As an outbreak of a zoonotic disease in Paraguay has been resolved, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a final rule to allow the importation of fresh beef from the country under certain conditions, beginning December 14, 2023.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a webpage that provides information on the food safety equivalence process.

After a review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has deemed Paraguay’s food safety inspection system for raw beef products to be equivalent to that of the U.S., which is a step that could allow Paraguay to export beef to the U.S. for the first time since 1997.