Imports

This page lists resources on trade measures, rules and regulations that affect imports into the United States.

Trade Facilitation Measures

Customs procedures and requirements

Trade. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection has direct responsibility for enhancing U.S. economic competitiveness. By reducing costs for industry and enforcing trade laws against counterfeit, unsafe, and fraudulently entered goods, CBP is working to enable legitimate trade, contribute to American economic prosperity, and protect against risks to public health and safety."

Import prohibitions, restrictions, and licenses

Prohibited and Restricted Items (U.S. CBP)
There are hundreds of regulations from 40 agencies which are administered by the Customs and Border Protection.

Import licensing

The product categories for which an import license is required are noted below along with the U.S. government agency that administers it.

Sanctions, Controls & Special Procedures

Sanctions Programs and Country Information (Dept. of the Treasury)
The United States has sanctions regarding a number of countries, regions and regimes and topics/issues, and individual people (i.e., specially designated nationals). The complete list is provided by the Resource of Center of the Treasury.

Trade Remedies and Safeguard Measures

The U.S. Department of Commerce investigates if there is unfair trade in the form of dumping and subsidizing that result in a surge of imports that could cause a harm to the U.S. industry. The International Trade Commission (ITC) investigates whether injury has occurred and undertakes sunset reviews. As of September 2019 the U.S. had 499 Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duty orders in place against imports from 51 countries.

Import Injury Investigations (U.S. International Trade Commission)
Provides reference materials and tools for researching cases of import injury.
Resolve a Trade Problem (International Trade Administration)
Provides information on government services that help U.S. businesses resolve trade issues and offers reference materials on common trade problems.

Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) Requirements

A number of departments and agencies have responsibility regarding human, animal and plant life and health related to the potential import of pests, diseases, disease carrying organisms, disease causing organisms and the risks from additives, contaminants, toxins, disease causing organisms in food, beverages and feedstuff.

Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS. USDA)
APHIS regulations cover food and agriculture, animal and animal products, organism and vectors, organisms and soil, plant and plant products.
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS. USDA)
FSIS is responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. FSIS also determines the compliance of other nations' food safety system equivalency with the United States.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA is charged with protecting consumers against impure, unsafe, and fraudulently labeled products other than the meat, poultry, and egg products regulated by FSIS. FDA is also responsible for the safety of drugs, medical devices, biologics, food additives, dietary supplements, animal feed and drugs, cosmetics, and radiation emitting devices.
Food Ingredients & Packaging
Food Additives & Petitions
Dietary Supplements
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA writes regulations implementing legislation passed by Congress. A SPS-import-related topic is pesticide residual levels.
U.S. SPS Measures and the WTO External
The U.S. Enquiry Point is responsible for answering relevant questions in the area of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS).
The contact is:
USDA/FAS/OSTA/IRSD, Room 5932
Agriculture South Building,
International Regulations and Standards Division,
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250
Telephone: +(1 202) 720 1301
Telefax: +(1 202) 720 0433
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
WTO Dispute Settlement External
As of June 26, 2017 the United States has been the respondent (i.e. cases have been brought against the U.S.) in eight dispute cases at the World Trade Organization brought under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. The cases have been about fresh lemons (Argentina complained, WTO Dispute Settlement (DS) Case No. 448), animals (Argentina, DS 447), clove cigarettes (Indonesia, DS 406), poultry (China, DS 392), certain country of origin labeling (Mexico, DS 386; Canada DS 384), cattle, swine and grains (Canada, DS 144), poultry (EC, DS 100).

As of June 26, 2017 the United States has been the complainant in eleven cases brought against other nations about SPS measures: regarding agriculture products (India, DS 430), poultry (EC, DS 389), biotech products (EC, DS 291), apples (Japan, DS 245), live swine (Mexico, DS 203), agriculture products (Japan, DS 76), inspection of agriculture products (Korea, D 41), meat and meat products (EC, DS 26), salmonids (Australia, DS 21), shelf life (Korea, DS 5), testing and inspection of agriculture products (Korea, DS 3).
WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures External
In 2019, the United States submitted 69 notifications about SPS measures including addendum, many on pesticide residues. The US Notification Point is the same as its Enquire Point (see above.)

Technical Regulations and Standards

Standards Incorporated by Reference (SIBR)
The national standards body, the WTO Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) Enquiry and Notification authority, is the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). National policy is for government agencies to use "voluntary consensus standard". NIST maintains a database of voluntary consensus standards, along with government unique standards, private industry standards and international standards referred to in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), a statutory part of the Office of Management and Budget, is the U.S. government's central authority for the review of Executive Branch regulations, approval of Government information collections, establishment of Government statistical practices, and coordination of federal privacy policy.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) External
ANSI is a private sector organization that oversees the creation, promulgation and use of thousands of norms and guidelines that directly impact businesses. ANSI also provides technical assistance to developing countries to meet their obligations under the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA's 'technical regulations' include rules regarding vehicle and engine emissions, asbestos, lead and hazardous waste.

U.S. Trade Policy: A Research Guide