Shipping Hazardous Materials / Dangerous Goods
Shipments of hazardous materials and dangerous goods are regulated by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Individuals who package, label, transport, or prepare shipper's declarations must complete transportation/shipping training every 2 years and follow all DOT/IATA regulations.
Import Permits
1.Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Items Requiring CDC Import Permits:
- Any infectious (etiologic) agent known or suspected to cause disease in humans.
- Unsterilized specimens of human and animal tissues (such as blood, body discharges, fluids, excretions or similar material) containing an infectious or etiologic agent.
- Hosts and Vectors:
- Animals. Any animal known or suspected of being infected with an organism capable of causing disease in humans may require an import permit. Importation of live turtles of less than 4 inches in shell length and live nonhuman primates is regulated by the CDC, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (phone number: 404-498-1600 and website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/).
- Bats. All live bats require an import permit from the CDC and the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Services. The application for a CDC import permit for live exotic bats is on their website (http://www.cdc.gov/od/eaipp/).
- Arthropods. Any living insect or other arthropod that is known or suspected of containing an etiologic agent (human pathogen).
- Snails. Snail species capable of transmitting a human pathogen.
- To Obtain a CDC Import Permit (www.cdc.gov/od/eaipp):
- Importation permits are issued only to the importer, who must be located in the United States.
- Phone: (404) 718-2077; Fax: (404) 718-2093
- Email: dyy9@cdc.gov
- Website: www.cdc.gov/od/eaipp
2. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services (USDA/APHIS/VS)
USDA/APHIS/VS regulate the importation of animals and animal-derived materials to ensure that exotic animal and poultry diseases are not introduced into the United States.
A. Animal Products Requiring a USDA Import Permit
Generally, a USDA veterinary permit may be needed for materials derived from animals or exposed to animal-source materials. Materials which require a permit include, animal tissues, blood, cells or cell lines of livestock or poultry origin, antibodies for IN VIVO use in non-human species, and bulk shipments of test kit reagents. Veterinary biological products (vaccines, bacterins, antisera, diagnostic kits, and other products of biological origin) produced in other countries may be imported into the United States for research and evaluation if a permit is obtained.
B. Animal Products NOT Requiring a USDA Import Permit
Animal products that do not need a USDA import permit, but will be reviewed at the port of entry by USDA inspectors, include the numbered guidelines listed below.
Click on the links below and follow the instructions provided for writing a letter to be attached to the outside of the package for review by a USDA inspector at the port of entry:
1100 Human Pharmaceuticals and Human Vaccines Containing Animal Components
1101 Human and Non-Human Primate Material (excluding cell cultures)
1102 Feline and Canine Material
1103 Live Laboratory Mammals and Their Material (for research purposes)
1104 Amphibians, Fish, Reptiles, Shellfish and Aquatic Species(includes venom)
1105 Chemically Synthesized Materials
1110 Microbially Produced Materials
1114 Recombinant Microbes and Their Products
1116 Non-pathogenic Microorganisms
1120 Cell Cultures/Lines, Recombinant Cell Cultures/Lines, and Their Products
(for in vitro use)
1121 Test Kits
1122 Animal Feeds, Feed Supplements, and Pre-Mixes
C. To Obtain a USDA Import Permit for Animal Products:
- apply on-line for a VS import permit
- or obtain a permit application by writing the Import/Export Animal Products Program:
USDA, APHIS, VS, NCIE
Products Program
4700 River Road, Unit 40
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231 - For further information contact Animal Products Program at (301) 734-3277
D. To Obtain a USDA Import Permit for Veterinary Biologics:
- apply on-line for a VS import permit
- or submit applications for a Permit for Research and Evaluation, as well as a Permit for Transit Shipment, to: Center for Veterinary Biologics
4700 River Rd., Unit 148,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231
3. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service
- Fish and Wildlife Service permits are required for marine mammals, certain fish, and certain live animals, including bats. Call 1-800-344-WILD for further information
- Contact information:
- Website: http://www.fws.gov/permits/ImportExport/ImportExport.html
- Permit Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service (301) 713-2355 or 713-2289 and/or
- Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Management Authority (703) 358-2104.
4. Select Agents
Individuals wishing to import select agents and toxins must be registered with CDC's Select Agent Program (http://www.cdc.gov/od/sap) in accordance with 42 CFR Part 73 (Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins; Interim Final Rule). Also, In accordance with 42 CFR Part 73.16(a), an APHIS/CDC Form 2 must be completed and submitted to the CDC Select Agent Program and granted approval prior to the shipment of the select agents or toxins under the import permit. Please contact the EHS Office (617-432-1720) for more information on select agent registration and transport requirements.
5. FDA Import Permits
All food (except most meat and poultry), drugs, biologics, cosmetics, and medical devices require a permit or registration before importation into the US. See http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/ for more information.
Export License
The Department of Commerce requires that exporters of a wide variety of etiologic agents of human, plant, and animal diseases, including genetic material, and products which might be used for culture of large amounts of agents, acquire an export license. Information may be obtained at the Department of Commerce Bureau of Export Administration at 202-482-4811 or http://www.bis.doc.gov/Licensing/
- FAS researchers: please contact Ellen Berkman, ellen_berkman@harvard.edu, Harvard University Attorney, to obtain an export license.
- HSPH researchers: please contact Eileen Nielsen, enielsen@hsph.harvard.edu, to obtain an export license.
- HMS researchers: please contact Jeff Seo, jeff_seo@hms.harvard.edu, Office of Research Compliance, to obtain an export license.
