The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) has created the International Animal Product Export Regulations (IREGS) to provide exporters with our best understanding of importing countries requirements for certain animal-origin products.
Countries may change their import requirements without notice. In all cases, the exporter has the responsibility of having their importer confirm with the Ministry of Animal Health in the importing country the import requirements prior to shipping. The exporter should obtain any required zoosanitary (animal health) product certificates prior to shipping any product. Most countries will not recognize zoosanitary certificates issued after products have shipped.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the procedures and requirements to obtain a zoosanitary certificate for an animal product being exported, you should contact the VS Area Office covering the area from where the product will be exported (or the area in which your office is located).
The primary role of APHIS, VS in the certification of animal products for export is to provide certification about the animal health status of the region of origin of the product. If other certifications are required, APHIS, VS may not be the Agency authorized to provide the required export certificate.
Federal agencies other than APHIS are also involved in providing certificates for the export of animal products. Some examples are indicated below.
A. Dairy Products
The USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are the agencies primarily responsible for the certification of dairy products exported for human consumption. (APHIS, VS may provide certification in certain circumstances.)
AMS can be contacted at:
Dairy Standardization
Agricultural Marketing Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
P.O. Box 96456
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-720-3171
Fax: 202-720-2643
B. Meat and meat products; processed egg products
The USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for export certification of meat and some meat products, as well as processed egg products (such as pasteurized eggs), for human consumption.
For FSIS import and export information, contact the FSIS Technical Service Center in Omaha, Nebraska, at 402-344-5000 or by fax at 402-344-5008.
C. Aquaculture and fish products
The U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the primary agency responsible for providing certification for fish meal, fish oil, and certain other seafood products. The FDA also certifies seafood products, such as blocks of frozen fish.
These agencies can be contacted as follows:
Fish Meal Program Manager
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
P.O. Drawer 1207
Pascagoaula, MS 39567
Phone: 228-762-7402 ext. 312
Fax: 228-762-9200
Office of Seafood
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building
5100 Paint Branch Parkway, Room 3C097
College Park, MD 20740-3835
Phone: 301-436-2300
D. Table eggs
The USDA, AMS is the Agency that endorses export certificates for table eggs (for human consumption).
USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service
Poultry Division-Grading Branch
P.O. Box 96456
South Agricultural Building
Washington, DC 20090-6456
Phone: 202-720-4411
Fax: 202-690-3165
On Tuesday, December 23, 2003, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced that the United States had a presumptive positive case of BSE in an adult Holstein cow in Washington State. The case has since been confirmed. The cow was determined to have been imported from Canada.
As a result of the diagnosis of the first case of BSE in the United States, numerous countries have prohibited the importation of various animal products from the United States.
The certificates located in the links below are not necessarily still valid or endorsable, and should be considered one reference only. Exporters should contact their importers to confirm the validity of certificates, and their local VS Area Office to determine if the certificate is still endorsable.
List of CountriesFor countries not listed, the requirements are not known. However, exporters wanting to ship animal products should have the interested party (importer/buyer) in the destination country contact the appropriate ministry for the specific requirements.History - FY08 - List of updates in chronological order. |
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