Why Are You Taking

My . . .?

If you’ve had food or souvenirs taken away by an

inspector of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) while entering the United States at an 

airport, border station, or seaport, we want to be sure

you understand why.

USDA restricts certain items brought into the

United States from foreign countries. Prohibited

items can harbor foreign animal and plant pests and

diseases that could seriously damage America’s

crops, livestock, pets, and the environment.

Because of this threat, you are required to

declare on a U.S. Customs form any meats, fruits,

vegetables, plants, animals, and plant and animal

products in your possession. This declaration must

cover all items carried in your baggage and hand 

luggage. You will also be asked to indicate whether

you have visited a farm or ranch outside the United

States. Officers of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) inspect passenger 

baggage for undeclared agricultural products. At

some ports, APHIS personnel use beagle dogs to

sniff out hidden items. APHIS inspectors also use

low-energy x ray machines adapted to reveal 

concealed fruits and meats.

Travelers who fail to declare a prohibited item can

be fined up to $1,000 or more and have their items 

confiscated.

Travelers are often surprised to hear that a single

piece of fruit or meat can cause serious damage. In

fact, one pest-infested or disease-infected item carelessly discarded can wreak havoc on American crops

and livestock. The extra cost for controlling agricultural pests and diseases ripples down from farmers

to consumers in the form of higher food prices.

Taking prohibited agricultural items from travelers

helps prevent outbreaks that could affect everyone.

Fresh Fruit

It may look luscious and wholesome, but fruit you

bring into the United States from abroad could carry

agricultural pests and diseases. Oranges, for 

example, could harbor the Mediterranean fruit fly

(Medfly)—a devastating pest of more than 200 fruits,

nuts, and vegetables. In fact, it’s possible that 

individual travelers carried in the infested fruit that

brought the Medfly to California in 1979 and to

Florida in 1997. Medfly infestations can cause billiondollar losses to the citrus industry.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of

fresh fruit can be found in Title 7 of the Code of

Federal Regulations, Part 319.56.

Meat and Meat Products

Regulations prohibit you from bringing in fresh,

dried, and canned meats and meat products from

most foreign countries. If any meat is used in 

preparing a product, that product is prohibited.

Commercially canned meat is allowed if the inspector

can determine from the label that the meat was

cooked in the can after it was sealed to make it shelfstable without refrigeration.

Animal disease organisms can live for months in

sausage and other meat, including many types of

canned hams sold abroad. Foot-and-mouth disease

and African swine fever are just two of several 

dreaded foreign livestock diseases that could cost the

U.S. livestock industry billions to eradicate, cause

higher food prices, and eliminate export markets.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of

meat and meat products can be found in Title 9 of the

Code of Federal Regulations, Part 94.

Plants in Soil

Some of the most notorious and varied pest

hitchhikers are microscopic insects, disease agents,

and weed seeds that lurk in soil and plant parts.

These organisms could cause extensive harm to our

crops and forests.

You can import many plants legally and safely,

provided you follow USDA guidelines and buy plants

from reputable dealers. For information and permit

applications, write USDA, APHIS, Plant Protection

and Quarantine, 4700 River Road, Unit 136,

Riverdale, MD, 20737–1236, Attn: Permit Unit. You

can visit the PPQ permit Web site at

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits.

In addition, APHIS’ Import Authorization System

currently allows customers to submit applications to

import fruits and vegetables and animal products,

organisms, and vectors online, as well as check the

status of an existing application and submit revisions

to an existing application. To apply for a permit online,

visit our Web site at

https://web01.aphis.usda.gov/IAS.nsf/Mainform?Open

Form.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of

plants in soil can be found in Title 7 of the Code of

Federal Regulations, Part 319.37.

Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine January 2003

APHIS
Exotic Birds

Sometimes without even showing signs of illness,

parrots, parakeets, and other birds brought to the

United States from other countries can carry and

spread serious diseases, such as exotic Newcastle

disease. Therefore, birds are subject to specific rules.

Restrictions include a minimum 30-day quarantine

stay in a USDA-operated import facility, which requires

advance reservations and related fees. Birds must

also be tested for exotic diseases while in quarantine.

To avoid confiscation of pet birds, know current

restrictions and guidelines. For information, contact

USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services, 4700 River Road,

Unit 39, Riverdale, MD, 20737–1231, Attn: National

Center for Import/Export. Also, visit our traveler’s Web

site for travel tips including importing exotic birds at

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/usdatips.pdf.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of pet

birds can be found in Title 9 of the Code of Federal

Regulations, Part 92.

Hunting Trophies

The entry of hunting trophies into the United

States—as well as game animal carcasses, hides,

dairy products, and other animal products and 

byproducts—is severely restricted and in many

instances prohibited. These articles can also harbor

livestock disease organisms. When the product

involves endangered species, restrictions of the U.S.

Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service

apply. For information, contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Office of Management Authority, 4401 North

Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203 or visit their Web site

at http://www.fws.gov.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of

hunting trophies can be found in Title 9 of the Code of

Federal Regulations, Part 95.

Packing Material

Insects and even diseases can hide in packing

material made from agricultural products like straw

and burlap. Straw from wheat, if infected with an

exotic wheat smut, for example, could do billions of

dollars of damage to American wheat fields. Straw

hats or other decorative items made from straw may

be forbidden entry into the United States if derived

from prohibited material.

You may be surprised to hear that some agricultural pests can live on packing material for long

stretches of time without any source of food. One

such pest is the khapra beetle, a tiny, brownish-black

pest of grain. It can hide in the folds of burlap and

can survive there, without feeding, for up to 3 years.

But when the beetle reaches a supply of grain, it goes

on a rampage. A colony reproduces so fast and eats

so much that an infested grain bin literally comes alive

with wriggling larvae. A khapra beetle infestation in

the United States and Mexico in the 1950s cost about

$11 million to eradicate.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of

packing materials can be found in Title 7 of the Code

of Federal Regulations, Part 319.69.

Live Snails

No live snails may be brought into the mainland

United States without a permit obtained from USDA.

In 1966, a small boy brought two giant African snails

into Florida from Hawaii. He eventually discarded

them, and shortly thereafter these voracious consumers of foliage and fruit were infesting a 16-block

area near his home. It took years and half a million

dollars to eradicate them.

To request an application and permit information,

write USDA, APHIS, PPQ, 4700 River Road, Unit 133,

Riverdale, MD 20737–2346, Attn: Permit Unit.

USDA regulations regarding the importation of live

snails can be found in Title 7 of the Code of Federal

Regulations, Part 330.200.

Do Your Part

Please do your part to help protect American agriculture and ensure that we continue to enjoy a healthy

and abundant food supply. If you have questions

about APHIS’ inspection procedures or whether particular agricultural products can be brought into the

United States, contact APHIS’ Plant Protection and

Quarantine (PPQ). Look in the phone book under

“U.S. Department of Agriculture” for the nearest PPQ

office, or contact the central office at:

USDA–APHIS–PPQ

Permit Unit

4700 River Road, Unit 136

Riverdale, MD 20737

Telephone (301) 734–8645

Fax (301) 734–5786

In addition, you can visit our Web site at

http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture