WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the publication of a final rule that will allow the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from Paraguay.

APHIS conducted a risk analysis on the importation of the product and concluded that it can be safe under certain conditions.

Paraguayan beef was previously restricted due to concerns about foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and other common animal diseases.

Under the new rule, in order for the importation of Paraguayan beef, FMD must not be diagnosed in the exporting region in the past 12 months. Additionally, the meat must come from premises where FMD has not been present during the lifetime of any of the animals. Lastly, the animals must be inspected before and after death.

The final rule will be published in the Federal Register the week of Nov. 13 and will be effective 30 days after publication.

The rule was initially proposed in March after the agency determined that Paraguay demonstrated the emergency preparedness and response needed to control a potential outbreak.