Date of Notice: April 11, 2025

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing two updates regarding aquatic animal export testing and premises freedom certification.

1. Test-and-ship timeframe. All pre-export testing of the population intended for export within a specified timeframe prior to shipping, commonly referred to as “test-and-ship,” must either meet the importing country’s timeframe/requirements, or follow the APHIS Criteria for Test Negative Status from Specific Pathogens in Aquatic Animal Cohorts. All pre-export test results are valid from the date of sampling to the date of export, which is in alignment with both trading partner expectations, as well as other live animal export policies (unless the importing country specifies otherwise). This change will go into effect 60 days from the date of notice (i.e., June 10, 2025).

2. Premises freedom evaluations. Effective immediately and until further notice, APHIS cannot provide facility-specific, case-by-case reviews of sampling plans due to significant resource limitations. Moving forward, all aquatic animal exporters seeking premises-level freedom must complete and follow the instructions outlined in the Premises Freedom Evaluation Package, which must be submitted annually by the accredited veterinarian.

For questions or more information, please contact your local APHIS endorsement office using the “Need Help? Export Trade Servies (by State)” section near the bottom of our Live Animal Export Resources page.