Information to Include on a Lacey Act Declaration

• Scientific plant names
• Country of harvest
• Value of the product
• Quantity of plant material in the shipment in metric units of measure
• Importer name/address
• Consignee name/address
• HTSUS Code
• Bill of lading
• Container number
• Manufacturer Identification Code (MID)
• Description of shipment
• Name/contact information of importer of record or their agent who is certifying the accuracy of the information on the declaration

The 2008 Lacey Act amendments require a person to file upon importation a declaration that contains:

• the scientific name of any plant (including the genus and species of the plant) contained in the importation;
• a description of:
  • the value of the importation; and
  • the quantity, including the unit of measure, of the plant; and
• the name of the country from which the plant was taken.  

When the species of plant used to produce a product varies and the exact species is unknown, the declaration shall contain the name of each species of plant that may have been used to produce the product. When the species of plant used to produce a product is commonly taken from more than one country and the exact country from which the plant was taken is unknown, the declaration shall contain the name of each country from which the plant may have been taken.

APHIS recognizes it is difficult, and sometimes impossible to provide the required information for certain plant products. For this reason, we have developed a list of special use designations (SUD). These designations provide relief for the trade community when filing Lacey Act declarations for: 

1. plant products that may be categorized by genus or species into common trade groups;
2. plant products containing composite, recycled, reused or reclaimed materials;
3. plant products that were manufactured prior to the passage of the Lacey Act Amendments.