Proposed Changes to US Quarantine Facilities
Prior to the border closure on May 20th due to a single case of BSE, Canada held a special status regarding ruminant export to the US. As with imports from other countries, a health certificate declaring that imported animals were at low risk for specific diseases was required for Canadian breeding stock*1. However, unlike most other countries Canada and Mexico were exempt from the 30-day quarantine required for imported ruminants1.
Currently, quarantine of imported ruminants is limited to one of two Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) importation centres located in New York and Los Angeles1. In 1988, due to increased imports from New Zealand, regulations were changed to allow privately owned facilities to quarantine sheep and goats under APHIS supervision. Although the regulations for private sheep and goat facilities are still in place, there are currently no such facilities approved for operation by the APHIS. Due to recent interest in allowing privately owned facilities to quarantine cattle, there has been a proposal put forward to revoke the sheep and goat facility regulations and implement new standards for facilities housing all types of ruminants3. Acceptance of the proposal may greatly increase the number and capacity of quarantine facilities.
The proposed standards outline various requirements for both medium and minimum-security facilities. Animals housed in medium-security facilities are required to be held indoors in a vector-proof environment, while minimum security facilities allow for outdoor housing. Currently all quarantined animals are housed in two APHIS indoor facilities. Privately owned minimum-security sites would allow for outdoor housing, increasing the potential lot size of animals being imported. The number of facilities would also likely increase, as privately owned quarantine sites could be located at any approved port of entry.
As noted in the proposal, the vast majority of ruminants imported into the US originate within North America. Over the past five years, for example, 99% of US live sheep and lamb imports came from Canada. Therefore, given the exemption of Canadian and Mexican imports from quarantine, it is thought that the standards for private facilities will likely have little impact on the US import market. However, the document also notes that the number of imports from counties other than Canada and Mexico may be more substantial if the availability of quarantine sites and capacities are increased3.
Resumption of live animal exports from Canada to the US is murky at present. It is important to note that there is no suggestion in the current proposal to change pre-existing requirements for animal movement across the border, only that the changes may increase the capacity and availability of quarantine facilities in the US.
(*health certificates were not required for animals shipped directly to slaughter2)
1. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/cattle_ruminants.html
2. http://laws.justice.gc.ca./en/H-3.3/C.R.C.-c.296/131500.html#rid-131746
3. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html