Importing into the United States - Indo-American Chamber Of ...

and Policy (HFC-170), 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20857, under the Federal Food,
Drug and Cosmetic Act.
3. Insects. Insects in a live state which are injurious
to cultivated crops (including vegetables,
field crops, bush fruit, and orchard, forest, or
shade trees) and the eggs, pupae, or larvae of
such insects are prohibited importation, except
for scientific purposes, under regulations prescribed
by the Secretary of Agriculture.
All packages containing live insects or
their eggs, pupae, or larvae, which are not
injurious to crops or trees, are permitted entry
into the United States only if covered by a
permit issued by the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture
and are not prohibited by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
4. Livestock and Animals. Inspection and
quarantine requirements of the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) must
be met for the importation of (1) all clovenhoofed
animals (ruminants), such as cattle,
sheep, deer, antelope, camels, giraffes; (2) swine
including the various varieties of wild hogs
and the meat from such animals; (3) horses,
asses, mules, and zebras; (4) all avian species
including poultry and pet birds; (5) animal byproducts,
such as untanned hides, wool, hair,
bones, bone meal, blood meal, animal casings,
glands, organs, extracts, or secretions of ruminants
and swine (if animal by-products for
food, drugs, or cosmetics, they are also regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration);
(6) animal germ-plasm, including embryos and
semen; and (7) hay and straw. A permit for
importation must be obtained from APHIS
before shipping from the country of origin.
In addition, all animal imports must be
accompanied by a veterinary health certificate.
Entry procedures for livestock and animals
from Mexico and Canada (except for birds from
Mexico) are not as rigorous as those for animals
from other countries. Entry of animals is
restricted to certain ports that have been designated
as quarantine stations. All nondomesticated
animals must meet the requirements of
the Fish and Wildlife Service.
5. Meat and Meat Products. All commercial
shipments of meat and meat food products
(derived from cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and
horses) offered for entry into the United States
are subject to the regulations of the Department
of Agriculture and must be inspected by the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of
that department prior to release by U.S. Customs.
Meat products from other sources
(including, but not limited to wild game) are
subject to APHIS regulations; the provisions of
the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,
enforced by the Food and Drug Administration;
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
6. Plant and Plant Products. The importation of
plants and plant products is subject to regulations
of the Department of Agriculture and
may be restricted or prohibited. Plants and
plant products include fruits, vegetables,
plants, nursery stock, bulbs, roots, seeds, certain
fibers including cotton and broomcorn, cut
flowers, sugarcane, certain cereals, elm logs,
and elm lumber with bark attached. Import
permits are required. Further information
should be obtained from APHIS. Also, certain
endangered species of plants may be prohibited
or require permits or certificates. The Food
and Drug Administration also regulates plant
and plant products, particularly fruits and vegetables.
7. Poultry and Poultry Products. Poultry, live,
dressed, or canned; eggs, including eggs for
hatching; and egg products are subject to the
requirements and regulations of the Animal
and Plant Heath Inspection Service and the
Food Safety and Inspection Service of the
Department of Agriculture.
Except for live poultry and poultry products
entering through land ports from Canada,
permits are required, as well as special marking
and labeling; and in some cases, foreign inspection
certification. The term “poultry” is defined
as any live or slaughtered domesticated bird,
e.g., chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, swans,
partridges, guinea fowl, pea fowl, non-migratory
ducks, pigeons, and doves. Other birds
(e.g., commercial, domestic, or pen-raised
grouse, pheasants and quail, and migratory
birds) as well as certain egg products are subject
to APHIS regulations and to the provisions
of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,
72 U.S. CUSTOMS SERVICE