The comment period for a proposed rule to allow fresh beef imports, under specific conditions, will be extended for 60 days. The new deadline to submit comments is April 22, 2014.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the proposed regulations would allow the importation of chilled or frozen beef while continuing to protect the U.S. from an introduction of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The imported beef would be subject to regulations that would mitigate the risk of FMD introduction, including movement restrictions, inspections, removal of potentially affected parts and a maturation process.
In its announcement in December, the agency concluded that Brazil had the veterinary infrastructure in place to detect and effectively eradicate a disease outbreak if necessary.
If finalized, the proposal would allow fresh beef from the Brazilian states of Bahia, Distrito Federal, Espirito Santo, Goias, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Rondonia, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, and Tocantins.
View the full proposal and comments on the Federal Register under docket APHIS-2009-0017.