Updated Guideline on “Product of USA” Claims
The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued an updated Guideline for Label Approval to clarify information about voluntary “Product of USA,” “Made in the USA,” or alternative claims for meat, poultry, and egg products.
To prevent the introduction of adulterated or misbranded products into commerce, FSIS implements a prior label approval system for labels intended to be used on federally-inspected meat, poultry, and egg products, including imported products. Such products may not be sold, offered for sale, or otherwise distributed in commerce without approved labels.
The FSIS guideline provides information about the types of labels that must be submitted to FSIS for approval, including specific examples of special statements and claims. This updated version incorporates a number of changes, including (1) added clarification regarding geographic claims, (2) added information and examples of “Product of USA,” “Made in the USA,” and other voluntary U.S.-origin claims, (3) added information and examples of factual claims other than “Product of USA” and “Made in the USA,” (4) added example of required documentation to support U.S.-origin claims, and (5) clarification about the impact of the final rule “Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims” on different types of state endorsement program logos.
Duty-Free Sugar Imports
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has determined that certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products from Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Panama, and Peru may not enter the U.S. duty-free or at preferential tariff rates in 2026. Under the free trade agreements the U.S. has in place with these countries, USTR is allowed to take this action because they did not have trade surpluses in these products in 2024.
However, USTR has determined that the following countries did have trade surpluses in sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products in 2024. As a result, the following aggregate quantities of such goods may be entered duty-free in 2026.
- Colombia: 60,500 metric tons
- Costa Rica: 15,400 metric tons
- El Salvador: 40,120 metric tons
- Guatemala: 55,460 metric tons
- Honduras: 11,200 metric tons
- Nicaragua: 30,800 metric tons
Poultry
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has imposed restrictions on imports of avian commodities from Hyogo prefecture in Japan (effective Dec. 1) and zones PCZ-313 in Alberta (effective Nov. 24) and PCZ-314 in Quebec (effective Dec. 12), Canada, due to concerns about highly-pathogenic avian influenza. These restrictions include the following.
- Importation of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, avian hatching eggs, unprocessed avian products and byproducts, and certain fresh poultry products is prohibited.
- Importation as cargo of processed avian products and byproducts must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the goods were treated in accordance with APHIS requirements.
- Importation as cargo of fresh, unprocessed shell/table eggs and egg products, void of the shell (e.g., liquid eggs and dried egg whites) is prohibited unless they are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required in such cases.
APHIS has also removed restrictions on imports of poultry and related products originating from Niigata prefecture in Japan (effective Dec. 17) and zones PCZ-293 in Alberta, PCZ-298 in Alberta, and PCZ-299 in Quebec, Canada (all effective Dec. 18), that had been imposed due to concerns about HPAI.
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