Commodity Import and Export Manuals

APHIS works with Federal and State partners and authorized cooperators to carry out its mission of safeguarding U.S. agriculture and facilitating safe trade. The following manuals are for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) employees, and others authorized by PPQ to carry out official commodity import and export operations.

Visit the domestic program manuals page to see manuals related to domestic plant health programs and emergency response operations.

Use the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) search tool to look up import requirements for many agricultural commodities, including:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Processed fruits and vegetables
• Cut flowers and greenery
• Seeds not for planting
• Plants and seeds for planting

For commodities not listed, please see the manuals below.

Use the "Facilities" search engine to find approved facilities by country and commodity/activity.

Go to the “Help” tab to view short videos on how to use ACIR. For more help, email the ACIR Help Desk.

Go to the “Feedback” tab to send suggestions to the ACIR team.

Commodity Import Manuals

Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Monitoring (AQIM)

Provides instructions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and PPQ employees on implementing AQIM at designated work locations, training employees on risk analysis and risk management basics, and using AQIM data to make better risk-based decisions.

• AQIM Handbook (February 2024)
• AQIM Worksheets
  • Air Cargo
  • Air Passenger Baggage
  • Mail Facility
  • Maritime Cargo
  • Northern Border Cargo - Perishables
  • Northern Border Vehicle
  • Preclearance Air Passenger
  • Predeparture Air Passenger - AQI Monitoring Data (Hawaii and Puerto Rico)
  • Southern Border Cargo
  • Southern Border Vehicle

  Bulb Inspection Manual

  Provides instructions to officers who will inspect bulbs for shipment to North America.

  • Bulb Identification Manual (December 2011)

  CITES I-II-III Timber Species Manual

  Provides U.S. Customs and Border Protection and PPQ personnel with procedures for enforcing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) for Appendix I, Appendix II, and Appendix III timber species.

  • CITES I-II-III Timber Species Manual (July 2024)
  • Request for Services to Transport, Store, and/or Dispose of Seized or Forfeited Shipments (Fillable PDF Worksheet)

  Federally Recognized State Managed Phytosanitary Program Manual

  Guides State Plant Regulatory Officials through the process of petitioning to establish and maintain a federally recognized State managed phytosanitary program.

  • Federally Recognized State Managed Phytosanitary (FRSMP) Program Manual (March 2024)
  • Petition Worksheet

  Plants for Planting Manual

  The Plants for Planting Manual is moving to the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) Database on October 1 st, 2024 and the PDF manual will no longer be available. The Plants for Planting Manual is available in ACIR. See stakeholder announcement for additional information.

  Details procedures U.S. Customs and Border Protection and PPQ officials should use to regulate imported plants and plant parts used for propagation.

  • Plants for Planting Manual (10.89 MB) (September 2024)
  • Use ACIR's "Facilities" search engine to find approved facilities by country and commodity/activity.

  Treatment Manual

  The Treatment Manual is moving to the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) Database on October 1 st, 2024 and the PDF manual will no longer be available. The Treatment Manual is available in ACIR. See stakeholder announcement for additional information.

  Guides PPQ employees in selecting and conducting chemical and nonchemical treatments to prevent the movement of agricultural pests into or within the United States. Note: The procedures and treatment schedules in this manual are authorized for use only by APHIS.

  • Treatment Manual (3.7 MB) (August 2024)
    • In-Transit Cold Treatment Approved Containers and Vessels Database
    • Supplemental Information: Methyl Bromide 2016 Label Comparison Table (166.34 KB) (April 2023)