 |
On June 29, 2016, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published in the Federal Register a final rule [Docket No. FSIS–2009–0026] amending the meat and poultry inspection regulations to provide for an electronic export application and certification system. The electronic export application and certification system will be a component of the FSIS’s Public Health Information System (PHIS). The PHIS Export Component will be available as an alternative to the paper-based export application and certification process. FSIS will charge an application fee to exporters that use the PHIS Export Component. FSIS is establishing a formula for calculating the fee. On an annual basis, the FSIS will use the formula to update the fee and publish the new fee in the Federal Register. The updated fee will apply at the start of each calendar year. FSIS is also amending the meat and poultry export regulations to provide flexibility in the requirements for official export inspection marks, devices, and certificates. In addition, FSIS is amending the egg product export regulations to parallel the meat and poultry product export regulations. As part of the amendments, the regulatory requirements for filing a copy of the export certificate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be deleted from the regulatory text (9 C.F.R. 322.2(e)). However, the Federal Meat Inspection Act’s (FMIA) statutory requirement and FSIS’s regulatory requirement that the product’s owner (e.g., exporter) or shipper obtain an export certificate from FSIS before the meat product departs from a U.S. port (21 U.S.C. 617; 9 C.F.R. 322.4) remain in effect. Effective Date: August 29, 2016. Applicability Date: The regulations that provide for an electronic export application and certification system for meat, poultry, and egg products; an electronic application fee; and the use of a 7-digit export mark or unique identifier will be applicable on June 29, 2017. These regulations include 9 C.F.R. 312.8; 381.104; 322.2(a); 381.106(a); 590.407(a); 590.407(c) (unique identifier and 7-digit export mark provisions only); 350.7(e) through (g) and 362.5(e) through (g); 592.500(a); and 592.500(d) through (f). |
