How APHIS

Facilitates

Agricultural Imports

Many nations have modified their ideas of 

protectionism and embraced such international trade

agreements as the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on

Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Countries have opened

their doors a little wider to the prospects of new

trade, particularly in the area of agriculture. With this

increased interest in agricultural trade comes a 

bigger, more visible role for the U.S. Department of

Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS).

APHIS facilitates agricultural trade for both

importers and exporters, and its Plant Protection and

Quarantine (PPQ) unit is central to the successful

flow of healthy commodities into and out of the

United States. PPQ safeguards agricultural and 

natural resources from the risks associated with the

entry, establishment, or spread of animal and plant

pests and noxious weeds. Fulfillment of its 

safeguarding role ensures an abundant, high–quality,

and varied food supply, strengthens the marketability

of U.S. agriculture in domestic and international 

commerce, and contributes to the preservation of the

global environment.

Without PPQ’s protection and safeguarding 

activities, production agriculture, and ultimately the

Nation’s affordable food supply is at risk. For 

example, if Mediterranean fruit fly, citrus canker, plum

pox virus, Asian longhorned beetle, and other exotic

plant pests/diseases remain unchecked by PPQ,

annual production and marketing losses of several

hundred million dollars would likely occur.

PPQ’s technical expertise in assessing and 

regulating the risks associated with agricultural

imports into the United States has resulted in a 

dramatic expansion of the Agency’s protection 

function, especially the commercial protection role:

Market access and retention of U.S. products 

in foreign countries. PPQ must now respond to other

countries’ plant health import requirements and 

negotiate science–based standards that ensure

domestic agricultural exports are protected from

unjustified trade restrictions.

In response to needs expressed by the U.S.

public and Congress, PPQ’s protection role also

includes human health and safety issues and 

development of invasive pest exclusion techniques for

vulnerable ecosystems.

APHIS' Veterinary Services (VS) unit ensures

that animals and animal products, such as semen

and embryos, can be imported into this country 

without threatening the health of U.S. animals.

APHIS' Role in Agriculture Importation

Over the years, Americans have come to count

on a diverse array of agricultural products for their

dinner table. In order to fulfill the ever–changing

tastes of Americans, the United States imports 

commodities from around the globe. Local grocery

stores now carry everything from Mexican artichokes

to Italian zucchini. In FY 2003, the United States

imported $45.7 billion dollars worth of agricultural

products.

Some foreign countries have agricultural pests

and diseases that do not exist in this country. These

pests and diseases can cause devastating damage

to U.S. agriculture if introduced. Consequently, PPQ

strives to ensure that imported products are free of

harmful pests and diseases. PPQ does this by 

regulating the importation of agricultural products

with phytosanitary (plant health) certificates, 

importation rules, and inspections.

A phytosanitary certificate is an official document

issued by an exporting country, which certifies that

the phytosanitary status of a shipment meets the

phytosanitary regulations of the United States.

Anyone wishing to import certain plants and plant

products into the United States is required to have a

phytosanitary certificate. PPQ employees advise

importers on phytosanitary restrictions and provide

information (including regulations, policies, and 

procedures) on bringing agricultural commodities into

the United States.

The intended purpose of a phytosanitary 

certificate is to expedite the entry of plants or plant

products into the United States while protecting

American agriculture. Through its issuance of a 

phytosanitary certificate, an exporting country is 

verifying that the shipment has been inspected and

conforms to the phytosanitary import requirements of

the United States. In addition, the phytosanitary 

certificate indicates that the shipment is free of pests

and diseases that do not exist in the United States.

Factsheet

January 2004

APHIS

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Veterinary Services
Importers may obtain information or import permits by

contacting:

USDA–APHIS–PPQ

Permit Unit

4700 River Road, Unit 136

Riverdale, MD 20737

Telephone: (877) 770-5990

Fax: (301) 734–5786

PPQ officers also work in some foreign countries

inspecting agricultural commodities before shipment

to the United States in order to facilitate the products'

movement to markets. One of the most successful of

these preclearance programs is in Holland, where

PPQ officers have been inspecting flower bulbs since

1951. In Chile, PPQ has been inspecting all fruits and

vegetables destined for U.S. consumers since 1983.

Balancing Homeland Security and

Agricultural Trade

On November 21, 2002, President Bush signed

legislation creating the U.S. Department of Homeland

Security (USDHS) to unify Federal inspection forces

and protect our Nation from a new host of terrorist

threats. More than 22 Federal agencies were 

consolidated into the new department, including portions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

After a long and distinguished history in USDA,

approximately 2,600 employees from APHIS’

Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection (AQI) force

became part of the USDHS’ Border and

Transportation Security’s Bureau of Customs and

Border Protection (CBP) on March 1, 2003. APHIS’

efforts to protect American agriculture have long been

the first line of defense against the introduction of 

foreign plant and animal pests and diseases at our

Nation’s ports of entry. This critical port of entry

inspection function will now be carried out by USDHS.

The transfer of AQI port inspection to USDHS

brings together agricultural inspectors, as well as 

certain U.S. Customs and Immigration and

Naturalization Service employees, in an effort to

secure our borders and ports of entry, while still 

facilitating the movement of legitimate trade and 

travelers. Creating a consolidated border inspection

organization allows for unprecedented information

sharing, streamlined services, cross training among

specialists, and innovative techniques that weren’t

previously possible when border inspection was the

responsibility of three separate agencies.

Although USDHS is now responsible for 

conducting inspections at our Nation’s borders, APHIS

continues to determine what agricultural products can

enter the country and what products pose a risk and

should be kept out. Through risk assessments, 

pathway analysis, and rulemaking, APHIS continues

to set agricultural policy that is then carried out by

USDHS. This complementary role fulfills the

President’s objectives for having a more unified border

inspection force while at the same time affirming and

preserving APHIS’ expertise in setting agricultural

import policies.

Importing CITES-Listed Plants 

Many plants and animals whose populations are

threatened in the wild are protected by the Convention

on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora (CITES). The purpose of this treaty

is to prevent international trade from threatening the

survival of wild fauna and flora. This is done by 

regulating the trade of some species and prohibiting

commercial trade of those species that are likely to

become extinct.

PPQ enforces the plant provisions of CITES and

inspects CITES-listed plants imported through any of

its 14 plant inspection stations and facilities located

nationwide. Importers should contact the PPQ Permit

Unit if they have any questions about importing

CITES-listed plants. If you have questions about

importing CITES-listed animals or animal products,

contact the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and

Wildlife Service at (800) 358–2104.

In FY 2003, more than 28 million CITES-listed

plants were presented for clearance at PPQ's inspection stations. PPQ inspectors examine CITES-listed

plants to ensure that the plant specimens match the

description of the accompanying CITES documents.

If importers do not have the proper documents, PPQ

officers may seize the plants and offer them back to

their country of origin at that country's expense, or

they may place the plants in one of the many 

designated rescue centers in this country, where they

may be displayed, propagated, or used for other 

purposes consistent with CITES. PPQ also requires

that importers obtain a general permit costing $70

from the PPQ Permit Unit for any commercial 

shipments of CITES-listed products they wish to bring

into this country.

Importing Animals, Birds, and Animal

Products 

VS regulates the importation of live animals, 

poultry, pet birds, and animal products, such as

meats, cheeses, casein, gelatins, certain animal hides

and racks, and germ plasm—both semen and

embryos. VS carefully monitors all of these 

commodities in case they are infected with foreign

animal diseases, such as avian influenza or

foot–and–mouth disease, that could threaten U.S. l

ivestock populations. For example, countries that

have outbreaks of foot–and–mouth disease are not
allowed to export fresh, chilled, or frozen meats to the

United States. However, such meat products can be

shipped into this country if they have been heat

processed or cured according to APHIS standards.

VS establishes similar requirements for countries

where other animal diseases exist. Certain live animals, including pet birds, imported from foreign countries may have to be quarantined in USDA animal

import centers located in New York, Miami, or Los

Angeles before entering the United States.

For permit applications and information about

import requirements and user fees related to 

importing animals, birds, and animal products, contact

USDA–APHIS–VS-NCIE

National Center for Import/Export

4700 River Road, Unit 40

Riverdale, MD 20737–1231

Telephone: (301) 734–3277/8364

Fax: (301) 734–4704/8226 

Facilitating Trade

These days, under the influences of trade agreements such as NAFTA and GATT, agricultural trade is

booming. And APHIS' dual role of facilitating agricultural exports while protecting American agriculture

has become even more crucial. PPQ’s efforts to

negotiate and resolve market access restrictions

ensure enhanced market opportunities for U.S.

exporters. In addition, PPQ and VS' export certification efforts inspire much–needed trust from foreign

countries that they are receiving healthy, pest– and

disease–free agricultural shipments. Moreover,

APHIS' efforts on the homefront to protect American

agriculture ensure that U.S. consumers can continue

to enjoy the tastes of American products while still

sampling the tastes of the rest of the world.

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, 14th and

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