(a) Sheep and goats intended for importation from Canada must be accompanied by a certificate issued in accordance with §93.405.

(b) If the sheep or goats are unaccompanied by the certificate required by paragraph (a) of this section, or if they are found upon inspection at the port of entry to be affected with or exposed to a communicable disease, they shall be refused entry and shall be handled or quarantined, or otherwise disposed of, as the Administrator may direct.

(c) Any sheep or goats imported from Canada must not be pregnant, must be less than 12 months of age when imported into the United States and when slaughtered, must be from a flock or herd subject to a ruminant feed ban equivalent to the requirements established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at 21 CFR 589.2000, and, before the animal's arrival at the port of entry into the United States, must be officially identified with unique individual identification that is traceable to the premises of origin of the animal. No person may alter, deface, remove, or otherwise tamper with the official identification while the animal is in the United States or moving into or through the United States, except that the identification may be removed at the time of slaughter. The animals must be accompanied by the certification issued in accordance with §93.405 that states, in addition to the statements required by §93.405, that the conditions of this paragraph have been met. Additionally, for sheep and goats imported for immediate slaughter, the certificate must state that the conditions of paragraphs (d)(1) through (d)(3) of this section have been met, and, for sheep and goats imported for other than immediate slaughter, the certificate must state that the conditions of paragraphs (e)(1) and (e)(2) of this section have been met.

(d) Sheep and goats imported for immediate slaughter. Sheep and goats imported from Canada for immediate slaughter must be imported only through a port of entry listed in §93.403(b) or as provided for in §93.403(f) in a means of conveyance sealed in Canada with seals of the Canadian Government, and must be moved directly as a group from the port of entry to a recognized slaughtering establishment for slaughter as a group. The sheep and goats shall be inspected at the port of entry and otherwise handled in accordance with §93.408. The seals on the means of conveyance must be broken only at the port of entry by the APHIS port veterinarian or at the recognized slaughtering establishment by an authorized USDA representative. If the seals are broken by the APHIS port veterinarian at the port of entry, the means of conveyance must be resealed with seals of the U.S. Government before being moved to the recognized slaughtering establishment. The shipment must be accompanied from the port of entry to the recognized slaughtering establishment by APHIS Form VS 17-33, which must include the location of the recognized slaughtering establishment. Additionally, the sheep and goats must meet the following conditions:

(1) The animals have not tested positive for and are not suspect for a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy;

(2) The animals have not resided in a flock or herd that has been diagnosed with BSE; and

(3) The animals' movement is not restricted within Canada as a result of exposure to a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy.

(e) Imported for feeding. Any sheep or goats imported from Canada for feeding at a feedlot must be imported only through a port of entry listed in §93.403(b) or as provided for in §93.403(f) in a means of conveyance sealed in the region of origin with seals of the national government of the region of origin, must be moved directly as a group from the port of entry to a designated feedlot, must not be commingled with any sheep or goats that are not being moved directly to slaughter from the designated feedlot at less than 12 months of age, and must meet the following conditions:

(1) The sheep and goats must be permanently and humanely identified before arrival at the port of entry with a distinct and legible “C” mark, properly applied with a freeze brand, hot iron, or other method, and easily visible on the live animal and on the carcass before skinning. The mark must be not less than 1 inch or more than 11⁄4 inches high. Other means of permanent identification may be used upon request if deemed adequate by the Administrator to humanely identify the animal in a distinct and legible way as having been imported from Canada;

(2) The animals may be moved from the port of entry only to a feedlot designated in accordance with paragraph (e)(7) of this section and must be accompanied from the port of entry to the designated feedlot by APHIS Form VS 17-130 or other movement documentation deemed acceptable by the Administrator, which must identify the physical location of the feedlot, the individual responsible for the movement of the animals, and the individual identification of each animal, which includes the official identification required under paragraph (c) of this section and any other identification present on the animal, including registration number, if any:

(3) The seals of the national government of Canada must be broken only at the port of entry by the APHIS port veterinarian or at the designated feedlot by an authorized USDA representative. If the seals are broken by the APHIS port veterinarian at the port of entry, the means of conveyance must be resealed with seals of the U.S. Government before being moved to the designated feedlot;

(4) The animals must remain at the designated feedlot until transported to a recognized slaughtering establishment. The animals must be moved directly to the recognized slaughtering establishment in a means of conveyance sealed with seals of the U.S. Government by an accredited veterinarian, a State representative, or an APHIS representative. The seals must be broken at the recognized slaughtering establishment only by an authorized USDA representative;

(5) The animals must be accompanied to the recognized slaughtering establishment by APHIS Form VS 1-27 or other documentation deemed acceptable by the Administrator, which must identify the physical location of the recognized slaughtering establishment, the individual responsible for the movement of the animals, and the individual identification of each animal, which includes the official identification required under paragraph (c) of this section and any other identification present on the animal, including registration number, if any;

(6) The animals must be less than 12 months of age when slaughtered;

(7) To be approved to receive sheep or goats imported for feeding, a feedlot must have signed a written agreement with the Administrator stating that the feedlot:

(i) Will not remove official identification from animals unless medically necessary, in which case new official identification will be applied and cross referenced in the records;

(ii) Will monitor all incoming imported feeder animals to ensure that they have the required “C” brand;

(iii) Will maintain records of the acquisition and disposition of all imported sheep and goats entering the feed lot, including the official identification number and all other identifying information, the age of each animal, the date each animal was acquired and the date each animal was shipped to slaughter, and the name and location of the plant where each animal was slaughtered. For Canadian animals that die in the feedlot, the feedlot will remove the official identification device if affixed to the animal, or will record any other official identification on the animal and place the official identification device or record of official identification in a file with a record of the disposition of the carcass;

(iv) Will maintain copies of the APHIS Forms VS 17-130 and VS 1-27 or other movement documentation deemed acceptable by the Administrator that have been issued for incoming animals and for animals moved to slaughter and that list the official identification of each animal;

(v) Will allow State and Federal animal health officials access to inspect its premises and animals and to review inventory records and other required files upon request;

(vi) Will keep required records for at least 5 years;

(vii) Will designate either the entire feedlot or pens within the feedlot as terminal for sheep and goats to be moved only directly to slaughter at less than 12 months of age, and

(viii) Agrees that if inventory cannot be reconciled or if animals are not moved to slaughter as required the approval of the feedlot will be immediately withdrawn.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 0579-0040, 0579-0234, and 0579-0277)

[55 FR 31495, Aug. 2, 1990, as amended at 59 FR 28216, June 1, 1994; 61 FR 17239, Apr. 19, 1996. Redesignated and amended at 62 FR 56012, 56018, Oct. 28, 1997; 68 FR 6344, Feb. 7, 2003; 70 FR 547, Jan. 4, 2005; 70 FR 71217, Nov. 28, 2005; 71 FR 12997, Mar. 14, 2006; 72 FR 53376, Sept. 18, 2007; 73 FR 3383, Jan. 18, 2008]