Importing cattle and beef: a practical checklist

Frozen cattle and beef cross borders every day, but only when the importing country's animal-health rules are met before the shipment leaves. The rules exist to keep diseases out, and they differ by country, by species, and sometimes by the exporting country's disease status that month.

Important: this page is general guidance, not legal or veterinary advice. Import rules change, sometimes overnight after a disease outbreak. Always confirm the current requirements with the importing country's official authority and, for anything but the simplest shipment, use an experienced import agent or customs broker. WagyuSale does not give legal advice.

The checklist

1. Check that importing is allowed at all

Many countries only accept bovine cattle and beef from approved countries, and some only accept certain products (for example, in vivo embryos but not IVF embryos) from certain countries. Start with the importing country's official authority (table below) and confirm:

• the species and product (semen, in vivo embryos, IVF embryos) is permitted,
• from this exporting country,
• and under which published import conditions or health certificate.

2. Get the import permit (if required)

Many importing countries require an import permit issued before export. Some, such as New Zealand for bovine germplasm that meets its import health standard, do not require a separate permit. The permit or the published conditions tell you exactly what the export health certificate must say.

3. Make sure the genetics were collected the right way

This is the step that most often kills a deal. Import conditions usually require that semen or embryos were:

• collected and processed at an approved collection centre or by an approved embryo collection team in the exporting country,
• from donors that passed specified health tests at specified times,
• and stored in approved storage.

Genetics collected on-farm without that oversight often cannot be exported, however good the animal. Ask the seller early, and ask for the facility's approval number.

4. The export health certificate

The exporting country's official veterinary authority issues (or endorses) an international veterinary health certificate that matches the importing country's requirements word for word. Your seller's collection centre usually starts this process. Certificates are often valid only for a short period, so timing matters.

5. Shipping

Frozen genetics travel in a dry shipper — a container that holds liquid nitrogen absorbed into its lining so it can fly safely. Agree who books and pays for the shipper, the courier, and the return of the shipper. Seals and documentation must match the certificate.

6. Arrival, customs and inspection

Pre-notify the authorities if required, declare the shipment, and have the original documents ready. A broker can handle customs entries and duties. Some countries inspect or hold shipments until documents are verified.

7. Registration at home

Contact your breed association before importing to learn what it needs to register calves from imported genetics (registration of the sire/donor, DNA profiles, and genetic condition results are common requirements).

Official authorities

A few points worth knowing, taken from the authorities' own pages:

• Australia publishes its import conditions in BICON and requires an import permit for each commodity from each exporting country; IVF cattle embryos are accepted only from a limited list of countries.
• New Zealand publishes an Import Health Standard for bovine germplasm; a permit is not needed if the standard is met.
• The European Union sets one set of rules for all member states under the Animal Health Law, and lists approved collection centres and teams in the TRACES system.
• South Africa requires both an animal-improvement permit and a veterinary import permit, applied for before import.

Key takeaways

• Check the importing country's rules first — before you pay for the genetics.
• Exportable genetics are collected at approved centres with health testing. On-farm collections usually cannot be exported.
• The export health certificate must match the importing country's requirements exactly.
• Use an import agent or broker, and confirm everything with the official authority. Rules change.