Transfer of biological and chemical material into or out of the USA may trigger the need for permits or licenses. A permit or license can be issued by U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS).
Any individual planning to transfer materials should work with the University to check the regulations
and, if necessary, apply for the appropriate license.
Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
- contract that governs the transfer of tangible research materials between two organizations, when the recipient intends to use it for research purposes. MTA MUST be in place before research materials are transferred from one lab to another.
Customs Brokers/Freight forwarders
- Import of material into another country may require a customs broker. The University’s approved Customs Brokers/Freight forwarders Priority World Wide or Geodis may be able assist:
*Priority World Wide does not handle shipments containing animal specimen or involved in animal testing.
Permits:
- permits are required to import biological agents or vectors of human disease, bats, bat specimens, and other non-human specimen
- Import Permit Program Tool
- permits are required for import of materials of animal origin, or materials that may contain pathogens causing disease in livestock or poultry, including STATE-to-STATE transport
- Veterinary Services Permitting Assistant
- permits may be required to transport live animals, including bats and material from endangered species (VERO cells)
See restrictions in place when shipping to China, Hong Kong, Russia, or Venezuela
Contact Export Controls in Research within the Office of Research Services for additional information on export control matters.
Use the following TEMPLATE LETTERS for the import or export of non-regulated material: