It is the exporter's responsibility to ensure that the animal meets the importing country requirements.

A permit and export health certificate are required. Information is available from the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Note

Where an importing country issues an import permit, the exporter must ensure the animal meets any requirements in the permit.

Health certificate

I the undersigned, ____________________________________, being a Department of Agriculture Veterinary Officer, after due inquiry, do hereby certify that:

1. Australia is free of
   • foot-and-mouth disease (FMD),
   • surra,
   • scrapie,
   • contagious pleuropneumonia,
   • goat pox,
   • Brucella abortus and
   • Brucella melitensis.
2. Bovine tuberculosis is a notifiable disease in Australia.
3. No cases of disease caused by Schmallenberg virus have been detected or reported in Australia.
4. The semen originates from a semen collection center (SCC) approved by the Government of Australia.
5. The donor animals were born, raised, and continuously resident in Australia or were part of Australia's national herd for a minimum period of time. Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 describe how the United States defines "part of the national herd" and the length of time the animals must be part of the national herd.
   
   1. 5.1  If the donors were legally imported from countries recognized by USDA as free of FMD, then these animals must have been free of any import quarantine restrictions and able to move freely within Australia's national herd for a minimum of 60 days prior to beginning the qualifications necessary for the collection of germplasm for export to the United States.
      5.2. If the donors were legally imported from a country not recognized by USDA as free of FMD, then the donor animals must have been free of any import quarantine restrictions and able to move freely within Australia's national herd for a minimum of 90 days prior to beginning the qualifications necessary for the collection of germplasm for export to the United States.
6. During the 60 days prior to the collection of germplasm for export to the United States, the donors were not corralled, pastured, or held with animals that are not of equal health status or under any restrictions which would make them ineligible for export to the United States.
7. During the 12 months prior to the collection of germplasm for export to the United States, there has been no evidence to indicate that the donors have been on farms affected with, or exposed to, tuberculosis, Brucella abortus and/ or Brucella melitensis.
8. Arboviruses:
   EITHER the donor sires were kept continuously in an Australian Government registered semen collection center located in a region certified free from bluetongue, 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 the semen, using the following tests:
   1. 8.2.1 Akabane - Negative to a serum neutralization test at 1:4 serum dilution.
      
   2. 8.2.2 Bluetongue – Negative to an agar gel immunodiffusion test or the competitive ELISA (cELISA) test.
   3. 8.2.3 Aino - Negative to a serum neutralization test at a 1:10 serum dilution.
   OR were tested negative for Akabane, Bluetongue, and Aino 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.
9. All collection, processing, handling and storage was according to the guidelines and standards of the International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) Manual and the OIE Terrestrial Animal Code, Chapter 4.8, Collection and Processing of in Vivo Derived Embryos from Livestock and Equids.
10. The semen has been collected and processed under the supervision of the veterinarian in charge of the approved SCC and placed in individual ampules or straws which must be permanently marked with the name of the donor, his registration number, and the date of collection. Information regarding the markings and identity of the semen is included in the "Attachment to Veterinary Certificate".
11. The semen shipping container was examined by the veterinarian issuing the health certificate and found empty of semen and any other biological material before use for this shipment.
12. The semen was maintained under restricted 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.
Seal No: ########
Issued at: Department of Agriculture, 255 Melrose Drive, Tullamarine, 3043, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Documentation

A declaration by the Artificial Insemination Centre (AIC) veterinarian is required for this export.

This template provides the format for the Centre Veterinarian Declaration (CVD) for the export of sheep and goat semen to the United States of America (DOCX 38 KB | PDF 202 KB).

Protocol negotiated November 2018. Health certificate agreed 21 September 2019.

Entry last reviewed 29 June 2020