AMS Dairy Export Program 

Dairy Export Certification Systems Webinar

William Francis, Senior Policy Advisor 

DairyExportsQuestions@usda.gov January 9, 2023
Agenda Topics

• Long term plans and goals

• Export Overview

• System Focus

• Country Specifics Highlights

• Best Practices

• Applying for Replacement Certificates

• Problem Resolution

• Q&A

• Wrap Up
Long Term Plans and Goals

Merge all processing systems into ATLAS

Respond to trading partner needs and requirements

Process and speed improvement for certificates

Improve customer satisfaction
Export Overview

• The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is the export certificate issuing agency AMS for most countries.

• The Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is the recognized competent APHIS authority for animal health.

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the recognized competent authority FDA for public (human) health.

• AMS works very closely with APHIS, FDA, and USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service 

(FAS) to provide a systems approach for a comprehensive and complete 

regulatory control program FAS
Export Overview

FAS

Foreign Agriculture Service 

(FAS)

APHIS

Animal Plant Health 

Inspection Service

FDA

Food and Drug 

Administration 

International 

Partners

AMS

The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) 
Import Requirements Determined by Trading Partners

Export Certificates

• AMS 

• APHIS

APHIS Issued Certificates

• Albania

• Australia

• Georgia

• Japan

• Mexico

• New Zealand

• South Africa

• Suriname 

• Ukraine

Additional Requirements

• Facilities listing/registration

• Product registration

• Questionnaires 

• Testing/COA 
System Focus 

General Sanitary Program Electronic Document 

Creation System eDOCS Agriculture Trade Licensing 

& Attestation Solution
Facilities Must Be in Good Regulatory Standing

Regulations

E.g., Pasteurized Milk 

Ordinance 

Inspection

On-site inspection 

performed by State 

and Federal 

inspectors

Oversight

Federal oversight by 

FDA, AMS & APHIS

Non-compliance

Suspension or 

removal of eligibility 

for non-compliance
Dairy Facilities Eligible For Export Certification

• USDA Dairy Plants Surveyed and 

Approved for USDA Grading 

Service

• Interstate Milk Shippers List (IMS) 
Country Specific Lists for Dairy

China

Chile

European Union

United Kingdom

FDA to Foreign Government Stakeholder to Foreign 

Government

Brazil

Costa Rica

South Korea

CFSANExportCertification@fda.hhs.gov
Current Export Certificate Program Software

General Sanitary Program

• Algeria, Argentina, China 

Composite, Cuba, Morocco, Peru, 

Taiwan, Tunisia, Uruguay

• Over 100 other countries.

eDOCS

• China, Chile, Colombia, Turkey

Agriculture Trade Licensing 

& Attestation Solution

• Brazil, European Union, Great 

Britain, and South Korea
General Sanitary Tips

Plant numbers

Use correct country form

Multiple request can use same courier label

Provide expiration and shelf life

Limit of 3 facility numbers

Add “contains dairy” in the description
eDOCS Tips for China Certificates 

• Use only lower-case letters

• Use a maximum of 4 dairy plant number lines with lower-case letters

Product Description Box

• Each KR effectively reduces usable space by 20 to 30 characters from 

the number counter. Solution is to enter as one long string.

Keyboard returns (KR)

• Longer names tend to be cut off during printing – use only 30 

characters

Consignee name
New Export 

Certificate 

Program 

Software

Agriculture Trade Licensing & 

Attestation Solution 
What Must I Do First to Apply for Services?

Obtain Level 2 

E-Auth Account

Request ATLAS 

User Account

* For billing account help, please contact the Dairy Grading Program: Email: DairyNFO@usda.gov
Only Use ATLAS 

For:

- Brazil

- European Union

- Great Britain

- South Korea
EU/Great Britain/Turkey Export Certification Program

European Union

Great Britain

Turkey
European Union/Great Britain/Turkey

Export Verification Program

Exporters and their product suppliers must 

participate in the AMS Dairy Program Dairy 

Grading Branch EU Export Verification Program.
EU/GB/Turkey Certificate 

of Conformance

New language for CoC
EU Certificate 

Types

• Chapter 34 EU Raw Milk Products

• Transit 

• Chapter 35 EU Dairy Products Health

• Transit

• Chapter 38 EU Colostrum-Based Products

• Transit
EU Composite 

Certificates

• Chapter 50 EU Composite Products

• Chapter 52 EU Composite Products
EU Composite Products 

• See our website for guidance

• Must contain both plant-origin and animal-origin 

ingredients

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/imports-exports/dairy-exports/eu-dairy-exports
Great Britain 

Certificate Types

• 66X- Dairy products from non-EU 

countries

• 69X-Transit or storage of milk, colostrum, 

dairy products or colostrum-based 

• 65X-Dairy products derived from raw milk

• products from non-EU countries

• 88X-Composite products intended for 

human consumption from non-EU 

countries

• 89X-Transit or storage of composite 

products intended for human 

consumption from non-EU countries

• 68X- Colostrum and Colostrum-Based 

Products
South Korea

• Name of Consignee + Address in Destination Field

• Full product description

• Must be issued before departure if containing egg
Brazil

Box 15 lower section

Product Description – English and 

Portuguese 

Lot numbers and date/period of 

production
Adding a Comment/Note To Your Application In 

ATLAS
Adding a Comment/Note To Your Application In 

ATLAS
Adding a Comment/Note To Your Application In 

ATLAS
Tips and Best Practices

TAKE EXTREME CARE WHEN SUBMITTING:

• Date of Departure – EU/GB, Vietnam, Korea (egg) 

certificate must be dated on or before departure

• Request Certificates as far before departure as possible

Know before you go!

Check and double check everything!

Facility Numbers

Weights

Managing your plant registration

Package labeling match facility numbers on 

certificate – EU/GB have “registration marks”

Lot numbers

Container/Seal Numbers

Making addresses on labels and certificates 

match with registration information

Check Country Labeling Requirements (FAS Reports)
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service

Links U.S. agriculture to the world.

Resources

Food and Agricultural Import 

Regulations and Standards 

(FAIRS) Reports

International Offices Directory
Detained 

Shipments 

and 

Problem 

Resolution 
Detained Shipments and 

Problem Resolution

Issues Should Be Addressed 

Government To Government

Contact 

dairyexportsquestions@usda.gov

Limit Your Contact And 

Correspondence With 

Foreign Officials 

Attach email correspondences (especially from Port 

Officials) your firm has received on behalf of the detained 

consignment. E-Mail: dairyexportsquestions@usda.gov

• Detained Port and Country:

• Dairy Plant Number(s) Associated with Detained Consignment:

• Dairy Export Certificate Number(s) – Please Attach Signed/Stamped 

PDF Copies of the certificates

• Estimated Value of Shipment (reference each cert as separate value in 

$US)

• Vessel Date of Departure (reference each cert with DOD):

• Vessel Expected Date of Arrival (reference each cert with DOA):

• Importer Contact Information

• Firm/Business

• Contact Name

• Contact Email

• Contact Phone

• Detailed Explanation for Detained Consignment (separate explanation 

for each certificate if applicable)

• Product Background: Has any of the products associated with this 

shipment been previously exported or refused in any other foreign 

country? If so, please
Applying for Replacement/Amended 

Certificates

• Applications must be resubmitted for review 

and approval after desired changes are 

made.

• Departure dates cannot be amended for an 

earlier date (EU & Great Britain Certificates).

• A certificate will need to be amended 

if lost during courier delivery 

to prevent duplication.
Questions and Answers
DairyExportsQuestions@usda.gov