Import Alert: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Restrictions for Animal Commodities Originating from or Transiting Germany 

Import Alert: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Restrictions for Animal Commodities Originating from or Transiting Germany 

Issuance Date: March 6, 2026 

                        1:40 pm, U.S. Eastern 

Effective Date: March 6, 2026 

As of the effective date listed above, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is lifting restrictions on the importation of certain animal commodities originating from or transiting Germany that APHIS had imposed effective November 3, 2024, due to the detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in water buffalo in Germany. APHIS has evaluated the FMD status of Germany and determined that Germany has eradicated the FMD outbreak and is free of FMD. 

More information 

More information is available on the APHIS website:  

• Specific information about live animal import requirements for all species regulated by APHIS Veterinary Services can be found on the Bringing Live Animals and Germplasm into the United States From Another Country (Import) website. 

• Specific information about animal product import requirements for commodities regulated by APHIS Veterinary Services can be found on the Animal Product Imports website. 

• A list of regions APHIS recognizes as free of foot-and-mouth disease can be found on the Animal Health Status of Regions website. 

• For additional information about live animal imports regulated by other agencies, please check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and/or USDA APHIS Animal Care to ensure import requirements of those agencies are met, when applicable.