Dairy Products 🇺🇸 United States
Most dairy restricted — some exceptions for hard cheeses
Can I bring Dairy Products into United States?
Most dairy restricted — some exceptions for hard cheeses
Personal use quantities
- Phytosanitary Certificate (commercial quantities)
- Export Health Certificate (animal-origin, commercial)
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
USDA APHIS restricts dairy imports. Most liquid milk, soft cheese, and butter are prohibited from most countries due to foot-and-mouth disease concerns. Hard, aged cheeses (e.g., Parmesan, Cheddar) from approved countries may be permitted in personal quantities.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 300–10000 USD
- Civil penalty only
Leaving United States with dairy products
Origin-side, United States imposes no export formality on retail dairy at personal quantities; commercial consignments require veterinary export health certification. The binding constraints are destination-side: the US, Australia, and New Zealand prohibit or tightly restrict most traveller dairy imports, and the EU bans personal meat and dairy imports from outside the bloc entirely. Shelf-stable retail-packaged items (UHT milk, hard cheese in some destinations, infant formula with the infant) fare best — check the arrival rule for the same route.
Hard, commercially packaged cheeses from EU/UK/Australia/NZ are generally accepted. Declare everything on your customs form.
Personal use quantities
- Phytosanitary Certificate (commercial quantities)
- Export Health Certificate (animal-origin, commercial)
9 CFR 94.1
This page covers destination customs rules in United States. Whether you can carry dairy products through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Related rules
Dairy Products rules in other countries
Dairy Products
🇦🇺 Australia
Most dairy prohibited under biosecurity laws
Dairy Products
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Prohibited under MPI biosecurity rules
Dairy Products
🇯🇵 Japan
Animal quarantine inspection required
Dairy Products
🇸🇬 Singapore
No specific restrictions for commercially packaged dairy
Dairy Products
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
No specific restrictions for personal dairy products
Dairy Products
🇨🇦 Canada
No specific restrictions for personal dairy products