Meat, Dairy and Produce Imports

Importing meat, poultry, dairy and other animal products into the U.S. poses significant challenges.  The requirements governing such imports are vast and vary greatly based on the type of the good and the animal disease status of the country or region of origin.  The Food and Drug Administration, Customs and Border Protection and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Food Safety and Inspection Service all play key roles  U.S. Food Imports navigates the complexities of animal product import requirements for our customers to ensure that such goods clear customs.

USDA Imports

Our Services Include

  • Produce Imports

  • Meat Imports

  • Dairy Product Imports

Fruits and Vegetables

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) has very specific regulatory requirements for the entry of plant and plant products.  Certain fruits and vegetables may be imported without a permit, while others require a Plant Protection and Quarantine Permit (PPQ).  U.S. Food Imports provides services to import fruits, vegetables and plants from all corners of the globe and obtains necessary permits from USDA.

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Meat Imports

Importing meat in the U.S. means navigating a complex web of regulations governed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Products must originate from certified countries and establishments eligible to export to the U.S.  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service restricts certain products from entering the U.S. because of animal disease conditions in the country of origin.  All imported products must meet the same labeling requirements as domestically-produced products.  After filing the necessary forms for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and meeting the requirements of APHIS, all imported meat, poultry and processed egg products must be presented for inspection by FSIS at an official import establishment.  U.S. Food Imports will navigate these complex requirements to import meat products from foreign suppliers.

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Dairy Products

Dairy products such as milk, cream, ice cream, butter and many cheese products are subject to trade quota restrictions.  The Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses import licensing to administer the tariff-rate quota system for U.S. imports.  For dairy products a license is generally required to import at the low-tier rate.  License eligibility is governed by a complex set of requirements.  The low-tariff rate applies to imports up to a specific quantity.  Dairy products are also regulated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and require permits for import depending on the animal disease status of the region/country of origin.  U.S. Food Imports will obtain necessary permits from USDA for importing dairy products for our customers.  Milk and cream imports are subject to another system of regulation under the Federal Import Milk Act administered by the Food and Drug Administration.

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