CBP reminds travelers to beware of invasive pests

Bugs, diseases can hitchhike when traveling with agricultural items

WASHINGTON—As the nation gears up for international summer travel and the upcoming FIFA World Cup, CBP has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to remind travelers to follow U.S. customs laws when shipping or traveling with agricultural items.

“USDA and CBP know that agriculture items shipped in express courier packages can be a dangerous pathway for invasive pests and diseases to enter our country,” said CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane Sabatino. “The good news is the public can help us protect the things they love, like healthy animals and plants, fresh and affordable food, and lush forests. Just use the checklist before you ship or receive using express couriers.”

Agricultural items include not only fruits, vegetables, plants and seeds, but also dried and processed products, wood carvings and handicrafts, live insects, soil, pet foods and treats, and even some snack foods. These items can contain invasive species that can be harmful for U.S. agriculture. To make things easier, the USDA and CBP created a checklist to help ensure agriculture items are safe to bring into the United States. A more extensive list of agriculture items that are usually shipped on USDA’s contact page for people shipping items via express courier.

“You should know what could be hitchhiking in or on those items—invasive plant and animal diseases and pests,” said Dr. Mark Davidson, deputy administrator of USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine. “Once these threats enter our country, they could harm our crops, livestock, and ecosystems. Left unchecked, they could devastate entire agriculture industries, eliminating jobs, threatening our food supply, and costing billions of dollars in losses and response costs.”

Travelers who have agricultural and biological products may also need to provide advanced notification that they will need an agriculture inspection. Categories for declaration include:   

• Biological materials that may require permits issued by the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
• Pets, specifically birds and dogs, accompanying travelers in various capacities that carry the potential of introducing foreign animal diseases to the U.S. or other public health concerns  
• Cleaning and disinfection of shoes, especially if the traveler has visited a farm or has been in contact with animals

More information on required documents, border wait times, and the arrival and inspection process can be found on the Know Before You Go section of the CBP website.