USDA

United States
Department of
Agriculture

Animal and
Plant Health
Inspection
Service

Veterinary Services
National Center For Import And Export
Import/Export Animals
4700 River Road, Unit 40
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231

Feline and Canine Material
Effective April 14, 1998 (revised July 6, 2006)

GUIDELINES FOR IMPORTATION #1102

Including:

semen for research purposes, blood, tissues, serum, feces, extracts, fluids.

Not including:

semen for reproductive purposes, cell cultures, tissue cultures, cell culture products. (Refer to Guideline #1120 for cell/tissue cultures and their products)

Introduction:

Material derived from any animal is potentially subject to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and must be cleared by Department of Homeland Security, Custom and Border Protection (DHS, CBP) Agricultural Specialists at the U.S. port of arrival before entry into the United States is authorized.  A USDA import permit is required for animal material that may pose a risk of introducing exotic animal diseases into the United States.  However, material from feline and canine species that have not been inoculated with or exposed to any livestock* or poultry disease agents may enter the country without USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) restrictions.

Procedures:

A USDA import permit will not be required for feline or canine origin material that has not been inoculated with or exposed to any livestock or poultry disease agent.  In order to facilitate correct identification of the shipment and to ensure timely delivery, USDA, AHPIS, VS recommends that the following documentation accompany each shipment:

  1. A written statement identifying the material and naming the animal species,
  2. A written statement confirming that the material does not contain any other animal derived material (i.e., does not contain any livestock or poultry origin material).
  3. A written statement confirming that the material was not derived from feline or canine species which were inoculated with or exposed to any infectious agents of USDA agricultural concern.

USDA, APHIS, VS recommends that this document be supplied on foreign producer/shipper letterhead, with the letterhead containing the physical address of the foreign producer/shipper.  USDA, APHIS, VS further recommends that the document, written in a clear and concise manner, accompany each shipment, and be presented as a separate document for review by the DHS, CBP Officers at the U.S. port of arrival.  We do not recommend that the foreign producer/shipper place this document inside the shipping containers.

We further recommend that you provide a copy of this guideline to your foreign producer/shipper.

If the feline or canine material to be imported cannot meet these criteria, then a USDA import permit may be required.  Permit applications may be obtained several ways:

  1. On-line at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/permits/
  2. By writing to:
    USDA, APHIS, VS
    National Center for Import and Export
    4700 River Road, Unit 40
    Riverdale, MD 20737
    (301) 734-3277 telephone
    (301) 734-8226 fax

*The term livestock includes any bovine, ovine, caprine, porcine, equine, cervid, fish, or shellfish.

VS - Safeguarding Animal Health
Phone (301) 734-3277, FAX (301) 734-6402

http://www.aphis.usda.gov
An Equal Opportunity Employer

 

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