PRIORITIZATION OF SANITARY RESTRICATIONS FACING U.S. EXPORTS OF BOVINE, PORCINE, AND OVINE FOR DETERMINATION OF SURVEILLANCE NEEDS

This research uses databases of sanitary regulations facing U.S. livestock exports to examine the frequency and cost of sanitary barriers. Many sanitary regulations potentially face livestock exports; however, relatively few apply to most animals. As a share of the export unit value, regulations costs for cattle and bovine semen exports are smaller than those for swine and sheep. Most of the sanitary regulations appear justified from an animal health standpoint. While the cost savings from reductions in regulations are not large, for those farms that do export animals and regions along the Canadian and Mexican borders the importance of potential cost savings are greater.