Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service November 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are proposing to amend the regulations for the importation of equines. These changes include increasing the number of days horses exported from regions free from contagious equine metritis (CEM) are allowed to spend in a CEM-affected region and re-enter the United States without testing from 60 days to 90 days; requiring an import permit for horses transiting through CEM-affected regions; adding requirements for health certifications to ensure health certifications properly attest to the health of the imported horse; removing the requirement that horses permanently imported from Canada undergo inspection at the port of entry; requiring that horses transiting Central America or the West Indies comply with the same regulations that apply to horses directly imported from these regions; and adding requirements for shipping containers used in transporting horses. We are also proposing a number of miscellaneous changes to the regulations such as clarifications of existing policy or intent, and corrections of inconsistencies or outdated information. Many of these proposed changes would better align our regulations with international standards and allow us and the equine industry more flexibility. The proposed changes would also add further safeguards that protect against introducing or disseminating pests or diseases of livestock into the United States.

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

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for permanent, privately owned horse quarantine facilities.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the United States of fresh mango fruit from Colombia. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh mango fruit from Colombia.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the continental United States of fresh pummelo fruit from Thailand. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh pummelo fruit from Thailand.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a commodity import evaluation document (CIED) relative to the importation into the United States of plums from Chile. Chile plums are currently subject to irradiation, either in Chile or in the United States, as a mitigation for European grapevine moth (EGVM). Based on the findings of the CIED, in addition to the option of irradiation, we are also proposing to authorize the importation of plums from Chile under a systems approach for EGVM, as well as an option for fumigation with methyl bromide. We are making the CIED available to the public for review and comment.