83 FR 47532 - Eligibility of Thailand To Export Siluriformes Fish and Fish Products to the United States

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 182 (September 19, 2018)

Page Range47532-47536
FR Document2018-20380

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to amend the Siluriformes fish inspection regulations to list Thailand as a country eligible to export Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States. FSIS is proposing this action because the Agency has reviewed Thailand's laws, regulations, and inspection system as implemented and has determined that Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system is equivalent to the system that the United States has established under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations. Under this proposal, only raw Siluriformes fish and fish products produced in certified Thailand establishments would be eligible for export to the United States. All such products would continue to be subject to re-inspection at U.S. points-of-entry by FSIS inspectors.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47532-47536]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20380]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 557

[Docket No. FSIS-2018-0031]
RIN [0583-AD75]


Eligibility of Thailand To Export Siluriformes Fish and Fish 
Products to the United States

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to 
amend the Siluriformes fish inspection regulations to list Thailand as 
a country eligible to export Siluriformes fish and fish products to the 
United States. FSIS is proposing this action because the Agency has 
reviewed Thailand's laws, regulations, and inspection system as 
implemented and has determined that Thailand's Siluriformes fish 
inspection system is equivalent to the system that the United States 
has established under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its 
implementing regulations.
    Under this proposal, only raw Siluriformes fish and fish products 
produced in certified Thailand establishments would be eligible for 
export to the United States. All such products would continue to be 
subject to re-inspection at U.S. points-of-entry by FSIS inspectors.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 19, 2018.

ADDRESSES: FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on the 
proposed rule. Comments may be submitted by one of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on this 
web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments.
     Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-
3700.
     Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
    Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must 
include the Agency name and docket number FSIS-2018-0031. Comments 
received in response to this docket will be made available for public 
inspection and posted without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, 
call (202) 720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6065, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roberta Wagner, Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Policy and

[[Page 47533]]

Program Development; Telephone: (202) 205-0495.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    FSIS is proposing to amend its regulations at 9 CFR 557.2(b)(1) to 
add Thailand as a country eligible to export Siluriformes fish and fish 
products to the United States (for convenience, in this proposed rule, 
``Siluriformes fish and fish products'' will be shortened to 
``Siluriformes fish''). Although Thailand has been allowed to export 
these products to the United States under the conditions described 
below, Thailand is not currently listed in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) as eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United 
States.

Transitional Period

    On December 2, 2015, FSIS published the final rule, ``Mandatory 
Inspection of Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products Derived from 
Such Fish'' (80 FR 75590). The final rule established a mandatory 
inspection system for fish of the order Siluriformes and products 
derived from these fish. The final regulations implemented the 
provisions of the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills, which amended the FMIA, 
mandating FSIS inspection of Siluriformes fish.
    The final rule provided an 18-month period, from March 1, 2016, to 
September 1, 2017, for both the U.S. domestic Siluriformes fish 
industry and international trading partners to transition from the 
regulatory requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 
the agency formerly responsible for regulatory oversight of 
Siluriformes fish, to the regulatory requirements of FSIS. By March 1, 
2016, FSIS required foreign countries to submit written documentation 
identifying a list of establishments that had been exporting and would 
continue exporting Siluriformes fish to the United States. In addition, 
by March 1, 2016, FSIS required foreign countries to submit written 
documentation to demonstrate that they had laws or other legal measures 
in place that provide authority to regulate the growing and processing 
of fish for human food, and to assure compliance with FDA's good 
manufacturing practices, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point 
(HACCP) requirements, sanitation control procedures, and other 
regulatory requirements in 21 CFR part 123, Fish and Fishery Products.
    FSIS recognized the foreign countries' initial documentation until 
the end of the transitional period on September 1, 2017. Foreign 
countries that wished to continue exporting after September 1, 2017, 
were required to submit documentation substantiating the equivalence of 
their Siluriformes fish inspection system to that of the United States. 
Foreign countries that submitted complete equivalence documentation by 
September 1, 2017, were permitted to continue exporting Siluriformes 
fish until such time that FSIS determines if their Siluriformes fish 
inspection systems are equivalent to the U.S. system.
    Thailand submitted its initial documentation in February 2016, 
which allowed it to continue exporting Siluriformes fish during the 
transitional period. In April 2017, Thailand submitted a completed 
Self-Reporting Tool (SRT), the questionnaire that FSIS uses to assess 
the equivalence of a foreign country's food safety inspection system.
    FSIS stated in the final rule that, during the transitional period, 
it would reinspect imported Siluriformes fish and test for species 
identification and residues on at least a quarterly basis for each 
foreign establishment eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the U.S. 
(80 FR 75608). FSIS conducted random and targeted sampling and testing 
of imported Siluriformes fish during the transitional period, and on 
August 2, 2017, began reinspecting all shipments of Siluriformes fish, 
with random sampling for species and residue testing. As a result of 
the testing, FSIS found a residue violation in a shipment of 
Siluriformes fish exported from Thailand. When imported product fails 
FSIS testing, the product is refused entry and the designated competent 
authority of the foreign government's inspection system is notified and 
further shipments of product from the foreign establishment are placed 
under either an increased or intensified level of sampling. FSIS 
notified the Thailand Department of Fisheries (DOF), the central 
competent authority for food inspection, of the residue violation, and 
in response, DOF stated that the processor would be suspended until DOF 
inspectors could re-audit the processor's HACCP system.

Statutory and Regulatory Basis for Proposed Action

    Siluriformes fish are an amenable species under the FMIA (21 U.S.C. 
601(w)(2)). The FMIA prohibits importation into the United States of 
adulterated or misbranded meat and meat food products (21 U.S.C. 620). 
Under the FMIA and its implementing regulations, Siluriformes fish 
imported into the United States must be from foreign countries that 
maintain an inspection system that ensures compliance with requirements 
equivalent to all the inspection, sanitary, quality, species 
verification, and residue standards, and all other provisions of the 
FMIA which are applied to official establishments in the United States. 
The regulatory requirements for foreign countries to become eligible to 
export Siluriformes fish and fish products to the United States are 
provided in 9 CFR 557.2, which cross-references 9 CFR 327.2, the 
regulations for the import of other products also subject to the FMIA. 
As noted above, FSIS has allowed Thailand to continue shipping product 
while FSIS made the determination concerning whether the country's 
inspection system is equivalent to that of FSIS.
    Section 557.2(a) (cross-referencing 9 CFR 327.2(a)(2)(i), 
(a)(2)(i), (a)(2)(ii)(C)-(I), (a)(2)(iii)-(iv), and (a)(3)), requires a 
foreign country's inspection system be authorized by legal authority 
that imposes requirements equivalent to those of the United States, 
specifically with respect to: (1) Official controls by the national 
government over establishment construction, facilities, and equipment; 
(2) direct official supervision of the preparation of product to assure 
that product is not adulterated or misbranded; (3) separation of 
establishment operations for product certified for export from product 
that is not certified; (4) requirements for sanitation at certified 
establishments and for sanitary handling of product; (5) official 
controls over condemned materials; (6) a HACCP system; and (7) any 
other requirements found in the FMIA and its implementing regulations.
    In addition to a foreign country's legal authority and regulatory 
requirements, the inspection program must achieve a level of public 
health protection equivalent to that achieved by the U.S. program. 
Specifically, the inspection program organized and administered by the 
national government must impose requirements equivalent to those of the 
United States with respect to: (1) Organizational structure and 
staffing, so as to ensure uniform enforcement of the requisite laws and 
regulations in all certified establishments; (2) ultimate control and 
supervision by the national government over the official activities of 
employees or licensees; (3) competent, qualified inspectors; (4) 
enforcement and certification; (5) administrative and technical 
support; (6) inspection, sanitation, quality, species verification, and 
residue standards; and (7) any other inspection requirements required 
by the regulations in Subchapter F--

[[Page 47534]]

Mandatory Inspection of Fish of the Order Siluriformes and Products of 
Such Fish, which cross-references 9 CFR 327.2(a)(2)(i)).
    The foreign country's inspection system must ensure that 
establishments preparing Siluriformes fish for export to the United 
States comply with requirements equivalent to those of the FMIA and the 
regulations promulgated thereunder. The foreign country certifies the 
establishments as having met the required standards and notifies FSIS 
about establishments that are certified or removed from certification.
    As discussed above, a foreign country's inspection system must be 
evaluated by FSIS to determine its eligibility to export Siluriformes 
fish to the United States. This evaluation consists of two processes: A 
document review and an on-site review. The document review is an 
evaluation of the laws, regulations, and other written materials used 
by the country to affect its inspection program. FSIS requests that 
countries provide information about their inspection systems through 
the Self Reporting Tool (SRT). The SRT can be found on the FSIS website 
at 2016 Siluriformes SRT. The SRT is a standardized questionnaire that 
FSIS provides to foreign governments to gather information that 
characterizes foreign inspection systems. Through the SRT, FSIS 
collects information on practices and procedures in six areas, known as 
equivalence components: (1) Government Oversight (e.g., Organization 
and Administration), (2) Government Statutory Authority and Food Safety 
and Other Consumer Protection Regulations (e.g., Inspection System 
Operation, Product Standards and Labeling), (3) Government Sanitation, 
(4) Government HACCP Systems, (5) Government Chemical Residue Testing 
Programs, and (6) Government Microbiological Testing Programs. FSIS 
evaluates the information submitted to verify that the critical points 
in the six equivalence components are addressed satisfactorily with 
respect to standards, activities, resources, and enforcement. If the 
document review is satisfactory, an on-site review is scheduled using a 
multi-disciplinary team to evaluate all aspects of the country's 
inspection program. This comprehensive process is described more fully 
on the FSIS website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/importing-products/equivalence/equivalence-process-overview.
    Under the regulations, foreign countries must be listed in the CFR 
as eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States. FSIS 
engages in rulemaking to list a country as eligible. Countries found 
eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States are listed in 
the regulations at 9 CFR 557.26(b)(1). Once listed, the eligible 
country is required to certify that establishments meet the 
requirements to export Siluriformes fish to the United States and to 
ensure that products from these establishments are safe, wholesome, and 
not misbranded. To verify that products imported into the United States 
are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled and packaged, FSIS conducts 
100 percent re-inspection of those products at points-of-entry before 
they enter the U.S. commerce.

Evaluation of Thailand's Siluriformes Fish Inspection System

    In April 2017, Thailand requested that FSIS conduct a review of its 
Siluriformes fish inspection system and submitted the documentation to 
formally establish its eligibility to export Siluriformes fish to the 
United States. FSIS conducted a document review of Thailand's 
Siluriformes fish inspection system to determine whether it was 
equivalent to that of the United States. FSIS concluded, based review 
of the submitted documentation, that Thailand's laws, regulations, 
control programs, and procedures were equivalent to those of the United 
States.
    Accordingly, in May 2018, FSIS proceeded with an on-site audit of 
Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system. The purpose of the on-
site audit was to verify that DOF effectively implemented a 
Siluriformes fish inspection system equivalent to that of the United 
States. FSIS audited each of the four establishments then certified to 
export Siluriformes fish to the United States, one pre-harvest 
operation, and one cold storage facility. During the visits to the four 
establishments, none were producing Siluriformes fish for export to the 
United States. However, FSIS auditors were able to conduct observation 
of DOF inspection at two of the four establishments and to perform 
document reviews.
    The May 2018 audit of Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection 
system identified several deficiencies that the DOF was requested to 
address. Among other things, the audit found that the DOF did not have 
regulatory requirements for establishments to maintain daily records 
documenting the monitoring of the Sanitation Standard Operating 
Procedures (SOPs), although the establishments did document and 
maintain sanitation records. Also, the DOF did not have regulatory 
requirements for establishments to develop HACCP verification 
procedures for direct observation of monitoring activities and 
corrective actions, resulting in no performance of the procedure by the 
establishments. Furthermore, because only two out of the four 
establishments FSIS visited during the May 2018 audit were operational, 
auditors were unable to verify the full implementation of Thailand's 
food safety inspections system. At the audit exit meeting, the DOF 
committed to addressing the preliminary findings.
    On June 27, 2018, FSIS sent the DOF the draft final audit report, 
and advised that, in order to verify the full implementation of 
Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system, it would be necessary 
to schedule a follow up on-site visit.
    On June 28, 2018, FSIS sent a follow-up letter proposing a follow-
up on-site audit of Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system in 
August 2018. The letter explained that the objective of the follow-up 
audit was to verify any corrective actions or changes to Thailand's 
food safety inspection system as a result of the findings of the first 
audit and that the scope of the audit would be limited to aspects of 
Thailand's national inspection system.
    FSIS conducted the follow-up audit between August 27 and 31, 2018, 
visiting the three establishments currently certified to export 
Siluriformes fish to the United States (Thailand delisted one 
establishment prior to the follow-up audit). The follow-up audit 
focused on the inspections system's ability to control hazards and 
prevent non-compliances that threaten food safety. FSIS auditors 
visited all three establishments certified by the DOF to export 
products to the United States. During this audit, all certified 
establishments were able to perform operations. The FSIS auditors were 
able to see production of Siluriformes fish, in addition to the 
implementation of corrective actions in response to the deficiencies 
found in the May onsite audit.
    The FSIS auditors determined that Thailand's food safety inspection 
system governing fish of the order Siluriformes and their products are 
being implemented as documented in the SRT and according to their 
corrective actions responses. A review and analysis of each component 
with corrective actions by the FSIS auditors did not identify any 
findings representing an immediate threat to public health.
    In summary, FSIS has completed the document review, on-site audit, 
follow-up audit with verification of corrective actions as part of the 
equivalence

[[Page 47535]]

process, and determined that all outstanding issues have been resolved. 
FSIS has concluded that, as implemented, Thailand's inspection system 
for Siluriformes fish is equivalent to that of the United States. The 
full report on Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system can be 
found on the FSIS website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/importing-products/eligible-countries-products-foreign-establishments/foreign-audit-reports/foreign-audit-reports.
    At this time, Thailand intends to certify three establishments as 
eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States. Thailand's 
eligibility applies to the export of raw Siluriformes fish only. Should 
this rule become final, the government of Thailand must certify to FSIS 
those establishments that wish to export Siluriformes fish to the 
United States and that operate in accordance with requirements 
equivalent to that of the United States (9 CFR 557.2(a)). FSIS will 
verify that the establishments certified by Thailand's government are 
meeting the United States requirements through verification audits of 
Thailand's Siluriformes fish inspection system.
    Although a foreign country may be listed in FSIS regulations as 
eligible to export Siluriformes fish products to the United States, the 
exporting country's products must be found to comply with all other 
applicable requirements of the United States. Accordingly, Siluriformes 
fish exported from Thailand will continue to be subject to re-
inspection at U.S. points-of-entry for, but not limited to, 
transportation damage, product and container defects, labeling, proper 
certification, general condition, and accurate count. In addition, FSIS 
is, and will continue, to conduct other types of re-inspection 
activities, such as taking product samples for laboratory analysis for 
the detection of drug and chemical residues, pathogens, species, and 
product composition for a subset of Thailand's Siluriformes fish 
imported into the United States. Products that pass re-inspection will 
be stamped with the official mark of inspection and allowed to enter 
U.S. commerce. If they do not meet U.S. requirements, they will be 
refused entry and within 45 days must be exported to the country of 
origin, destroyed, or converted to animal food (subject to approval of 
FDA), depending on the violation. The import re-inspection activities 
can be found on the FSIS website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/importing-products/phis-import-component/phis-implementation-letter-to-importers/ct_index.

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563, and the Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess all 
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). Executive 
Order (E.O.) 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs 
and benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting 
flexibility. This proposed rule has been designated as a ``non-
significant'' regulatory action under section 3(f) of E.O. 12866. 
Accordingly, the rule has not been reviewed by the Office of Management 
and Budget under E.O. 12866.

Expected Costs of the Proposed Rule

    If this rule is finalized, establishments in Thailand would be 
listed as eligible to export raw Siluriformes fish to the United 
States. Adoption of this rule is not expected to have quantified costs 
associated with it because the rule would maintain existing trade 
between the United States and Thailand in Siluriformes fish. The United 
States has historically imported Siluriformes fish from Thailand. Over 
the last 5 years, total sales from Thailand Siluriformes fish imports 
only averaged 0.017 percent of U.S. domestic production, and 
constituted only 0.009 percent of total United States consumption, 
Table 1. In 2016, Thailand exported 3.5 times more Siluriformes fish to 
the United States than average, but these exports still accounted for 
only 0.027 percent of total domestic consumption, Table 1. These 
amounts are unlikely to have any substantive effect on U.S. production 
or prices for domestically harvested Siluriformes fish.

                                   Table 1--Summary of Siluriformes Fish Sales
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                        5 year
                                        2013         2014         2015         2016         2017       average
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Millions of dollars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total U.S. Imports \1\............      $363.42      $346.66      $351.13      $405.61      $381.89      $369.74
Total U.S. Domestic Production \2\       356.73       351.94       363.61       385.99       379.71       367.60
Total U.S. Exports \1\............         4.69         3.99         4.95         4.80         6.18         4.92
Total U.S. Consumption \3\........       715.46       694.60       709.79       786.80       755.43       732.41
Total U.S. Imports \1\ from                0.04         0.02         0.01         0.21         0.04         0.06
 Thailand.........................
Thailand as % of U.S. Imports.....       0.012%       0.005%       0.003%       0.052%       0.010%       0.017%
Thailand as % of U.S. Domestic           0.012%       0.005%       0.003%       0.054%       0.010%       0.017%
 Production.......................
Thailand as % of U.S. Consumption.       0.006%       0.002%       0.002%       0.027%       0.005%       0.009%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data.
\1\ Import and Export Data Accessed from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Global Agricultural Trade System:
  https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx.
\2\ U.S. Production Data Accessed from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service: Quick Stats: https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/.
\3\ U.S. Consumption data is assumed to equal Imports + Domestic Production-Exports.

Expected Benefits of the Proposed Rule

    If finalized, this rule would result in the continued opportunity 
for trade between the United States and Thailand. The volume of trade 
is likely to continue to be small and is expected to have little or no 
effect on U.S. Siluriformes fish production or prices. U.S. consumers, 
however, are expected to continue to have access to more choices when 
purchasing Siluriformes products. The rule would, therefore, maintain 
choices for U.S. consumers and promote economic competition.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Assessment

    The FSIS Administrator has made a preliminary determination that 
this proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities in the United States, as defined 
by the

[[Page 47536]]

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) because, as stated 
above, the rule would maintain existing trade.

Executive Order 13771

    Consistent with E.O. 13771 (82 FR 9339, February 3, 2017), this 
proposed rule facilitates regulatory cooperation with foreign 
governments. Therefore, if finalized as proposed, this rule is expected 
to be an E.O. 13771 deregulatory action.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    No new paperwork requirements are associated with this proposed 
rule. Foreign countries wanting to export Siluriformes fish to the 
United States are required to provide information to FSIS certifying 
that their inspection system provides standards equivalent to those of 
the United States, and that the legal authority for the system and 
their implementing regulations are equivalent to those of the United 
States. FSIS provided Thailand with a questionnaire, referred to as the 
self-reporting tool (SRT), asking for detailed information about the 
country's inspection practices and procedures to assist that country in 
organizing its materials. This information collection was approved 
under OMB number 0583-0153. The proposed rule contains no other 
paperwork requirements.

E-Government Act

    FSIS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are committed to 
achieving the purposes of the E-Government Act (44 U.S.C. 3601, et 
seq.) by, among other things, promoting the use of the internet and 
other information technologies and providing increased opportunities 
for citizen access to Government information and services, and for 
other purposes.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication and officially notify the World Trade 
Organization's Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO/
SPS Committee) in Geneva, Switzerland, of this proposal on-line through 
the FSIS web page located at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. Constituent Updates are available on the FSIS web page. 
Through the web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much 
broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 
subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to 
selected food safety news and information. This service is available 
at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to 
export information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can 
add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.
    Fax: (202) 690-7442.
    Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 557

    Imported products.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, FSIS is proposing to 
further amend 9 CFR part 557, as proposed to be amended elsewhere in 
this issue of the Federal Register, as follows:

PART 557--IMPORTATION

0
1. The authority citation for part 557 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 21 U.S.C. 601-602, 606-622, 624-695; 7 CFR 2.7, 2.18, 
2.53.

Sec.  557.2  [Amended]

0
2. Section 557.2 is amended by adding ``Thailand'' in alphabetical 
order to the list of countries in paragraph (b)(1).

Paul Kiecker,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-20380 Filed 9-14-18; 4:15 pm]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P


Current View
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionProposed rule.
DatesSubmit comments on or before October 19, 2018.
ContactRoberta Wagner, Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development; Telephone: (202) 205-0495.
FR Citation83 FR 47532 
RIN Number0583-AD75

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