Blane White said:

> there is no inspection required for bees from Canada at all.

Yes, that has been discussed in excruciating detail.

But the subject of the message was >>>WTO<<< trading rules.

Canada need not resort to "WTO rules" to sell stuff to us.
They are a "NAFTA trading partner".

Canadian imports HAFTA comply with NAFTA!

Different agreements, different rules for those sharing a several
thousand mile long physical border.  Makes sense.

So don't worry - MN's imports of "cold-hardy bees" from Canada are
assured, and will not be affected by WTO.
...and you won't have to inspect them all.

So, I'll say it again:

   The current (WTO) "level of protection" in the US includes
   inspection and quarantine of each and every imported live bee.

> Interesting discussion but it just doesn't seem to be something to get
> alarmed about.

Not if all one considers is bees from specific places that clearly have some
level of disease control effort, like Canada, New Zealand, or Australia,
but think a few moves ahead:

    First, realize that Canada, NZ, and Oz are NOT the issue.

    What happens after what comes next?
    Who's the NEXT contestant who might want to play?
    Who else might point to this agreement and demand "equal treatment"?
     ...and get it unconditionally, since WTO does not allow "favoritism".

Perhaps the same country that recently tried to sell contaminated honey
to several countries, and then conspired to trans-ship it under "false flag"
documents?

That's the sort of scenario that bothers me.
This is a very bad precedent for "live animal importation rules" in general.

> The last problem was imported without bringing in bees - small hive beetles.

Likely true. Small hive beetle is one of the few pests or diseases that can be
"imported" without bees.  But if one looks at a semi-complete list of pests and
diseases (appended below), this is an exception, rather than the rule.

Live bees are the most likely vehicle for spreading bee diseases and pests.

> No system can be devised that will keep out all bees or exotic pests
> that could become a problem.

True, nothing's perfect.
That's why one needs checks and balances.
No one expects "perfect", but blind faith is not a "system".
An actual "system" is what is required.
The UK seems to have a good one.
Let's borrow it from them - they say they won't mind if we do.

> Someone will figure out a way around the system and can thereby put
> an entire industry at risk

That seems to be a depressing, defeatist view.
With that view, why do anything about anything?
With that view, why even employ bee inspectors or state apiarists?

While there are "bee smugglers", there are not many.
APHIS could try harder to catch a few at the airports.
Perhaps APHIS could learn a few tricks from New Zealand and Australia.
I recall that one or the other caught a fellow trying to smuggle bees recently.

> How do you think we got varroa in the late 1980's when imports of live bees
> were banned from everywhere except Canada?

Well, how long do varroa live when isolated from bees?
Not very long.
Seems nearly certain that they got here on LIVE BEES.

But here's a much more entertaining "quiz question"...
Which of the pests and diseases listed below are easiest to
transmit via live bees, and which are nearly impossible to
transmit across oceans in any other way?

Viruses
        Paralysis
        Sacbrood
        Acute Paralysis and Kashmir Virus
        Deformed Wing & Egyptian Bee Virus
        Slow Paralysis Virus
        Black Queen Cell Virus
        Filamentous Virus
        Y Virus
        Bee Virus "X"
        Cloudy Wing Virus
        Apris iridescent virus
        Akansas Bee Virus

Bacteria
        American Foulbrood
        European Foulbrood
        Septicemia
        Powdery Scale Disease
        Spiroplasmas
        Rickettsial Disease

Protozoa
        Nosema
        Amoeba Disease
        Gregarines
        Flagellates

Fungi
        Chalkbrood
        Bettsia Alvei
        Stonebrood
        Melanosis
        Trichoderma lignorum
        Mucor mucedo
        Aspergillus niger
        Claviceps (Only genus known for this one)

Nematodes
        Agamomermis

Pest Insects
        Wax Moths
        Braula coeca
        Other Braulidae
        Asilidae
        Phoridae
        Calliphoridae
        Pollenia
        Conopidae
        Phoridae
        Sarcophagidae
        Tachinidae

Mites
   Non-phoretic Mites
        Acarus siro
        Acarus immoblis
        Tyrophagus putrescentiae
        Tyrophagus longior
        Tyrophagus palmarum
        Tyrolichus casei Oudemans
        Carpoglyphus lactis
        Suidasia pontifica

    Phoretic Mites
        Neocypholaelaps (in general)
        Neocypholaelaps indica
        Neocypholaelaps favus
        Afrocypholaelaps (in general)
        Afrocypholaelaps africana
        Edbarellus (in general)
        Tropilaelaps
        Tarsonemus
        Pseudacarapis indoapis

     Parasitic Mites
        Varroa jacobsoni
        Varroa destructor
        Varroa underwoodi
        Euvarroa sinhai
        Euvarroa wongsiri
        Tropolaelaps clareae
        Tropolaelaps koenigerum
        Acarapis externus
        Acarapis dorsalis
        Acarapis woodi
        Pyemotes ventricosus
        cohort Parasitengona of the suborder Prostigmata
        Erythraeidae: Leptus