Pet food & feed export rules: United States

Rules to check before you export pet food & feed to the United States (4), each with its official source.

Official sources checked between 2026-10-09 and 2026-10-15

Duty and FTAs: Even at the KORUS FTA 0% rate (with proof of origin), a Section 301 duty since 24 Jul 2026 makes most Korean goods 12.5% in total (higher rates stay; some exemptions). hts.usitc.gov, checked 2026-10-14

This is not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm with the official source and a local authority, your importer or an expert before you sell.

• Main rule for pet food & feed: FDA rules for animal food (facility registration, FSMA preventive controls); AAFCO model labels and state feed registration. fda.gov, checked 2026-10-09, ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-09
• US import permit for pet food with animal ingredients (USDA APHIS): Pet food and treats with chicken, duck, beef, dairy or other animal ingredients from Korea generally need a USDA APHIS veterinary import permit (VS 16-3), because APHIS lists Korea as affected by bird flu and not free of foot-and-mouth or Newcastle disease. The US importer applies; you supply the ingredients, the heat-treatment data and any Korean government certificate the permit asks for. For poultry the US benchmarks are a sealed shelf-stable retort product or a government certificate of cooking to 74 °C at the core, so check a raw freeze-dried treat before quoting; dog and cat food made from uncooked poultry or beef must also cover H5N1 in the food safety plan. Done with your importer · fda.gov, checked 2026-10-15
• US food facility registration renewal: Every factory that makes, packs or stores food for the US must be registered with FDA and renew the registration in each even-numbered year (2026, 2028 …) between 1 October and 31 December, with your DUNS number as the facility identifier and your US agent. A registration that is not renewed expires, and food from a foreign facility without a valid registration is held at the US port. Your company does it · ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-14
• US Prior Notice for samples too: US Prior Notice covers food samples a business sends, including quality-control samples, not only orders (21 CFR 1.277). For courier samples by air the notice must be confirmed at least 4 hours before arrival; for international mail, file it before posting and write the PN confirmation number on the CN22 or CN23 form. Anyone who knows the shipment details may file it, so you can file for your own samples on FDA’s Prior Notice System Interface; without it the samples are refused and held at the port. Your company does it · ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-15
• Applies to every product here: No US de minimis for direct parcels
• Applies to every product here: US country of origin marking (19 CFR 134)
• Open the checklist
• Work out the export price
• Same product, other countries: Japan
• Same country, other products: Cosmetics
• Same country, other products: Instant noodles & pasta
• Same country, other products: Sauces & seasonings
• Same country, other products: Food supplements & preparations
• Same country, other products: Spirits (incl. soju)
• Same country, other products: Toys
• Same country, other products: Furniture
• Same country, other products: Medical devices
• Sources: fda.gov, checked 2026-10-09
• Sources: ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-09
• Sources: fda.gov, checked 2026-10-15
• Sources: ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-14
• Sources: ecfr.gov, checked 2026-10-15
• Sources: hts.usitc.gov, checked 2026-10-14
• Sources: federalregister.gov, checked 2026-10-14

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