Import guide · North America
United States poultry import guide: trade evidence, permits and border steps
The United States reported USD 369 million of poultry-meat imports in 2024 (HS 0207, 87,289 t): 60.1% from Chile and 39.8% from Canada. Only countries on the FSIS eligible-establishment register can ship poultry products; in October 2026 raw chicken is listed for Canada, Chile and Poland, while China, Israel and Korea are listed for processed poultry only. Shell eggs for table use need AMS Form LP-222 with a foreign inspection certificate, and producers must meet FDA's Egg Rule (21 CFR Part 118).
Checked . Trade figures are 2025 and 2024 UN Comtrade data published by World Bank WITS, by product code; 2025 reporting is still incomplete. They are historical evidence only — not proof that any origin or plant is eligible today, has stock, or will quote.
Trade evidence by product lane, 2025 and 2024
| Product lane | HS code | 2025 imports | 2024 imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry meatChile 60.1%, Canada 39.8%, Mexico 0.1% of value. | 0207 | USD 354.5 million88,680 t | USD 369.2 million87,289 t |
| Eggs in shellTable and hatching eggs combined; quantity not reported in kg. Canada 47.4%, United Kingdom 18.0%, China 8.1%. Egg products (HS 0408) separately: USD 21.3 million, 6,044 t (Canada 39.0%, Thailand 16.8%). | 0407 | USD 221.5 million | USD 91.50 million |
- FSIS product categories are not an HS concordance and do not establish shell-egg eligibility.
- Mexico appears on the FSIS register, but only for processed poultry from birds slaughtered in the US or another eligible country.
Official import authority, permit and certificate sources
Eligibility is specific to the commodity, origin country and region, establishment and current disease status, and it changes. Check the current official list for the exact consignment. How rules differ for live birds, hatching eggs, eggs, meat and machinery.
- USDA FSIS — Eligible foreign establishments (countries, products, plants) Country and establishment eligibility for poultry and egg products
- USDA APHIS — Animal product imports (VS Permitting Assistant) Animal-health conditions and VS permits
- USDA AMS — Import requirements: table eggs Shell eggs for table use (LP-222, FDA Egg Rule)
Disease control, biosecurity and hatchery projects
For buyers building or equipping a farm or hatchery in United States. Each note is limited to what the linked official page says (United States); checked . It is not legal advice, a disease-status check or a statement that any design or supplier will be approved.
Not verified for this guide
- No farm-level disease-reporting or biosecurity page was read for this guide; state and federal rules apply.
Confirm locally before design or order
- State animal-health authority requirements for the farm or hatchery.
- Any current HPAI control area at the site.
Ask farm and hatchery suppliers
- Show the one-way flow on the layout: egg receiving, storage, setting, hatching, chick handling and dispatch, with separate clean and dirty routes for people, eggs, chicks, waste and vehicles.
- Which cleaning, disinfection and hatching-egg disinfection steps the design supports, and which consumables and procedures stay with the buyer.
- Which drawings, data sheets and declarations the supplier will provide for the local permit or approval file — and which the buyer's engineer must prepare.
- How mortality, hatchery waste and wash water leave the site, and who supplies that equipment.
- Which performance figures (hatchability, chick quality, production) are design assumptions: they depend on flock health, egg quality and management, so treat them as supplier statements, not guarantees.
International baseline: WOAH Terrestrial Code, chapter 6.5 — biosecurity procedures in poultry production. Answers are supplier statements until documents are checked.
Border entry steps
- Confirm the origin country and the exact establishment are on the FSIS register for that product (raw or processed, species).
- Check origin, commodity and disease-status conditions with the APHIS VS Permitting Assistant and apply for a VS permit where one is required.
- For table eggs, file AMS Form LP-222 with the foreign inspection certificate and label information.
Buyer checklist and product specification
- Name the exact product: species, cut or form, chilled or frozen, packing, labelling language and shelf life required on arrival.
- State the volume per shipment and per year, delivery window and Incoterm, and the total programme or lot value (USD 250,000 or more).
- Confirm who is the licensed importer of record and who holds the import permit or registration.
- Ask every offering plant to show it is on the destination's current establishment list for that product — before price is discussed.
- State raw or processed: several FSIS-listed countries are eligible for processed poultry only.
Cold-chain and live-animal handling
- Frozen product is commonly shipped at −18 °C or colder; shell eggs need refrigerated storage and transport under FDA's Egg Rule.
Sourcing poultry or eggs for United States through HatchMatch
If you import poultry meat or eggs into United States, one confidential brief lets our team approach several suppliers for you and screen each offer against the rules published by USDA FSIS, USDA APHIS and USDA AMS before any introduction, so offers are compared on the same specification and documents. The service is free for buyers and starts at USD 250,000 in total annual, seasonal or single-lot value. There is no direct buyer–supplier contact, and HatchMatch does not guarantee supply, price, certification or clearance.
RFQ specification template
| Field | What to state |
|---|---|
| Product and form | Species, cut or egg type (table eggs, liquid, frozen or dried egg product), chilled or frozen |
| Specification | Size or weight range, grade, trim or functional specification, shelf life required on arrival |
| Packing and labelling | Inner and outer packing, carton weight, label language and retail or food-service format |
| Volume and frequency | Quantity per shipment, shipments per year and programme length |
| Delivery | Destination port, delivery window and Incoterm with named place |
| Origins | Acceptable origins and a fallback origin in case of a disease suspension |
| Documents | Destination certificate model, plant listing proof and the food-safety documents your business requires |
| Value | Total annual, seasonal or single-lot value — product briefs start at USD 250,000 |
Quality and traceability documents to request
- The official certificate for this product and origin that USDA FSIS, USDA APHIS and USDA AMS accepts — ask for a specimen before price is agreed.
- Proof that the producing plant is on United States's current list for the exact product, read on the day you order.
- Copies of the food-safety certificates the supplier states it holds, with scope, site and expiry — a logo is not proof.
- Lot coding that links each carton to the plant and production or packing date, and how the supplier would trace and recall a lot.
- Temperature records for storage and transport, and who keeps the data-logger files.
These are buyer checks, not a list of legal requirements; the authorities linked above set what is mandatory.
Buyer questions
- How much poultry meat does United States import, and from where?
- United States reported USD 369.2 million (87,289 t) of poultry-meat imports in 2024 (HS 0207, UN Comtrade). Chile 60.1%, Canada 39.8%, Mexico 0.1% of value. A recorded flow is not proof that an origin or plant is eligible today.
- What does United States check before poultry or eggs can enter?
- Confirm the origin country and the exact establishment are on the FSIS register for that product (raw or processed, species). Check origin, commodity and disease-status conditions with the APHIS VS Permitting Assistant and apply for a VS permit where one is required. Requirements change with disease events, so confirm them for the exact product, origin and plant.
- Can HatchMatch source poultry or eggs for a buyer in United States?
- Yes, as a buyer-side intermediary. You send one brief; a person reviews it, then our team approaches suitable suppliers on your behalf and compares their offers against your specification and United States's import rules. It is free for buyers, starts at USD 250,000 per programme or lot, and keeps your identity confidential. HatchMatch is not the producer, exporter, importer or certifier.
Send an RFQ
HatchMatch coordinates sourcing and RFQs for commercial buyers. It does not own farms, hatcheries, slaughterhouses or stock, and cannot guarantee supply, customs clearance, delivery, certification or price. Requests start at USD 250,000; buyers pay nothing. Every brief is reviewed by a person before any supplier is approached, and your identity stays private — we aim to reply within two business days.
Chicks, hatching eggs and breeder stock are scoped inside a hatchery or breeder project brief. Sourcing other agri-food commodities? Global B2B Group commodity sourcing.