Calderone (Assica): "The extension to Tuscany and Umbria of the status of Vesicular Disease allowance is extremely strategic for the whole sector".

The United States government has recognised Umbria and Tuscany as areas free from swine vesicular disease (MVS), with effect from 12 July. This decision will allow the reopening of exports from Tuscany and Umbria to the United States of fresh and short-ripened pork products (less than 400 days).

"I am very satisfied with the American decision to lift the export ban for products from Umbria and Tuscany -comments the vice president of the Council and minister of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation, Antonio Tajani-. This is an issue that I have raised with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and other members of the US administration since my first meetings".

"With Washington we worked on this in full harmony, teaming up the Government, the Embassy and the territories -adds Tajani-. After the declared release, we now enter the operational phase, to start exports from July 12. It is a further result of the work we are carrying out through a convinced action of Growth Diplomacy, to support the activities of our companies abroad".

Vesicular Disease was completely eradicated from the whole Italian territory in 2019, but US legislation provides that the recognition of the indemnity of third countries is based on a risk assessment carried out directly by APHIS. At the conclusion of this process the area of the so-called "Macroregion of the North" is enlarged: Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Tuscany, Umbria and the two autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano are officially free from MVS also for Americans.

"The news arouses real satisfaction and represents a positive note at a particularly gloomy time for our industry -said the director of Assica, Davide Calderone-. The extension to Tuscany and Umbria of the status of Vesicular Disease allowance results, in fact, extremely strategic for the whole sector because it not only opens the American market to Italian delicatessen products processed in these territories, such as Finocchiona IGP or Prosciutto di Norcia IGP, but also because it allows plants located in other areas already recognized free and having commercial relations with companies located in Tuscany and Umbria to overcome some difficulties for certification for the purposes of US export".

Assica can proudly say that it has worked actively for years, alongside the Italian Health Authorities and the European Commission, in order to allow Italian companies to export to the Usa all the range of products of the delicatessen and to have certainly contributed to the achievement of this important result.

"I would like to express my full satisfaction for the work of our Authorities aimed at the enlargement of the C.D. Macro-region recognized by the Usa free from vesicular disease. It is a result obtained with wide collaboration, therefore my thanks go to Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tajani, for the decisive diplomatic contribution, minister Schillaci, minister Lollobrigida and their offices for all that has been done, and to our Embassy in Washington for the tenacity and determination in managing the long negotiations," concluded Calderone.