Meat, Seafood & Dairy

Importing meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products into the United States involves some of the most rigorous regulatory requirements in international trade. These commodities fall under the jurisdiction of multiple agencies simultaneously—USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FDA, APHIS, and NOAA Fisheries—each with their own documentation, inspection, and certification requirements.

USDA/FSIS Meat & Poultry

All commercially imported meat and poultry must originate from FSIS-approved foreign establishments and be accompanied by a foreign health certificate. We coordinate directly with FSIS inspection at the port of entry, ensuring your product is presented for reinspection with all required documentation—including the FSIS Form 9540-1 import inspection application—before the container is even unloaded.

Seafood & NOAA Compliance

Seafood imports require compliance with FDA's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulations, the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) for certain species, and potential NOAA catch documentation requirements. We handle the full spectrum—from shrimp AD/CVD cases to catfish FSIS transfers to SIMP recordkeeping.

Dairy Products

Dairy imports are managed through a complex tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system administered by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Proper licensing, certificates, and quota allocation are critical to avoid out-of-quota duty rates that can exceed 20%. We ensure your cheese, butter, and milk protein entries correctly claim applicable TRQ benefits.

"Over 60% of our business involves FDA or USDA-regulated commodities. We were founded on complicated food imports and it remains our core expertise."

• FSIS reinspection coordination and Form 9540-1 filing
• FDA Prior Notice and FSVP compliance for seafood and dairy
• SIMP recordkeeping for monitored species (shrimp, tuna, abalone, etc.)
• Tariff-rate quota (TRQ) management for dairy products
• Anti-Dumping/CVD case management for shrimp and crawfish
• Cold chain logistics coordination to minimize detention time