Regulations & Requirements

In addition to helping U.S. exporters navigate an array of regulations governing trade in food and agricultural products, FAS works to ensure that those regulations are predictable, transparent, and science-based.

Other Countries' Regulations and Standards

FAS's international offices publish Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) reports and exporter guides for the countries they cover. Copies of these reports can be found on the individual country pages of the FAS website as well as by searching the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) database.

In addition, the governments of World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries notify the WTO about changes in their domestic regulations that could impact international trade in food and agricultural products. Under WTO rules, other WTO member countries have the opportunity to evaluate these regulatory changes to determine whether they might pose sanitary/phytosanitary (SPS) concerns or technical barriers to trade (TBT). FAS maintains an online system to inform the U.S. agricultural industry regarding changes in international food and agriculture regulations that could affect U.S. exports.

U.S. Regulations and Requirements for Agricultural Exports

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

AMS’s Federal Grain Inspection Service regulates the export of grains, oilseeds, and related commodities.

AMS provides export verification for  livestock, poultry, egg, and dairy products, as well as for specialty crop products.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

For exported animal products, APHIS Veterinary Services provides certification about the animal health status of the U.S. region from which the product originates.

APHIS provides phytosanitary certification for plants and plant products exported from the United States, attesting that the products are free from pests and diseases.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

FSIS verifies the safety of exported and imported meat, poultry, and egg products for human consumption.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDA provides export certificates for animal feed and animal drugs.

Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) Database

FAS provides access to a database that lists maximum acceptable levels of pesticides and veterinary drugs in food and agricultural products in the United States, as well as 70 other countries, the European Union, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Resources

Track Regulatory Changes by WTO Members

Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) Database

Data and Analysis

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Attaché Report (GAIN)

Sweden: Systembolaget Recognizes California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Certified Wines

Systembolaget, Sweden’s government alcohol monopoly, now officially recognizes wines certified by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), allowing CSWA-certified wines to qualify for Systembolaget’s “Most Sustainable Beverages” label.
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Ukraine: Exporter Guide Annual

Despite the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine's retail, food processing, and food service sectors are functioning. The retail industry is working to maintain an assortment of imported products.
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Hong Kong: FAIRS Country Report Annual

This report provides guidelines on Hong Kong’s food import regulations.

News and Features

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Feature

Ginning up a Market for U.S. Cotton in Bangladesh

For almost 50 years, Bangladesh required U.S. cotton be fumigated because of concerns about the boll weevil. Collaboration between USDA agencies and the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture resulted in amended import requirements, exempting the United States from the list of countries required to fumigate cotton upon arrival.
Feature

Helping Reduce Methane Emissions by Solving a Sticky Problem for U.S. Produce Exporters

With research and development funds provided by the FAS Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, FAS and ARS are working to produce compostable PLU labels. They are collaborating with the International Fresh Produce Association and Sinclair Systems International to meet the EU standards. The goal is to develop adhesives that are both food-safe and compostable. When achieved, this will allow American companies to export fruits and vegetables as usual while helping to decrease food waste and methane emissions.
News Release

USTR and USDA Release Report on Agricultural Trade between the United States and China

USTR and USDA issued a report highlighting progress to date in implementing the agricultural provisions in the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement.