also produces Holstein breed dairy 
cattle, but it is unlikely that Japan would try to compete in the U.S. 
import market for lower-grade beef from culled dairy cattle. 
Accordingly, we expect only Wagyu beef to be imported under the 
proposed rule.
    We expect that Japan would continue to be a minor supplier of beef 
to the United States if this proposal were adopted. We estimate that 
the volume of imports is likely to range between about 8 metric tons 
and 15 metric tons per year, a quantity aligned with import levels in 
the years immediately prior to the ban. There are three reasons for the 
small import volume. First, the demand for Japanese Wagyu beef in the 
United States would likely be small, because the beef is expensive. In 
October 2004, for example, the average actual selling price of Wagyu 
sirloin in Japanese supermarkets was just under $50 per pound.\12\ The 
price of Japanese Wagyu beef would be higher in the United States 
because of transportation and other costs associated with the 
importation of the beef from Japan.
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    \12\ Source: ``Monthly Statistics,'' January 2005, Agricultural 
& Livestock Industries Corporation. The selling price was calculated 
using an exchange rate of 105 yen per U.S. dollar and it is the 
price for Wagyu sirloin from all regions in Japan, including Kobe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Second, Japanese agricultural officials have indicated to APHIS 
staff that they would expect the volume of Wagyu exports to the United 
States to be approximately 10 metric tons per year. This quantity 
aligns with historic import levels, as described above, and would be 
well below the annual tariff rate quota for Japan of 200 metric 
tons.\13\ Over the 10-year period from 1991 to 2000 U.S. imports of 
boneless beef--both fresh/chilled and frozen--from Japan never exceeded 
27.0 metric tons in any one year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2005), 
Chapter 2, Meat and Edible Meat Offal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, Japan's boneless beef exports to countries other than the 
United States have also been minor. Over the 4-year period 1997-2000, 
Japan's exports of boneless beef to the world--both fresh/chilled and 
frozen--averaged only 81 metric tons per year, and the largest export 
volume in any one of those years was 95 metric tons (in 1999). For 
fresh/chilled boneless beef alone, the 4-year annual average was 37 
metric tons, with no one year exceeding 47 metric tons.\14\
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    \14\ Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Because we expect that Japan would export only Wagyu beef if this 
proposal

[[Page 48499]]

were adopted, this action has the potential to affect farmers and 
ranchers in the United States who raise Wagyu and Wagyu hybrid cattle 
for the high-end domestic beef market. However, the impact, if any, on 
these so-called ``Kobe-style'' beef producers is unclear, without an 
approximation of the quantity of Kobe-style beef sold in the United 
States and information on the extent to which the two products would 
directly compete. The number of these producers is unknown, but it is 
believed to be very small.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

    Given the high price and small quantity of Wagyu beef expected to 
be imported, the proposed rule is likely to have little impact for most 
U.S. consumers. A relatively small segment of beef consumers would 
benefit because they would be allowed, once again, to buy this product 
in the United States. Importers, brokers and others in the United 
States who would participate in the importation of Wagyu beef from 
Japan also stand to benefit, due to the increased business activity.
    U.S. beef producers, in general, would not be affected by the 
proposed rule; demand is expected to remain low reflecting pre-ban 
consumption patterns, with a minor impact on less expensive 
domestically produced beef. Any producer impact of the rule would 
likely fall upon producers of Kobe-style beef, and then only to the 
extent that the commodities would be competing for the same niche 
market.
    In general, trade of a commodity increases social welfare. To the 
extent that consumer choice is broadened and the increased supply of 
the imported commodity leads to a price decline, gains in consumer 
surplus will outweigh losses in domestic producer surplus.\15\ Although 
the rule's impact on the relatively small number of U.S. producers of 
Kobe-style beef is uncertain, it is expected to provide benefits to 
consumers (domestic importers, wholesalers, retailers, as well as final 
consumers) that would exceed any potential losses to domestic 
producers. The net welfare effect for the United States of 
reestablished Wagyu beef imports from Japan would be positive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ Consumer surplus is the difference between the amount a 
consumer is willing to pay for a good and the amount actually paid. 
Producer surplus is the amount a seller is paid for the good minus 
the seller's cost.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effects on Small Entities

    We do not expect that this proposal would have significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities. As discussed above, 
the proposed rule has the potential to primarily affect farmers and 
ranchers in the United States who produce Kobe-style beef. The number 
of these producers is unknown, but it is believed to be very small. The 
American Wagyu Association, a Wagyu breeder group, lists approximately 
75 members in the United States.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ Source: American Wagyu Association Web site.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The size distribution of Kobe-style beef producers in the United 
States is also unknown, but it is reasonable to assume that most are 
small, under the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) standards. 
This assumption is based on composite data for all beef producers in 
the United States. In 2002, there were 664,431 U.S. farms in North 
American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 112111, a 
classification comprised of establishments primarily engaged in raising 
cattle. Of the 664,431 farms, 659,009 (or 99 percent) had annual 
receipts that year of less than $500,000.\17\ The SBA's small entity 
threshold for farms in NAICS 112111 is annual receipts of $750,000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ 2002 Census of Agriculture, National Agricultural 
Statistics Service.
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Executive Order 12988

    This proposed rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, 
Civil Justice Reform. If this proposed rule is adopted: (1) All State 
and local laws and regulations that are inconsistent with this rule 
will be preempted; (2) no retroactive effect will be given to this 
rule; and (3) administrative proceedings will not be required before 
parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.

National Environmental Policy Act

    To provide the public with documentation of APHIS' review and 
analysis of any potential environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan, we have 
prepared an environmental assessment. The environmental assessment was 
prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of 
the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the procedural 
provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), (3) USDA regulations 
implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing 
Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
    The environmental assessment may be viewed on the EDOCKET Web site 
(see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing EDOCKET) or on the 
APHIS Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/bse.html. 
You may request paper copies of the environmental assessment by calling 
or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 
Please refer to the title of the environmental assessment when 
requesting copies. The environmental assessment is also available for 
review in our reading room (information on the location and hours of 
the reading room is provided under the heading ADDRESSES at the 
beginning of this notice).

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This proposed rule contains no new information collection or 
recordkeeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Government Paperwork Elimination Act Compliance

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is committed to 
compliance with the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), which 
requires Government agencies in general to provide the public the 
option of submitting information or transacting business electronically 
to the maximum extent possible. For information pertinent to GPEA 
compliance related to this proposed rule, please contact Mrs. Celeste 
Sickles, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734-7477.

List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 94

    Animal diseases, Imports, Livestock, Meat and meat products, Milk, 
Poultry and poultry products, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Accordingly, we propose to amend 9 CFR part 94 as follows:

PART 94--RINDERPEST, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL 
PLAGUE), EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER, CLASSICAL 
SWINE FEVER, AND BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY: PROHIBITED AND 
RESTRICTED IMPORTATIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 94 would continue to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, and 8301-8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 
and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
    2. In Sec.  94.18, paragraph (b) would be revised to read as 
follows:


Sec.  94.18  Restrictions on importation of meat and edible products 
from ruminants due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

* * * * *

[[Page 48500]]

    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section or in 
Sec. Sec.  94.19 or 94.27, the importation of meat, meat products, and 
edible products other than meat (except for gelatin as provided in 
paragraph (c) of this section, milk, and milk products) from ruminants 
that have been in any of the regions listed in paragraph (a) of this 
section is prohibited.
* * * * *
    3. A new Sec.  94.27 would be added to read as follows:


Sec.  94.27  Importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan.

    Notwithstanding any other provisions of this part, whole cuts of 
boneless beef derived from cattle that were born, raised, and 
slaughtered in Japan may be imported into the United States under the 
following conditions:
    (a) The beef is prepared in an establishment that is eligible to 
have its products imported into the United States under the Federal 
Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and the regulations in 9 
CFR 327.2 and the beef meets all other applicable requirements of the 
Federal Meat Inspection Act and regulations thereunder (9 CFR chapter 
III), including the requirements for removal of SRMs and the 
prohibition on the use of air-injection stunning devices prior to 
slaughter on cattle from which the beef is derived.
    (b) The beef is derived from cattle that were not subjected to a 
pithing process at slaughter.
    (c) An authorized veterinary official of the Government of Japan 
certifies on an original certificate that the above conditions have 
been met.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of August 2005.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-16422 Filed 8-16-05; 9:43 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P