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International Regulations (IRegs) for

Animal Product Exports

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) has created the International Animal

Product Export Regulations (IREGS) to provide exporters with our best understanding

of importing countries requirements for certain animal-origin products.

Countries may change their import requirements without notice. In all cases, the

exporter has the responsibility of having their importer confirm with the Ministry of

Animal Health in the importing country the certification requirements prior to

shipping. The exporter should obtain any required certificates prior to shipping. Most

countries will not accept certificates issued after consignments have shipped. The

availability of APHIS endorsement of certificates should not be assumed until after

consultation with the pertinent VS Field Operations Veterinary Export Trade Services

(aka VS Service Centers).  

Exporters are responsible for confirming prior to shipment that they have

all certification required for the consignment.
The primary role of APHIS, VS in the certification of animal products for export is to

provide certification about the animal health status of the region of origin of the

product. If other certifications are required, APHIS, VS may not be the Agency

authorized to provide the required export certificate.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the procedures and requirements

for exporting animals, animal products, or to obtain a zoosanitary certificate for an

animal product, you should contact the VS Field Operations Veterinary Export Trade

Services (aka VS Service Centers) covering the area from which the product will be

exported, the area in which your office is located, or the area in which the product is

manufactured. If you have a shipment on hold in a foreign country, please contact

the Veterinary Services service center that issued your certificate.

* If you have a shipment of animal products or by-products that has been exported

from the United States and you intend to return the shipment to the United States,

please use our VS Permitting Assistant.

VS Export Certificates and Instructions

Exporters are advised that the forms linked below are to be submitted to the

endorsing office electronically by email after preparation consistent with the Special

instructions for exporters regarding the preparation of the new VS forms. Exporters

should contact the endorsing office officials regarding the correct email address to

use and the proper formatting of emails so that the process flows well. If submission

by email is not possible, exporters should contact endorsing office officials to discuss

alternatives. Prior to endorsement, APHIS prints the forms on special VS Security

Paper. Only the below JUL 2022 versions of the VS Form 16-4 and VS Form

16-4A may be used.

VS Form 16-4*- JUL 2022

VS Form 16-4A-  JUL 2022

Combined VS form 16-4 and VS form 16-4A*

Special instructions for exporters regarding the preparation of VS Form 16-4

and 16-4A

*This version of the VS Form 16-4 also contains the following statement as the initial

content of the "ADDITIONAL DECLARATIONS" area: "This is to certify that rinderpest,

foot-and-mouth-disease, classical swine fever, swine vesicular disease, African swine
fever, and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia do not exist in the United States of

America."

Prior to using these forms, users should ensure Adobe Reader Version 9.0 (or above)

is installed on their computer. Version 9.0 (or above) is necessary to ensure that the

forms open and function optimally. Any Adobe software (Reader, Standard, or

Professional) may be utilized as long as it is version 9.0 or above.

Other Federal Agencies Involved in Providing Export Certificates for Animal Products

Dairy Products

The USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) are the agencies primarily responsible for the certification of

dairy products exported for human consumption. (APHIS, VS may provide

certification in certain circumstances.) AMS can be contacted at:

Dairy Standardization

Agricultural Marketing Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 96456

Washington, DC 20009

Phone: 202-720-3171

Fax: 202-720-2643

DairyExportsQuestions@usda.gov

Meat and meat products; processed egg products bearing the

FSIS mark of inspection

The USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for export

certification of meat and some meat products, as well as many processed egg

products (such as pasteurized eggs), for human consumption.

Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD)

FSIS, USDA

Phone: 202-720-0082

importexport@fsis.usda.gov
Aquaculture and fish products

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of

Commerce, certifies fishmeal, fish oil, and certain other seafood products intended

for human consumption. Contact information for NOAA is below. Exporters should

send general questions not addressed on the following websites to: 

nmfs.seafood.services@noaa.gov

NOAA Seafood Certification Program

U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA Fisheries

1315 East West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone 301-427-8300 or Toll Free 800-422-2750

NOAA Seafood Commerce and Trade

NOAA Inspection Offices

NOAA Fish Meal Program

Fish Meal Program Manager

National Marine Fisheries Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

P.O. Drawer 1207

Pascagoaula, MS 39567

Phone: 228-762-7402 ext. 312

Fax: 228-762-9200

Table eggs and other egg products not bearing the FSIS mark of

inspection

The USDA, AMS is the Agency that endorses export certificates for table eggs and

certain other egg products (for human consumption).

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service

Poultry Division-Grading Branch

P.O. Box 96456

South Agricultural Building

Washington, DC 20090-6456

Phone: 202-720-4411

Fax: 202-690-3165
https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/imports-exports/eggs-egg-products           

Honey and other Products of Apiculture for Human Consumption

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Agricultural Marketing Service

(AMS) are responsible for the certification of honey and other products of apiculture

for human consumption. For more information, please contact:

Charlotte Liang, Ph.D.

Office of Food Safety

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

U. S. Food and Drug Administration

Phone:240-402-2785

charlotte.liang@fda.hhs.gov

Specialty Crops Program

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

United States Department of Agriculture

SCIInspectionoperations@usda.gov

Plant and Plant Products

The APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) is the Agency responsible for

certification of certain plant products. For more information, please visit the Plant

and Plant Product Exports section of the website.

Locate your local PPQ Plant Export Specialist

CITES Documentation

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is the Agency responsible for providing CITES

(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)

certification. If CITES documentation is required, exporters should contact the U.S.

Fish & Wildlife Service.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bulk gelatin and

collagen shipments
In many cases, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the appropriate authority

for the certification of shipments of gelatin and collagen. The pertinent FDA office for

certification of gelatin and collagen intended for human consumption may be

reached at: BulkCGExport-LM-OFS@fda.hhs.gov

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for other commodities

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also provides certification of certain other

products not listed above.

Questions regarding certification by the FDA of commodities (intended for human

consumption) not listed above may be directed to:

CFSANExportCertification@fda.hhs.gov

Questions for FDA regarding the export of “veterinary products” (as defined by FDAnot including veterinary biological products licensed by the APHIS Center for

Veterinary Biologics) may be directed to: CVMExportCertification@fda.hhs.gov

Questions for FDA regarding commodities (intended for animal consumption and

not listed above) may be directed to: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov

Additional information regarding FDA programs associated with the export of

commodities intended for animal consumption may be available at:

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/products/import-exports

Veterinary Biologicals

The APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) is the agency responsible for export

certification for veterinary biological products.  For more information, see

Exports: Veterinary Biologics Products. CVB may also be contacted regarding these

exports via:

Email:  cvb@usda.gov

Phone: (515) 337-6100

iRegs for Animal Product Exports
For countries not listed, the requirements are not known. However, exporters

wanting to ship animal products should have the interested party (importer/buyer) in

the destination country contact the appropriate ministry for the specific

requirements.

Animal Product Export Requirements - Select a Country - ▾ Go

View History of Requirement Updates for Animal Product Exports