Why Are You Taking My . . .?
Plant Protection & Quarantine
January 2003
If you’ve had food or souvenirs taken away by an inspector of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) while entering the United
States at an airport, border station, or seaport, we want to be sure
you understand why.
USDA restricts certain items brought into the United States from foreign
countries. Prohibited items can harbor foreign animal and plant pests
and diseases that could seriously damage America’s crops, livestock,
pets, and the environment.
Because of this threat, you are required to declare on a U.S. Customs
form any meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, animals, and plant and animal
products in your possession. This declaration must cover all items carried
in your baggage and hand luggage. You will also be asked to indicate
whether you have visited a farm or ranch outside the United States.
Officers of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) inspect passenger baggage for undeclared agricultural products.
At some ports, APHIS personnel use beagle dogs to sniff out hidden items.
APHIS inspectors also use low-energy x ray machines adapted to reveal
concealed fruits and meats.
Travelers who fail to declare a prohibited item can be fined up to
$1,000 or more and have their items
confiscated.
Travelers are often surprised to hear that a single piece of fruit
or meat can cause serious damage. In fact, one pest-infested or disease-infected
item carelessly discarded can wreak havoc on American crops and livestock.
The extra cost for controlling agricultural pests and diseases ripples
down from farmers to consumers in the form of higher food prices. Taking
prohibited agricultural items from travelers helps prevent outbreaks
that could affect everyone.
Fresh Fruit
It may look luscious and wholesome, but fruit you bring into the United
States from abroad could carry agricultural pests and diseases. Oranges,
for example, could harbor the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly)—a
devastating pest of more than 200 fruits, nuts, and vegetables. In fact,
it’s possible that individual travelers carried in the infested
fruit that brought the Medfly to California in 1979 and to Florida in
1997. Medfly infestations can cause billion-dollar losses to the citrus
industry.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of fresh fruit can be found
in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 319.56.
Meat and Meat Products
Regulations prohibit you from bringing in fresh, dried, and canned
meats and meat products from most foreign countries. If any meat is
used in preparing a product, that product is prohibited. Commercially
canned meat is allowed if the inspector can determine from the label
that the meat was cooked in the can after it was sealed to make it shelf-stable
without refrigeration.
Animal disease organisms can live for months in sausage and other meat,
including many types of canned hams sold abroad. Foot-and-mouth disease
and African swine fever are just two of several dreaded foreign livestock
diseases that could cost the U.S. livestock industry billions to eradicate,
cause higher food prices, and eliminate export markets.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of meat and meat products
can be found in Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 94.
Plants in Soil
Some of the most notorious and varied pest hitchhikers are microscopic
insects, disease agents, and weed seeds that lurk in soil and plant
parts. These organisms could cause extensive harm to our crops and forests.
You can import many plants legally and safely, provided you follow
USDA guidelines and buy plants from reputable dealers. For information
and permit applications, write USDA, APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine,
4700 River Road, Unit 136, Riverdale, MD, 20737–1236, Attn: Permit
Unit. You can visit the PPQ permit Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits.
In addition, APHIS’ Import Authorization System currently allows
customers to submit applications to import fruits and vegetables and
animal products, organisms, and vectors online, as well as check the
status of an existing application and submit revisions to an existing
application. To apply for a permit online, visit our Web site at https://web01.aphis.usda.gov/IAS.nsf/Mainform?OpenForm.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of plants in soil can be
found in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 319.37.
Exotic Birds
Sometimes without even showing signs of illness, parrots, parakeets,
and other birds brought to the United States from other countries can
carry and spread serious diseases, such as exotic Newcastle disease.
Therefore, birds are subject to specific rules. Restrictions include
a minimum 30-day quarantine stay in a USDA-operated import facility,
which requires advance reservations and related fees. Birds must also
be tested for exotic diseases while in quarantine.
To avoid confiscation of pet birds, know current restrictions and guidelines.
For information, contact USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services, 4700 River
Road, Unit 39, Riverdale, MD, 20737–1231, Attn: National Center
for Import/Export. Also, visit our traveler’s Web site for travel
tips including importing exotic birds at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/usdatips.pdf.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of pet birds can be found
in Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 92.
Hunting Trophies
The entry of hunting trophies into the United States—as well
as game animal carcasses, hides, dairy products, and other animal products
and byproducts—is severely restricted and in many instances prohibited.
These articles can also harbor livestock disease organisms. When the
product involves endangered species, restrictions of the U.S. Department
of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service apply. For information,
contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Management Authority,
4401 North Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203 or visit their Web site
at http://www.fws.gov.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of hunting trophies can
be found in Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 95.
Packing Material
Insects and even diseases can hide in packing material made from agricultural
products like straw and burlap. Straw from wheat, if infected with an
exotic wheat smut, for example, could do billions of dollars of damage
to American wheat fields. Straw hats or other decorative items made
from straw may be forbidden entry into the United States if derived
from prohibited material.
You may be surprised to hear that some agricultural pests can live
on packing material for long stretches of time without any source of
food. One such pest is the khapra beetle, a tiny, brownish-black pest
of grain. It can hide in the folds of burlap and can survive there,
without feeding, for up to 3 years. But when the beetle reaches a supply
of grain, it goes on a rampage. A colony reproduces so fast and eats
so much that an infested grain bin literally comes alive with wriggling
larvae. A khapra beetle infestation in the United States and Mexico
in the 1950s cost about $11 million to eradicate.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of packing materials can
be found in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 319.69.
Live Snails
No live snails may be brought into the mainland United States without
a permit obtained from USDA. In 1966, a small boy brought two giant
African snails into Florida from Hawaii. He eventually discarded them,
and shortly thereafter these voracious consumers of foliage and fruit
were infesting a 16-block area near his home. It took years and half
a million dollars to eradicate them.
To request an application and permit information, write USDA, APHIS,
PPQ, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–2346, Attn:
Permit Unit.
USDA regulations regarding the importation of live snails can be found
in Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 330.200.
Do Your Part
Please do your part to help protect American agriculture and ensure
that we continue to enjoy a healthy and abundant food supply. If you
have questions about APHIS’ inspection procedures or whether particular
agricultural products can be brought into the United States, contact
APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). Look in the phone
book under “U.S. Department of Agriculture” for the nearest
PPQ office, or contact the central office at:
USDA–APHIS–PPQ
Permit Unit
4700 River Road, Unit 136
Riverdale, MD 20737
Telephone (301) 734–8645
Fax (301) 734–5786
In addition, you can visit our Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability,
political beliefs, sexual orientation, or
marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's
TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building,
14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
(202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider
and employer.
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