Smuggling Intervention and Trade Compliance Program

Responding to a Changing Global Marketplace

With international trade agreements in place, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization agreements, more international travel and trade are taking place than ever before, and cargo volumes are up. Annually, the United States imports more than $40 billion worth of agricultural commodities, and each day, more than 430,000 people travel to the United States to conduct business, tour historical sites, and visit friends and family.

Unfortunately, illegal agricultural imports and smuggled prohibited products have proliferated with the boom in global commerce and steady
stream of visitors arriving daily. Many of these restricted agricultural commodities place America at great risk. Foreign plant and animal pests and diseases may be introduced into the United States through banned agricultural products and unchecked foreign goods. These pests and diseases could devastate America’s crops, livestock, and environment; and eradicating a single pest could cost millions of dollars.

In response to the growing volume of smuggled and improperly imported agricultural products entering the United States, officials from the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program created the Smuggling Intervention
and Trade Compliance (SITC) unit. The SITC program conducts risk-management and antismuggling activities to prevent the unlawful entry
and distribution of prohibited agricultural commodities and products that may harbor harmful exotic plant and animal pests, diseases, or
invasive species.

SITC’s Defense of America’s Bounty

SITC officers nationwide shut down illegal pathways and agricultural distribution points in many ways. The unit routinely works with U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents during agricultural
antismuggling and cooperative interdiction efforts at air, land, and sea ports-of-entry.

Besides port operations, teams of SITC officers conduct local domestic market surveys, canvassing markets and grocery stores around the
country to check for prohibited agricultural commodities. When SITC officers have evidence that a regulation has been violated, they turn
the case over to APHIS’ Investigative and Enforcement Services and USDA’s Office of Inspector General for prosecution. If warranted, APHIS will pursue civil and criminal penalties. The agency’s efforts have led to grand jury indictments and Federal sentencing, hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, and seizures of prohibited agricultural products valued at several million dollars. If vendors aren’t aware they’re
selling prohibited items, the onsite SITC official will explain Federal regulations and begin the importation trace to find the illegal pathway.

Domestic market surveillance and port inspections are highly effective methods to deter smuggling, but there are times when the unit resorts to other measures. As needed, SITC officers and other PPQ employees conduct trade verification operations and stepped-up inspections of cargo, passenger vehicles, and mail packages to seal off the flow of goods into the United States. Working with each State’s department of agriculture and other Federal agencies such as CBP, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the SITC unit achieves compliance with regulations through comprehensive investigations, sound enforcement, and strong outreach efforts. The education and outreach campaigns target importers, market owners, transportation companies, retailers, and the general public.

How APHIS Facilitates Agricultural Imports

Over the years, Americans have come to count on a diverse array of agricultural products for their dinner table. In order to fulfill the everchanging tastes of Americans, the United States imports commodities from around the globe. Local grocery stores now carry everything from Mexican artichokes to Italian zucchini. Some foreign countries have agricultural pests and diseases that do not exist in this country. These
pests and diseases can cause devastating damage to U.S. agriculture if introduced. Consequently, PPQ strives to ensure that imported products are free of harmful pests and diseases. PPQ does this by regulating the importation of agricultural products with phytosanitary
(plant health) certificates, importation rules, and inspections.

A phytosanitary certificate is an official document issued by an exporting country, which certifies that the phytosanitary status of a shipment meets the phytosanitary standards of the United States. Anyone wishing to import certain plants and plant products into the United States is
required to have a phytosanitary certificate. PPQ employees advise importers on phytosanitary restrictions and provide information
(including regulations, policies, and procedures) on bringing agricultural commodities into the United States.

The intended purpose of a phytosanitary certificate is to expedite the entry of plants or plant products into the United States while protecting
American agriculture. Through its issuance of a phytosanitary certificate, an exporting country is verifying that the shipment has been inspected
and conforms to the phytosanitary import requirements of the United States. In addition, the phytosanitary certificate indicates that the
shipment is free of pests and diseases that do not exist in the United States. Importers may obtain information or import permits by contacting:

USDA–APHIS–PPQ
Permit Unit
4700 River Road, Unit 136
Riverdale, MD 20737
Telephone: (877) 770–5990
Fax: (301) 734–5786

APHIS’Veterinary Services (VS) regulates the importation of live animals, poultry, pet birds, and animal products, such as meats, cheeses,
casein, gelatins, certain animal hides and racks, and germplasm—both semen and embryos. VS carefully monitors all of these commodities in case they are infected with foreign animal diseases, such as avian influenza or foot-andmouth disease, that could threaten U.S. livestock
populations. For example, countries that have outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease are not allowed to export fresh, chilled, or frozen meats
to the United States. However, such meat products can be shipped into this country if they have been heat-processed or cured according to
APHIS standards. VS establishes similar requirements for countries where other animal diseases exist. Certain live animals, including
pet birds, imported from foreign countries may centers located in New York, Miami, or Los Angeles before entering the United States.

For permit applications and information about import requirements and user fees related to importing animals, birds, and animal products,
contact

USDA–APHIS–VS
National Center for Import/Export
4700 River Road, Unit 40
Riverdale, MD 20737–1231
Telephone: (301) 734–3277/8364
Fax: (301) 734–4704/8226

Other Threats

American agriculture is also threatened by alien noxious weeds. Each year, farmers and ranchers spend billions of dollars to control invasive
noxious weeds. Homeowners spend millions more each year trying to control these weeds. Yellow starthistle, exotic bur reed, giant salvinia,
tropical soda apple, and water spinach are just a few foreign weeds damaging our agricultural resources today.

Additional Information

If you have any questions about the SITC program or if you want to report smuggling activity, please e-mail your concerns to
sitc_mail@aphis.usda.gov or call the National Hotline at (800) 877–3835. For the local SITC unit near you, visit our Web site at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/trade and follow the links.

What You Can Do

If you become aware of potential smuggling of prohibited exotic fruits, vegetables, or meat products, you can help by contacting your local SITC
office. USDA protects the confidentiality of all information sources.

Northeast SITC Work Unit:
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
1 Winners Circle, Suite 203
Albany, NY 12205–1121
(518) 459–9837

Metropolitan New York SITC Work Unit:
New York City, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Long Island, and Brooklyn
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
JFKIA, AMB Building 75,
Room 227A
Jamaica, NY 11430
(713) 553–0101

Mid-Atlantic SITC Work Unit:
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
1201 Corbin Street, Third Fl.
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
(973) 645–9837

Southeast Central SITC Work Unit:
Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
1498 Klondike Road,
Suite 200
Conyers, GA 30094–5169
(770) 922–9894

North and Central Florida SITC Work Unit:
North and Central Florida
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
5796 Hoffner Avenue,
Suite 607
Orlando, FL 32882
(407) 658–7841

Southern Florida SITC Work Unit:
Southern Florida
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
2630 Northwest 66th Ave.
Building 701, Suite 207
Miami, FL 33159
(305) 526–2501

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands SITC Work Unit:
Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
Caribbean Airport Facilities Building
150 Central Sector Road,
2d Floor, Office 2–A
Carolina, PR 00970
(787) 253–4239

Great Lakes SITC Work Unit:
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
20500 Van Dyke Avenue,
Suite 201
Warren, MI 48093
(586) 582–9150

Pacific Northwest SITC Work Unit:
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
100 Peace Portal
Blaine, WA 98230
(360) 332–2684

Northern California and West Central California SITC Work Unit:
Northern California, Nevada, and Utah
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
1097 Sneath Lane
San Bruno, CA 94066
(650) 821–8664

Long Beach and Inland California SITC Work Unit:
California counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino, Tulare, and the eastern half of Los Angeles County
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
5600 Rickenbacker Road,
Box 7
Bell, CA 90201
(323) 881–6961

Los Angeles–Pacific SITC Work Unit:
American Samoa, Guam, and Hawaii; the California counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, and the western half of Los Angeles County
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
5600 Rickenbacker Road,
Box 7
Bell, CA 90201
(323) 881–6961

Southwest SITC Work Unit:
Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, and the Texas counties of Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, Presidio, and Reeves
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
P.O. Box 434419
San Diego, CA 92143
(619) 662–7236

Texas SITC Work Unit:
Texas except Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, Presidio, and Reeves Counties
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
11811 East Freeway,
Suite 560
Houston, TX 77029
(713) 393–1020

Midwest SITC Work Unit:
Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wyoming
USDA, APHIS, PPQ, SITC
6910 Holmes Street,
Suite 150
Gladstone, MO 64118
(816) 468–4711

Photo captions:
A ship laden with goods from abroad docks at a west coast port. An agricultural inspection is one of many inspections the onboard commodities will undergo before entering the marketplace.

Inspectors at the SITC work unit in San Juan, PR, open boxes of imported meat products to verify that the contents match what is listed on documents accompanying the shipment. (APHIS photo by R. Anson Eaglin.)

Bird’s eye view: A SITC officer demonstrates how exotic birds can be smuggled into the country in containers strapped to the smuggler’s legs. (APHIS file photo.)

A SITC inspector at the Los Angeles work unit operates imaging equipment from the unit’s specially equipped van. (APHIS file photo.)

This team randomly selects pallets of imported agricultural products for inspection

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, 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.

Cover photos: Smuggling Intervention and Trade Compliance (SITC) officers come up against smugglers of agricultural contraband all the time. At an agriculture checkpoint, a SITC officer examines the undercarriage of heavy equipment on a flatbed truck. SITC inspectors (right) canvass domestic markets around the country, looking for prohibited agricultural commodities. And after hands-on inspection, SITC officers reseal boxes with USDA-labeled tape to deter theft and inform the importer of the inspection.

Photo credits: Unless otherwise noted in figure captions, all photographs were taken by USDA photographer Bob Nichols.
This publication supersedes Program Aid No. 1672, “National Smuggling, Interdiction, and Trade Compliance Program,” originally published in October 2000 and revised in March 2002.

Issued August 2004
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Program Aid No. 1771

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