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United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service |
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Food Export Certificate Project For a state agency-issued export certificate and information on state-issued export certificates: Directory of State Food Export Certificate Authorities What is an export certificate?
A paper or electronic document requested by an importing nation that describes and/or attests to animal health or product safety, production, or processing methods, packaging, labeling, or specific attributes of a food/food ingredient intended for international destinations. An export certificate may also attest to the status of the manufacturing or packaging establishment producing such food for export. Why do I need to have an export certificate before I ship my agricultural products overseas? Before you can export agricultural products to another country, you must complete foreign country certificate requirements, as well as certificate requirements from various U.S. federal and state agencies.The Food Export Certificate Project helps direct exporters to information about mandatory federal and state export certificates. It also provides general information about the types of certificates and attestations (proofs of authenticity) required for foods exported from the United States to other countries. Almost four million export certificates are issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal agencies, state authorities, and the processed food industry each year. There are nine federal agencies, including five USDA agencies, that issue export certificates for foreign imported foods. Of the 800,000 issued by state and federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issues 88 percent through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the Federal Grain Inspection Service/Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (FGIS/GIPSA), and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).Are these new requirements? No, but it has been difficult for agricultural exporters to locate information about export certificates in the past. The lack of clarity regarding some foreign country certificate requirements, as well as procedures to obtain the necessary certificates from various U.S. federal and state agencies has frustrated U.S. exporters. Adding to the confusion is the overlapping responsibilities between federal and state agencies and the lack of a single source for information on the requirements and procedures to identify and obtain foreign country export certificates. This information on the FAS Web site is the first stage of a project jointly initiated by USDA and FDA to identify foreign country requirements for export certificates and link them to the proper issuing agencies at the state and federal level. How do I find state-issued export certificates? The Export Certificates Working Group of the Association of Food and Drug Officials has worked with U.S. states to develop a single food export certificate, based on recommendations from the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems. Can I find more information about export certificate requirements? Yes. The Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) reporting system's Export Certificate Report provides information on foreign countries' export certificate requirements. The FAIRS system also contains country and subject reports. Other helpful links for exporters are located in the box near the top of this Web page. Who can I contact for more information? For more information, contact:
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