APHIS Animal and Bird Import Quarantine

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) administers the federal framework that controls the importation of live animals, birds, and poultry into the United States — the regulatory front line against introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever, brucellosis, and dozens of other foreign animal diseases that could devastate U.S. livestock and poultry industries. Under 21 U.S.C. § 136, the Secretary of Agriculture may prohibit or restrict the importation of any animal, bird, or poultry product when necessary to prevent the introduction of any communicable disease of livestock or poultry. With the U.S. poultry industry valued at $65 billion annually and cattle at $80 billion, the economic stakes of a single uncontrolled disease introduction are enormous — the 2001 U.K. foot-and-mouth outbreak cost an estimated £8 billion ($11 billion) and led to the slaughter of over 6 million animals.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

Part 93 establishes animal-by-animal (or species group) frameworks for what can be imported from where, under what health conditions, through which ports of entry, with what veterinary certification, and subject to what quarantine requirements. The regulation works primarily through country-of-origin restrictions: APHIS categorizes countries and regions by their disease status, and restricts or prohibits imports of susceptible species from regions where specific diseases are present. When disease status changes (a new outbreak is confirmed or a country achieves disease-free certification), APHIS updates import requirements through rulemaking.

Birds and poultry (Subparts A and B) require import permits for commercial imports, quarantine at APHIS-approved facilities (typically 30 days), and foreign veterinary health certificates. Migratory bird species, pet birds, and commercial poultry have separate rules. Given ongoing HPAI (H5N1 and related strains), APHIS restricts or prohibits poultry imports from countries with active highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in commercial flocks. The rule specifies designated ports of entry that have APHIS inspection and quarantine facilities.

Horses (Subpart C — 27 sections) receive an elaborate country-specific framework because the U.S. horse industry involves significant international movement of show horses, racehorses, breeding stock, and sport horses. Requirements vary by country of origin and intended use. Horses from most of Europe, where diseases like equine infectious anemia and equine viral arteritis status must be documented, require specific testing and quarantine. Horses transiting the U.S. from or to Canada or Mexico have special in-bond provisions.

Ruminants (Subpart D — 37 sections, the largest subpart) covers cattle, sheep, goats, deer, and other cud-chewing animals — the category most at risk from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which is absent from the U.S. since 1929. The U.S. has strict import controls on ruminants from FMD-endemic countries (much of Asia, Africa, South America). Cattle from Canada and Mexico are subject to differential rules based on NAFTA/USMCA status and specific disease concerns like bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis. BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy/"mad cow disease") status influences import rules for cattle and cattle products.

Swine (Subpart E — 22 sections) regulates pig imports against classical swine fever (CSF), foot-and-mouth disease, and — increasingly critically — African swine fever (ASF). ASF, which devastated China's pig population (killing roughly half the national herd in 2018-2019) and spread across Europe and Asia, has not entered the U.S. but represents one of APHIS's top biosecurity concerns. Restrictions on importing swine or pork products from ASF-affected countries are maintained. APHIS has emergency response plans for ASF detection in the U.S. given the catastrophic economic impact that would follow.

Dogs (Subpart F) requires a single provision for commercial imports; the CDC handles rabies-related requirements for dogs separately.

Elephants, hippopotami, rhinoceroses, and tapirs (Subpart H) addresses imports of these large mammals, largely in the context of zoological institutions and wildlife conservation, intersecting with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) requirements administered jointly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Aquatic animal species (Subpart I) covers live fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and other aquatic animals subject to disease risk from aquatic pathogens like viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), spring viremia of carp, or koi herpesvirus.

Key Provisions

• § 93.101 — General prohibition for birds: no birds or bird products may enter the U.S. except in compliance with Part 93; exceptions for specific categories (baby chicks from certain countries, CBP-released items)
• § 93.102 — Designated ports for bird imports: specific ports with APHIS quarantine facilities for pet birds
• § 93.103 — Import permits and quarantine reservation fees: advance application required; fees cover APHIS-operated quarantine facility costs
• § 93.104 — Foreign veterinary certificates: all commercial, zoological, and research birds must be accompanied by a certificate from an accredited veterinarian or official of the country of origin
• § 93.106 — Quarantine requirements for birds: 30 days in APHIS-approved facility for most categories; costs borne by the importer
• § 93.201 — General prohibition for poultry: parallel to § 93.101; HPAI status of the source region determines whether any import is permissible
• § 93.301 — Horses: country-specific requirements organized by disease risk and prior testing requirements
• § 93.400 — Ruminants: general prohibition with country-of-origin exceptions; cattle from Canada/Mexico subject to specific conditions; FMD-free status verification required

How It Affects You

If you're a livestock or poultry producer: Import controls are your first line of protection against foreign animal disease introduction. APHIS maintains a list of countries from which specific species may or may not be imported, updated based on global disease surveillance. When HPAI outbreaks occur in a country's commercial poultry operations, APHIS restricts imports from that country — protecting U.S. flocks from the primary introduction risk. The National Import Export Services office at APHIS handles commercial import permits; permits are required before any commercial animal shipment is arranged. When disease status changes (new outbreak confirmed, or a country achieves freedom), APHIS issues interim rules and updates Part 93 through rulemaking. Sign up for APHIS veterinary bulletins to track disease status changes that affect import permissions.

If you import horses for competition, breeding, or sale: Horse imports are governed by country-specific protocols under Subpart C. The requirements depend on the horse's country of origin, the horse's health history, and in many cases pre-export testing results. Common-risk diseases that affect requirements include equine viral arteritis (EVA), equine infectious anemia (EIA — Coggins test required), and equine piroplasmosis. Show horses and racehorses that frequently cross between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico operate under special rapid-transit provisions that streamline entry for horses in recognized competition circuits. Contact APHIS Veterinary Services' National Import Export Services before shipping for country-specific current requirements. If you're importing a purebred horse for breeding purposes, the health clearance under Part 93 runs parallel to — but separately from — the APHIS Purebred Animal Certification under 9 CFR Part 151, which is what gets you the customs duty exemption at the port.

If you work in international trade, logistics, or customs: Live animals are among the most highly regulated import categories. All live animal imports require APHIS import permits obtained before shipment; arriving without a permit results in detention at port of entry and may require immediate re-export or destruction. Animals must enter through designated ports with APHIS inspection facilities (not all ports qualify). Customs and Border Protection (CBP) coordinates with APHIS at ports of entry. The importer bears all costs of inspection, quarantine, and any required treatment; quarantine facility reservations must be booked in advance and reservation fees paid.

Statutory Authority

• 21 U.S.C. § 136 — General importation authority: Secretary of Agriculture may prohibit or restrict importation of any animal, bird, or poultry product to prevent introduction of any communicable disease of livestock or poultry
• 21 U.S.C. § 136a — Expanded authority: covers conveyances and shipping containers that may carry disease vectors

Implementing Regulations

• 9 CFR Part 93 — Importation of Certain Animals, Birds, Fish, and Poultry (139 sections):

  • Subpart A — Birds (8 sections): import permits, designated ports, certificates, quarantine
  • Subpart B — Poultry (21 sections): commercial and hatching egg imports; HPAI screening
  • Subpart C — Horses (27 sections): country-specific protocols; pre-export testing; in-bond transit provisions
  • Subpart D — Ruminants (37 sections): FMD-free country requirements; BSE status; brucellosis testing for cattle from certain countries
  • Subpart E — Swine (22 sections): CSF, FMD, and ASF country restrictions; quarantine requirements
  • Subpart F — Dogs (1 section): commercial dog imports
  • Subpart G — Miscellaneous Animals (8 sections): other species not otherwise covered
  • Subpart H — Elephants, Hippopotami, Rhinoceroses, and Tapirs (8 sections): zoological/conservation imports; CITES coordination
  • Subpart I — Aquatic Animal Species (7 sections): live fish and aquatic animals; aquatic disease screening

• 9 CFR Part 104 — Permits for Biological Products: the APHIS veterinary biologics import permit system — governing the importation of vaccines, bacterins, antitoxins, diagnostic antigens, and other biological products intended for veterinary use. Key provisions:

  • § 104.1 — Permit required: no biological product may be brought into the United States unless APHIS has issued a permit; a separate permit is required for each individual biological product (not a blanket import permit for a company or category); the permit must be in place before importation
  • § 104.2 — Three permit types: APHIS issues three categories of permits: (1) U.S. Veterinary Biological Product Permit for Research and Evaluation — for experimental or investigational veterinary biologics not yet approved for commercial use; (2) U.S. Veterinary Biological Product Permit for Distribution and Sale — for commercial veterinary vaccines and biologics meeting full licensure standards; (3) U.S. Veterinary Biological Product Permit for Transit Shipment Only — for products passing through the U.S. between two foreign countries, never entering commercial distribution
  • § 104.3 — Permit application: each importer applies in writing to APHIS before shipment; applications for research/evaluation and transit permits require documentation of the product, origin, and intended use; the importer bears responsibility for obtaining the permit before the shipment departs the country of origin
  • § 104.5 — Distribution and sale permits: the most stringent category — APHIS must find that the conditions under which the product is prepared meet U.S. standards before issuing the permit; APHIS may require that the product undergo U.S. testing or review prior to permit issuance; the permit conditions may specify the importation timeframe, quantity, and ports of entry
  • § 104.8 — Illegal shipments: veterinary biologics arriving without a permit are returned to the country of origin at the importer's expense; biologics arriving under a permit but found to be "worthless, contaminated, dangerous, or harmful" must be exported or destroyed; no appeal delay applies — non-compliant shipments are acted on immediately at the port of entry

  The Part 104 veterinary biologics import framework works in parallel with the domestic product licensing program (9 CFR Parts 101–118), which governs domestically produced veterinary biologics. Foreign-manufactured veterinary vaccines and diagnostics not otherwise licensed under the U.S. domestic program — including biologics from European and Asian manufacturers seeking to sell in the U.S. — require the Distribution and Sale permit before any commercial sale. The permit requirement prevents unlicensed or substandard foreign veterinary biologics from entering U.S. commercial distribution; APHIS's Center for Veterinary Biologics enforces both the domestic licensing program and the import permit program.

• 9 CFR Part 156 — Voluntary Inspection and Certification Service: the APHIS regulation providing voluntary official certification of animal products for export — filling the gap between mandatory FSIS inspection (for meat and poultry for U.S. consumption) and private trade where foreign governments or commercial contracts require an official U.S. government certificate of quality, condition, or quantity. Key provisions:

  • § 156.3 — Service purpose: laws, regulations, or contract requirements of foreign countries frequently require that vendors of animal products furnish official certificates concerning the class, quality, quantity, or condition of the products; APHIS provides this certification service on request; the certificate is issued by an APHIS inspector who personally examines the product and certifies that the stated requirements have been met
  • § 156.4 — Application: any eligible person may apply to APHIS on a standard form; the form requires the applicant to identify the specific types of certificates desired; applications are handled through the Administrator's office
  • § 156.5 — Availability: service is available, within the limits of APHIS personnel and facilities, at any plant where the operator applies for the service, if (1) the certificates required are within APHIS's authority to certify; and (2) the product is of animal origin and the certification is for export purposes; APHIS has discretion to deny service when resources are insufficient or when the applicant has not maintained required facilities or records
  • § 156.6 — Certificates: the inspector signs and issues certificates in forms approved by the Administrator when the examined product meets the stated certification requirements; the applicant receives the original and one copy; APHIS retains one copy until authorized disposal; certificates carry the authority of an official USDA document — recognized by foreign import authorities that accept USDA certification
  • § 156.7 — User fees: fees are charged under 9 CFR Part 130 (APHIS user fee schedule) for all service provided, including travel and other expenses incurred; fees may be required in advance; the fee-for-service model keeps the voluntary program self-funded without subsidizing export industry through general appropriations
  • § 156.8 — Refusal and withdrawal: service is refused if the product doesn't meet the certification requirements or the applicant's facilities don't allow proper inspection; service may be withdrawn for such period as the Administrator prescribes when the applicant engages in fraud, misrepresentation, or other conduct warranting sanction

  Part 156 fills an important export facilitation role for the U.S. animal products trade — particularly for processed animal products like rendered products, animal feeds, pet foods, and specialty animal-derived ingredients that are not covered by mandatory FSIS meat/poultry inspection but that foreign governments require to be accompanied by official U.S. government health or quality certificates. Markets in the EU, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East commonly require official export health certificates for animal-derived products that fall outside the scope of standard FSIS export certification. APHIS's voluntary certification creates a pathway to satisfy those foreign requirements through an official U.S. government document.

• 9 CFR Part 98 — Importation of Certain Animal Embryos and Animal Semen: the APHIS regulations governing the import of livestock embryos and semen — the key vectors for introducing exotic genetic material into U.S. herds, but also potential vectors for introducing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), brucellosis, and other foreign animal diseases. The United States is FMD-free, and Part 98's primary purpose is maintaining that status while permitting the international trade in elite genetic material. Key provisions:

  • § 98.1 — General prohibition: no animal embryo or semen may be imported into the United States except in compliance with Part 98; the prohibition is absolute for FMD-affected regions without meeting specific conditions
  • § 98.12 — General prohibitions by disease region: ruminant (cattle, sheep, goat, deer) and swine embryos may not be imported from regions where foot-and-mouth disease exists unless the embryos meet the specific collection, testing, and handling conditions of §§ 98.13–98.19; this effectively creates a two-track system: embryos from FMD-free regions (Western Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) enter under streamlined conditions, while embryos from FMD-affected regions face stricter requirements or practical prohibition
  • § 98.13 — Import permit requirement: all ruminant and swine embryos — regardless of origin — require an APHIS import permit obtained before shipment; permits specify the species, number of embryos, country of origin, region of collection, and intended U.S. destination; APHIS reviews permit applications against the current disease status of the region of origin
  • § 98.14 — Health certificate: embryos must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by a full-time licensed veterinarian of the national government of the origin country certifying that: the donor animals were examined within 30 days before collection; the animals showed no clinical signs of disease; the collection facility and embryo transfer team meet APHIS standards; the embryos were collected, processed, and stored in accordance with Part 98 conditions
  • § 98.15 — Health requirements for FMD regions: for the limited cases where APHIS permits embryo imports from regions where FMD exists, the donor dam must have been in the region for at least 90 days and show no FMD signs; the embryo collection unit must be approved by APHIS and licensed by the national government; embryos must be collected at least 30 days after the dam's FMD vaccination; this framework allows elite genetics to flow from some higher-risk countries under controlled conditions
  • § 98.16 — Embryo collection unit requirements: the collection facility must be an officially approved unit under veterinary supervision; the team veterinarian must be licensed by the national government; facilities must have appropriate quarantine space and record systems; APHIS inspects and approves overseas embryo collection units for the U.S. import program
  • § 98.10a — Sheep and goat embryos from FMD-free regions: a streamlined provision for sheep and goat embryos from regions of negligible FMD risk — lighter requirements reflecting the lower biological FMD risk from ovine and caprine embryos compared to bovine and porcine

  The global trade in bovine embryos and semen is a significant commercial activity — U.S. seedstock producers export and import elite genetics routinely, and Part 98's import framework governs how foreign genetics (particularly Holstein dairy genetics from Canada and the Netherlands, and Angus beef genetics from Australia) enter U.S. herds. Embryo transfers avoid the risk profile of importing live animals (which face the full live-animal quarantine requirements of 9 CFR Part 93) because properly collected and processed embryos are considered essentially free of FMD virus under WOAH standards — the zona pellucida surrounding the embryo provides a physical barrier to most viruses. Semen imports are governed by separate provisions within Part 98 and associated APHIS import guidance; semen from FMD-free regions typically requires a health certificate and accredited veterinarian certification but not a formal APHIS permit for each shipment.

Recent Developments

HPAI (H5N1) is the dominant animal import concern in 2025-2026: Highly pathogenic avian influenza, which devastated U.S. commercial poultry flocks (40+ million birds lost in 2022) and spread to dairy cattle herds in 2024, has significantly shaped import restrictions. APHIS maintains surveillance partnerships with OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) and foreign veterinary services to track outbreak regions. When HPAI is confirmed in commercial poultry in an exporting country, APHIS restricts poultry and poultry product imports from affected regions — with some exceptions for products treated to inactivate the virus. The spread of HPAI to dairy cattle herds in 2024-2025 is raising questions about cattle import protocols from countries where cattle HPAI exposure has not been documented.

African swine fever (ASF) preparedness: ASF remains absent from the U.S. but is present in the Dominican Republic (since 2021), and APHIS has intercepted numerous attempts to bring ASF-contaminated pork products through mail and informal channels. USDA has increased spending on ASF surveillance, developed response plans, and tightened restrictions on pork product imports from ASF-affected countries. A U.S. ASF introduction would trigger massive trade disruptions — the U.S. exports ~$7 billion in pork annually.

Related Pages

• APHIS Veterinary Biologics Program — import permits for veterinary biological products (9 CFR 104) work alongside animal quarantine requirements; foreign-manufactured vaccines require both a biologics import permit and country-of-origin USDA licensure
• APHIS Recognition of Animal Health Regions — APHIS's disease-status determinations for foreign countries that drive which quarantine rules apply
• Animal Health Protection — APHIS statutory authority for animal disease control, eradication, and interstate movement that underpins import restrictions