USDA EASES IMPORT RESTRICTIONS FOR CERTAIN EU COUNTRIES

USDA EASES IMPORT RESTRICTIONS FOR CERTAIN EU COUNTRIES    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has started to remove import restrictions against certain European Union countries, since imposing the curbs on March 13 to keep out highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease.
   Import restrictions will be lifted for Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. According to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, these countries have been shown to be clear of foot-and-mouth disease.
   Restrictions will remain in effect for the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Greece. The USDA will also continue to monitor for ruminants to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.
   USDA has also continued to build up its presence at the ports of entry
around the country. Earlier this year, USDA Secretary Ann Veneman authorized
$32 million to hire 350 new inspectors and to double USDA’s canine inspection
teams. This is in addition to about 400 inspectors already being hired this year and another 200 being reassigned from other APHIS program areas.