Change in Disease Status of the Czech Republic and Italy Because of Rinderpest and Foot-and-Mouth Disease

We are declaring the Czech Republic and Italy free of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease and adding these two countries to the list of countries that, although declared free of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease, are subject to special restrictions on the importation of their meat and other animal products into the United States. This rule removes the prohibition on the importation into the United States, from the Czech Republic and Italy, of live ruminants and fresh, chilled, and frozen meat from ruminants and relieves restrictions on the importation of milk and milk products from ruminants from these two countries. However, because the Czech Republic and Italy are not declared to be free of certain diseases of swine, including hog cholera and swine vesicular disease, the importation from these countries of swine and fresh, chilled, and frozen meat from swine continues to be restricted.