Restriction

1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 
1.1 The importer must obtain an import permit from the: 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
Veterinary Services (VS) 
National Center for Import and Export (NCIE), Unit 39 
4700 River Road 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231 
Telephone: (301) 734-8364 
Facsimile: (301) 734-6402 
Web Site: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 
The application, VS Form 17-129, “Application for Import or in Transit Permit,” can be 
obtained by writing or telephoning NCIE, or by downloading it from the APHIS web site: 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/permits/ 

1.2 An official health certificate is required. The official health certificate must be 
issued by a veterinarian designated by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service 
(AQIS), and must be endorsed by an AQIS veterinarian attesting to the certification and 
tests required in this protocol. The health certificate must accompany the semen to the 
port of entry designated on the USDA import permit. 

1.3 The semen must originate from a semen collection center (SCC) that is approved by the 
Government of Australia. 

2 CERTIFICATIONS 
2.1 Australia is free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), rinderpest, surra, and contagious 
bovine pleuropneumonia. 

2.2 The donor animals must be part of Australia's national herd for a minimum of 60 days 
with no quarantine or movement restrictions.

2.3 The donor bulls must meet the standard specified in the World Organization for Animal 
Health (OIE) Code regarding the collection and processing of bovine semen. 

2.4 On the dates semen is collected, there must be no clinical evidence in the SCC herd 
of the diseases mentioned in paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 below. 

3 TESTING 
3.1 Arboviruses: The donor bulls 
EITHER: 
were kept in an AQIS approved semen center located in a region certified free from 
bluetongue, bovine ephemeral fever, Akabane, and Aino for a minimum of 60 consecutive 
days before commencement of, and during, collection of the semen. The dates of residence 
in the semen collection center will be included on the export health certificate. 
OR 
were tested on two occasions, the first test at or near the time of collection (within 30 
days prior to collection), and the second test between 30 and 180 days after collection 
of semen, using the following tests: 

3.1.1 Akabane - Negative to a serum neutralization test at 1:4 serum dilution. 
3.1.2 Bluetongue - Negative to an agar gel immunodiffusion test or the competitive ELISA 
(cELISA) test. 
3.1.3 Aino - Negative to a serum neutralization test at a 1:10 serum dilution. 
3.1.4 Bovine ephemeral fever - Negative to a serum neutralization test at a 1:10 serum 
dilution. 

If collected on more than one occasion for this export, the donor bulls were tested as 
described above for the first test, with all tests repeated at least every 60 days 
throughout the collection period, and 30-180 days after the final collection. 
OR 
were tested negative for Akabane, Aino, bluetongue, and bovine ephemeral fever by a virus 
isolation test or PCR on blood samples collected at the start and conclusion of, and at 
least every 7 days during semen collection for this consignment. 

3.2 Tuberculosis - The donor bull must be tested for tuberculosis and found negative to 
an intradermal tuberculin test not less than 30 days and not more than 120 days after 
semen collection. The tuberculin test must not be performed less than 60 days from any 
previous tuberculin test. 

3.3 The tests on the donor bulls and teasers, if used, must be conducted at laboratories 
designated by the AQIS as laboratories approved to conduct the tests. 

4 THE HEALTH CERTIFICATE MUST SHOW: 
4.1 The identification of the donor bull by breed and registry number; 

4.2 The dates on which semen was collected for shipment to the United States; 

4.3 The dates and methods of testing and results of the tests on the donor bulls and 
teasers, if used; 

4.4 The name and address of the consignor and consignee; 

4.5 The name and address of the laboratory conducting the tests; and 

4.6 The name and address of the semen collection center where the semen was collected for 
this shipment. 

5 PROCESSING CERTIFICATION 
5.1 The semen must be collected and processed under the direct supervision of the 
veterinarian issuing the health certificate and placed in individual ampules or straws 
that are permanently marked with the name of the donor, the donor's registration number, 
and the date of collection. This information must be recorded on the health certificate. 
(The information may be coded provided that a key to the code accompanies the import 
permit and health certificates.) 

5.2 Prior to being used for exporting semen to the United States, the semen shipping 
container must be examined by the veterinarian issuing the health certificate and found 
empty of semen and any other biological material. 

5.3 The semen must be maintained under lock and key or in the custody of the veterinarian 
issuing the certificate until it is placed in the shipping container and sealed with 
Government of Australia seals. The seal numbers must be recorded on the health 
certificate. 

5.4 Semen must be routed directly to the United States with no stops en route other than 
those provided for on the import permit.