Importation of Pork and Pork Products

We propose to amend the regulations concerning the importation of pork and pork products into the United States. Specifically, we propose to allow pork that originates in a region where African swine fever exists to be imported into the United States if it has been heated to an internal temperature of at least 69 deg.C after the bones have been removed. We also propose to provide an alternative, dry heat processing method for pork from regions where swine vesicular disease exists. In addition, we propose to make other minor amendments to the regulations for importing pork and pork products from regions where African swine fever, swine vesicular disease, or hog cholera exists. These proposed changes would relieve some restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from regions where these diseases exist without presenting a significant risk of introducing African swine fever, hog cholera, or swine vesicular disease into the United States.