Market access procedures

International Conventions

Member of World Trade Organisation
Member of OECD
Party to the Washington convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
Party to the Basel convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer
Wassenaar arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies
Party of the International coffee agreement 2001

Main International economic cooperation

These are the countries that signed a Free Trade Agreement with the USA: Australia, Bahrain, CAFTA-DR (The Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement ), Chile, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), Oman, Peru, Singapore.

More information about the Free Trade Agreement in USA.

Non tariff barriers

Farm products are subject to both the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the USDA (US AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT) rules.
- Dairy products require an import license and quotas do exist. Products should conform to the strict sanitary and labeling rules. A description of ingredients is also required.
- Most fruits, vegetables and hazelnuts are subject to import licenses. The APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) analyses the risks of disease.
- Meat-based products can only be imported via ports with checking sanitary installations authorized by the USDA. The APHIS examines all goods.

Nearly 20% of all imports into the US are food and food products. In 2002, Congress passed the Bioterrorism Act as a part of its ongoing effort to fight terrorism. The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Bioterrorism Act) requires that FDA develops two systems: one to support the registration of facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food products intended for consumption in the United States and one to receive prior notice before food is imported or offered for import into the United States, beginning on December 12, 2003. Prior notice must be submitted electronically at Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Manufactured goods should also conform the American standards, which implies potential additional costs. Electric equipment should be systematically guaranteed by a third part. There are not less than 2,700 municipal or federal authorities able to distribute safety certifications, and they do vary from State to State. As there is no central source of information about the normative aspects, it is imperative to inquire beforehand with the help of an importer.
Whatever the nature of the product is, documentation is important, especially in terms of invoice and certificate of origin. The documentary formalities are notably very heavy for textiles import (above a part of 5 % in the composition of the textile product, all the products should be listed very precisely). The labeling rules can also generate important additional costs.
Finally the USA applies a certain number of embargoes, forbidding the import of products manufactured with components originating from the following countries: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Zimbabwe.

Customs duties and taxes on imports

USA applies a Customs tariff that is among the lowest in the world. It is 3% on average.
The WTO gives a sheet summarizing the Customs tariffs by country.

Customs classification

Depending on the origin of products. .

Import procedures

Import procedure is subjected to a specific process. Click here to see all the requirements to be completed while importing a product in The USA.

Importing samples

Sample goods are classified under chapter 98 of the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule, a chapter designated for specialty import provisions. Most imported samples are classified under HTS number 9811.00.60. Samples classified in this way must not be valued over USD 1 or must be permanently marked, torn, perforated, or otherwise mutilated so that they are not suitable as a saleable item. Sample imports classified under HTS classification 9811.00.60 and meeting the above requirements for marking are free of duty from any country of import.

For further information

US Customs and Border Protection
US department of Commerce
US State Department

We can find you the entry requirements applying to your product (paying service).

Nous pouvons vous proposer de chercher pour vous les droits de douanes qui s'appliquent à votre produit (payant).

We can find you the local taxes that apply to your product for you.

Standards

National standards organizations

American National Standards Institute
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Integration in the international standards network

The ANSI is a member of:
- The International Standard organization (ISO);
- The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC);
- The International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
- The U.S. member of the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC)
- The Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT)
- The Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC)
- Via the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), a member of the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).

Classification of standards

- Five Standards Panel manage by the American National Standards Institute:
- the ANSI Biofuels Standards Panel (ANSI-BSP),
- the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel,
- the ANSI Homeland Security Standards Panel,
- the ANSI Nanotechnology Standards Panel,
- the Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel,
- the classification code is: ANSI + 1 letter showing the technical area + digit number and the year.

Online consultation of standards

The ANSI webstore or the search engine NSSN.

Certification organizations

Directory of ANSI Accredited Certification Programs for Product Certifiers
Directory of Accredited Telecommunication Certification Body Programs
Directory of ANSI Accredited Certification Programs for SQF Standards
Directory of ANSI Accredited Certification Programs for SFI and PEFC Standards

We can obtain for you the standard applying to your product (paying service).

We can obtain for you the labelling requirements applying to your product (paying service).

Intellectual Property

National organizations

United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Regional organizations

UNECA (UN Economic Commission for Africa)

APEC (Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation)

UNECE (UN Economic Commission for Europe )

ECLAC (UN Ecomomic Commission for Latin America & the Carribean)

ESCWA (UN Ecomomic and Social Commission for Western Asia)

International membership

Member of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property
Membership to the TRIPS agreement - Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)