STC Number - 120
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Restrictions on pigmeat

Maintained by: United States of America
Raised by: European Union
Supported by:
First date raised: March 2002 G/SPS/R/26 para. 11
Dates subsequently raised: October 2003 (G/SPS/R/31 paras.33-34)
Number of times subsequently raised: 1
Relevant documents: G/SPS/N/USA/214/Add.1 RD/SPS/114
Products covered: 0203 Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen.
Primary subject keyword: Animal Health
Keywords: Animal health; Pest- or Disease- free Regions / Regionalization; Foot and mouth disease; Classical Swine Fever
Status: Resolved
Solution: In October 2020, information was received from the European Union on the resolution of this STC (RD/SPS/114, 29 October 2020).
Date reported as resolved: 05/11/2020

Extracts from SPS Committee meeting summary reports

In March 2002, the representative of the European Communities drew the Committee's attention to notification G/SPS/N/USA/214/Add.1, which recognized Portugal as free of African swine fever. The phrasing of the US notification gave the erroneous impression that Portugal was "in a region infected with classical swine fever", whereas Portugal was recognized as free of classical swine fever by the OIE. Several EC member States remained on the US list of countries infected with classical swine fever solely because of delays in the US legislative procedure for reclassification, possibly for political reasons. The representative of the European Communities was hopeful that the publication of a final classical swine fever rule would follow shortly. The European Communities had signed a bilateral veterinary agreement with the United States in 1999 on the understanding that a final rule was imminent. The representative of the United States noted that an outbreak of African swine fever was reported in Portugal in 1999 and that on 7 January 2000, the United States had notified measures taken in this regard. In spite of the change in African swine fever status, the export of pork products to the United States could not commence due to the presence of other animal diseases. He stated that the United States had legitimate scientific concerns related to classical swine fever in the European Communities following recent outbreaks in Germany, Spain and Luxembourg.

In October 2003, the representative of the European Communities stated that it had raised this issue at the March 2002 Committee meeting, regarding the delay in the recognition of EC member States as free of classical swine fever. The European Communities had provided the necessary information, and renewed its request to the United States to adhere to commitments made in the bilateral agreement between the United States and the European Communities in 1998 relating to animal health.

The representative of the United States explained that his authorities had been working closely with the European Communities and interested EC member States on this regionalization request. In April 2003, the United States published a final rule recognizing certain areas of the European Communities as disease free. On 16 October 2003, APHIS ruled that East Anglia, in the United Kingdom, was disease free and APHIS was continuing its evaluation of the status of other EC member States. Outbreaks of both classical swine fever and FMD in France, Spain and Luxembourg had complicated and delayed the response to the regionalization request.

In November 2020, the Secretariat informed that in September 2020 it had contacted all Members who had raised specific trade concerns (STCs) that had not been discussed in the previous year, to request an update on their status. In furtherance of this request, information was received from the European Union on the resolution of this STC. The Secretariat indicated that the information received had been circulated in document RD/SPS/114 of 29 October 2020, and that the SPS IMS would be updated on this basis, using the date of the November 2020 SPS Committee meeting as the date of resolution of the relevant STCs.