The following wildlife exports must be declared to USFWS and must receive clearance prior to export:
- Commercial exports of wildlife products.
- Shipments of items not intended for commercial use valued at $250 or more.
- Noncommercial shipments of items that require a permit for export (e.g., products made from endangered species or migratory birds) regardless of the dollar value of the shipment.
To declare a wildlife export, shippers must complete and file Form 3–177, Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish or Wildlife, with USFWS. Copies are available from wildlife inspection offices (see 598), from the U.S. Customs Service, or on the Internet at www.fws.gov/le/ImpExp/faqs.htm.
Form 3–177 is not required at the time of export for shipments of dead, preserved, dried, or embedded scientific specimens or parts when:
- The shipment does not require a permit from USFWS.
- The shipment is exported by an accredited scientist or accredited scientific institution for taxonomic or systematic research purposes.
Instead, the scientist or scientific institution (or an agent acting on their behalf) must file Form 3–177 with the assistant regional director for law enforcement in the USFWS administrative region from which the export was mailed within 180 days of export. Contact information is available on the Internet at www.le.fws.gov (click on Contacts).
The export of protected plants is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) is a program within APHIS. Shippers should contact the PPQ division for additional information about export requirements for protected plants. Exporters who engage in the commercial trade of plants listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) must obtain a general permit from PPQ in addition to meeting the permit requirements described in 596. All plant exports are subject to phytosanitary inspection and certification rules administered by PPQ. Information about plant export requirements can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/index.shtml.
