WORLD TRADE G/SPS/N/USA/83
13June1997
ORGANIZATION
(97-2439)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member toAgreement notifying: UNITED STATES
Ifapplicable, name oflocal government involved:
2. Agency responsible: Food andDrug Administration
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) asspecified innational schedules deposited with
theWTO. ICSnumbers may beprovided inaddition, where applicable): Equivalence
Criteria forFood
4. Title andnumber ofpages ofthenotified document: Draft Guidance onEquivalence
Criteria forFood (8pages)
5. Description ofcontent: TheFood andDrug Administration (FDA) ispublishing for
public comment thecriteria thattheAgency intends touseinevaluating whether the
regulatory systems usedbyforeign countries toensure thesafety offoodexported to
theUnited States forhuman consumption areequivalent totheregulatory system ofthe
United States. Based onitsevaluation, FDA willdecide whether toinstitute the
proceedings necessary toenter intoanequivalence agreement withtheforeign country.
Because FDA hasalready received requests forconsultations onseafood from anumber
ofcountries, theAgency isalsoincluding inthisrequest forpublic comment an
appendix withspecific guidance ondetermining equivalence withitsseafood HACCP
regulations andwithother features ofitsregulatory programme forseafood. FDA may
choose toissue specific additional guidance forother types offoodatalaterdate.
6. Objective andrationale: Public health protection
7. Aninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation does notexist [X].
Ifaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents andlanguage(s) inwhich these areavailable: 62FR30593, 4June
1997
9. Proposed date ofadoption: Tobedetermined
./.G/SPS/N/USA/83
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10. Proposed date ofentry intoforce: Tobedetermined
11. Final date forcomments: 4August 1997
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments: Food andDrug Administration
12. Texts available from: National enquiry point []oraddress, telefax number andE-mail
address (ifavailable) ofother body:
United States SPSEnquiry Point
USDA/FAS/OFSTS
Attn: Carolyn F.Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
14thandIndependence
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel: (202) 7202239
Fax: (202) 6900677
E-mail address: Wilsonc@fas.usda.gov