USDA APHIS VETERINARY SERVICES

STRATEGY & POLICY

PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF 

BREEDING WATER BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) AND YAK (Bos grunniens) 

FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES

October 2022 

1 

This protocol describes the conditions required to import domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and 

domestic yak (Bos grunniens) from Canada according to regulations found in 9 CFR Part 93, and the 

new rule, Importation of Sheep, Goats, and Certain Other Ruminants, published December 3, 2021, 

Federal Register :: Importation of Sheep, Goats, and Certain Other Ruminants. 

1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 

 

1.1. A USDA import permit isrequired; the importer must obtain an import permit from: 

USDA APHIS Veterinary Services 

Strategy & Policy

Unit 39, 4700 River Road 

Riverdale, MD 20737-1231 

Telephone: (301) 851-3300, Option 2 

Fax: (301) 734-4704 

 

The import permit application (VS 17-129) may be found online: VS 17-129,

Instructions to compete the VS 17-129 form: 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/downloads/vs17_129inst.pdf.

The completed import application form 17-129 may be faxed to 301-734-4704 or 

emailed to: VS.Live.Animals.Import.Permits@aphis.usda.gov 

 

1.2. An official health certificate is required. The official health certificate must be issued by a 

veterinarian designated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and must be 

endorsed by a veterinarian employed by the CFIA attesting to the certifications and tests 

required in this protocol. 

 

1.3. The official health certificate must include: 

1.3.1. Name and address of the importer. 

1.3.2. Destination location for the imported animals.

1.3.3. Species, breed, and number of animalsto be imported. 

1.3.4. Purpose of the importation. 

1.3.5. Individual identification, including the APHIS-required Canadian RFID or UHF

eartag number, secondary dangle tag, other approved forms of individual 

identification, and any other identification present on the animal, including 

registration number and brands. 

1.3.6. Description of the animals, including age in months, sex, breed, and markings (if 

any). 

1.3.7. Region/country of origin. 

1.3.8. Address or other means of identifying the premises of origin and any other premises 

where the animals resided immediately prior to export. 

1.3.9. Name and address of the exporter. 
USDA APHIS VETERINARY SERVICES

STRATEGY & POLICY

PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF 

BREEDING WATER BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) AND YAK (Bos grunniens) 

FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES

October 2022 

2 

1.3.10. Port of embarkation in Canada, the mode of transportation, and port of entry in the 

United States. 

2. IDENTIFICATION 

 

2.1. A “CΛN” brand or tattoo must be properly applied before animals arrive at the port of 

entry except as provided in section 2.6 below (?). 

2.2. Improperly applied brands, hair brands, or anything not resulting in a permanent mark is 

not acceptable. 

2.2.1. The CΛN brand mark must be no less than 2 inches high or not more than 3 inches 

high, and must be applied to each animal’s right hip, high on the tail-head (over the 

junction of the sacral and first coccygeal vertebrae). 

2.2.2. The region must be shaved before presentation at the port of entry for clear 

identification. 

2.3. Alternatively, a tattoo may be used. 

2.3.1. If a tattoo is used, it must clearly identify the exporting country with the CAN letters 

applied to the inside of the left ear and be clearly legible. 

2.3.2. The ear must be shaved before presentation at the port of entry for clear 

identification.

2.4. All water buffalo or yaks must be individually identified with an RFID or UHF eartag of the 

traceable to the premises of origin of the animal (birthplace). The use of UHF tags is 

encouraged, to expedite border inspection procedures

2.5. A secondary dangle tag is also required. This secondary eartag must be also tamper-resistant 

and provide unique identification for the individual animal and either use the country code 

as a prefix or have a mark unique to official eartags of the country of origin. The official 

eartags must have one of the following numbering systems: 

 

2.5.1. National Uniform Eartagging System; or 

2.5.2. Animal identification number, composed of the 3-digit country code and a 12-digit 

number unique to the animal; or 

2.5.3. Premises-based number system. 

2.6. If the animals are not branded or tattooed, two official ear tags, (one RFID or UHF tag 

and the other a visual-only tag with the animal number clearly readable) are required. 

Both numbers must be listed on the health certificate for correct ID of each animal.
USDA APHIS VETERINARY SERVICES

STRATEGY & POLICY

PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF 

BREEDING WATER BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) AND YAK (Bos grunniens) 

FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES

October 2022

3

2.7. No person may alter, deface, remove, or otherwise tamper with the official identification 

while the animal is in the United States or moving into or through the United States, except 

the identification may be removed at the time of slaughter. 

3. CERTIFICATION STATEMENTS: The following statements must be on the health 

certificate: 

3.1. Canada is free of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Rinderpest, Surra, and Contagious Bovine 

Pleuropneumonia. 

3.2. The animals have been inspected and found to be free from any evidence of 

communicable disease, and, as far as can be determined, have not been exposed to any 

such disease during the preceding 60 days. 

3.3. The animals were born in the United States or Canada or were legally imported into 

Canada from a region recognized by the USDA as a region not restricted due to BSE and

have been under no movement restrictions within Canada or the United States for at least 

60 days prior to importation into the United States. 

3.4. The animals for export were part of Canada’s national herd for a minimum period of 

time. Paragraphs 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 describe how the United States defines “part of the 

national herd” and the length of time the animals must be part of the national herd.

3.4.1. If the animals for export were imported into Canada from countries recognized 

by USDA as free of FMD, then these animals must have been free of any import 

quarantine restrictions and able to move freely within Canada's national herd for 

a minimum of 90 days prior to export or isolation for export.

3.4.2. If the animals were imported into Canada from a country not recognized by 

USDA as free of FMD, then the animals for export must have been free of any 

import quarantine restrictions and able to move freely within Canada's national 

herd for a minimum of 90 days prior to export or isolation for export.

3.5. The animals are not in quarantine or under movement restriction in Canada. 

3.6. The Canadian- origin animals were born on or after March 1, 1999, the date determined 

by APHIS to be the effective enforcement of a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban. Animals 

not of Canadian or United State origin were born after the designated feeding of ruminants 

with meat-and-bone meal or greaves derived from ruminants feed ban that has been 

effectively enforced in the whole region since ____________ (the date of the effective 

enforcement of a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban).

3.7. For animalsimported for breeding, the following certifications are required in addition to 

the above statements: The animals are from a brucellosis- and TB-free herd. If the 
USDA APHIS VETERINARY SERVICES

STRATEGY & POLICY

PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF 

BREEDING WATER BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) AND YAK (Bos grunniens) 

FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES

October 2022

4

animals are not from a brucellosis- and TB-free herd, the isolation and testing protocol in 

section 4 must be followed.

3.7.1. The animals have been permanently and humanely identified before arrival at the 

port of entry (see section 2).

3.7.2. The animals have been inspected within 3 days (72 hrs.) prior to exportation to the 

United States and found to be free from any evidence of communicable disease; 

and, as far as can be determined, have not been exposed to any such disease 

during the preceding 60 days.

4. TESTING 

4.1. The animals must be isolated (see isolated and held apart (minimum 10 meters of 

separation) from the rest of the herd and other livestock for a period of at least 60 days 

prior to exportation to the United States.

4.2. All tests must performed by a veterinarian designated or accredited and trained by the

CFIA.

4.3. Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis)

4.3.1. One negative caudal fold test following standard CFIA proceduresis required for 

each animal while the pre-export group are in isolation per 4.1 above. This test 

must be performed no more than 30 days prior to presentation at the port of arrival 

to the United States. 

4.3.2. A negative test means no detectable response using both palpation and visual 

examination when read 72 (± 6 hours) following injection with intradermal 

tuberculin. 

4.3.3. Any animal that is positive to any TB test is ineligible for import into the United 

States. The balance of the cohort herd will not be allowed entry into the United 

States until all responders have been removed from the group and their TB status 

determined negative through comparative cervical testing (CCT) testing or 

necropsy including negative on histopathology and bacteriological culture for M. 

bovis.

4.4. Brucellosis (Brucella abortus)

4.4.1. A brucellosis test is required for each animal while they are in isolation per 4.1

above; this test must be performed no more than 30 days prior to presentation at 

the port of arrival to the United States. 
USDA APHIS VETERINARY SERVICES

STRATEGY & POLICY

PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF 

BREEDING WATER BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) AND YAK (Bos grunniens) 

FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES

October 2022 

5 

4.4.2. Undiluted serum samples from the animal(s) held in pre-export isolation must be

tested with a Serum Agglutination Test OR ELISA OR Complement Fixation 

Test.

4.4.3. The balance of the group shall not be allowed entry until the status of the 

reactor(s) is completely resolved (i.e., supplemental/confirmatory serological 

testing and subsequent classification as negative; and/or tissue submission of 

agreed-upon tissues/lymph nodes and subsequent culture result of “no isolation 

made”). 

4.4.4. The balance of the group shall continue to be held in isolation and not be allowed 

entry until all animals in the group are found to be brucellosis test negative on a 

second pre-entry brucellosis test, performed at least 30 days after the first preentry brucellosis test. 

 

5. PORT OF ENTRY INSPECTION 

5.1. USDA APHIS VS will require confirmed pre-shipping approval for the import of all 

Canadian breeder yak and water buffalo imports. There may be a lack of adequate 

inspection facilities to safely inspect such animals at the port of entry. The following 

steps are required if inspection will be deferred to the destination facility: 

5.1.1. Contact information for the USDA APHIS VS Northern Border Port Services: 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/contacts/field-operations-portservices.pdf or email vs.nbp@usda.gov. 

5.1.2. Importation requires pre-shipment approval from the USDA APHIS VS Northern 

Border Port Services (NBP) office. 

5.1.3. The importer must notify the NBP office at least 14 days in advance of the 

proposed shipment, providing the address of the destination premises and the 

scheduled date and time of arrival. The NBP office will arrange an inspection or 

assessment of the destination facility, as appropriate, to approve the facility. The 

NBP office will verify that VS personnel are available to perform the inspection of 

the animals on the proposed date of arrival. 

5.1.4. Once approved, the NBP office will immediately email notification of the 

approval to the importer. The importer may then schedule an appointment at the 

port for clearance. 

5.1.5. A copy of the email approval notice from the NBP office must be presented to the 

Port VMO, along with the completed VS Form 17-29, Declaration of Importation 

(https://www.aphis.usda.gov/library/forms/pdf/vs17_29.pdf). The shipment will 

not be allowed entry without written (email) notification of approval. 
USDA APHIS VETERINARY SERVICES

STRATEGY & POLICY

PROTOCOL FOR THE IMPORTATION OF 

BREEDING WATER BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis) AND YAK (Bos grunniens) 

FROM CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES

October 2022 

6 

5.2. After clearance at the port, the Port VMO will email notification to VS personnel in the 

destination state that the animals are en route under seal to the destination premises for 

inspection. 

6. REFUSED ENTRY 

Any animal designated as a “refused- for- entry import” into the United States for 

noncompliance with the requirements of this protocol must be removed from the country 

within a time period specified by the Administrator, standardly within 30 days, or it will be 

considered abandoned by the importer. Pending removal or abandonment, the animal will be 

subject to such safeguards as the APHIS inspector determines necessary to prevent the 

possible introduction of ectoparasites or disease into the United States. If an animal that has 

been refused entry is not removed from the United States within a prescribed time period or 

is abandoned, it may be seized and destroyed, or otherwise disposed of as the Administrator 

determines necessary to prevent the possible introduction of disease into the United States.

 

7. ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES 

Please check the animal health regulations of state of destination for possible additional 

regulations and requirements for the proposed import (State Regulations and Import 

Requirements).