Change in Disease Status of Great Britain With Regard to Foot-and-Mouth Disease

We are amending the regulations governing the importation of certain animals, meat, and other animal products by adding Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man) to the list of regions considered free of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and to the list of regions subject to certain import restrictions on meat and animal products because of their proximity to or trading relationships with rinderpest- or FMD-affected regions. This final rule follows an interim rule that removed Great Britain and Northern Ireland from those lists due to detection of FMD in those regions. Based on the results of an evaluation of the current FMD situation in Great Britain, which took into account, among other things, that Great Britain has met the standards of the Office International des Epizooties for being considered to be free of FMD, we have determined that Great Britain can be added to the list of regions considered free of FMD. This rule relieves certain FMD-related prohibitions and restrictions on the importation of ruminants and swine and fresh (chilled or frozen) meat and other products of ruminants and swine into the United States from Great Britain.