Importing into the U.S.
There may be times when you need to look to international suppliers while sourcing organic ingredients, feed, or products. It’s important to understand the regulatory requirements for all imports of certified organic ingredients and feed to comply with international organic trade requirements.
What steps should I take before importing from abroad to the U.S.?
- Review OTCO’s import policy
- Check that the international product you wish to import has proper organic certification and documentation, meaning it must have USDA National Organic Program (NOP) certification or be covered under an equivalency arrangement
- Review the country of origin’s trade and/or equivalency arrangement with the USDA NOP
- Collect and organize necessary records for each shipment (i.e., a USDA NOP import certificate)
- Review the USDA’s organic imports factsheet