Seed import compliance in United States
Authorities reviewed 2026-10-19
Short answer
Plant-health import rules for seed are administered by USDA APHIS; seed labelling and truth-in-labelling by USDA AMS under the Federal Seed Act.
Federal and state requirements both apply; confirm current rules for each shipment.
Responsible authorities and official sources
- USDA APHIS – Plant Protection and Quarantine
Plant and seed import requirements, permits and phytosanitary certificates.
- USDA AMS – Federal Seed Act
Seed labelling and testing rules for seed in interstate and import commerce.
Documents to prepare
- Check APHIS import requirements for the crop and origin; some seed needs a permit.
- Phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country where required.
- Labelling and test data consistent with the Federal Seed Act.
- State seed laws can add requirements for the destination state.
This is orientation, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm the current requirement with the authority for each crop, origin and shipment.
Next steps
- Start a seed sourcing request (qualified requests from USD 250,000)
- Seed price calculator (historical import unit values by HS code, not supplier prices)
- Seed import market map (UN Comtrade HS 1209 and HS 120991 imports by country, 2024)
- Seed, greenhouse and crop output journeys