Chicken exporters and importers and meat exporters and importers need to have the education and training to work in a global field. Not only do they need meat and poultry importers and exporters education and training to understand the industry, they also need education and training in upholding the laws and regulations that oversee the industry.

Once you get your initial training in the industry, you'll need to determine how to best stay up to date on the latest information affecting it. Some of your education opportunities include the following options:

1. Find associations and other organizations that provide the latest information for meat and poultry importers and exporters.

2. Understand the laws and regulations that oversee US meat export and import.

3. Obtain education for importing and exporting to understand the logistics of the field.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Utilize events and educational information provided for meat importers and exporters

In some cases, events and information will target beef export. At other times, they may incorporate the poultry industry as well. Depending on the type of business you work in, you may need both fields.

I recommend: The Meat Importers Council of America (Micausa) hosts an annual conference in conjunction with the Worldwide Food Expo. Members get access to both events and can also find out the latest information for meat and poultry importers and exporters. The US Meat Export Foundation offers an International Meat Manual in downloadable chapters.

Learn the laws and regulations for export meat packers and poultry importers

Beef export and import, as well as poultry export and import, require compliance with laws and regulations, which change on frequent basis. Just because you learned the laws in school doesn't mean you'll still be in compliance if you fail to continue your education and training.

I recommend: Find out import and export information like the regulations and policies for US vendors at the website for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) oversees the import and export of animal products. It maintains a list of export and import regulations and updates the list based on disease outbreaks in other regions of the world.

Take classes as a foundation for meat and poultry importers and exporters education and training

Importing and exporting involves rules and regulations not only from the US but from the countries you plan to work with. Basic classes on importing and exporting help you learn the foundation for your business before you start specializing in the areas specific to animal products.

I recommend: The International Import-Export Institute provides a basic introduction to importing and covers topics like laws and regulations, terms of sale and negotiations. The Export Institute provides training classes for exporting. It offers a Certificate of Export Management upon completion of the course.

Because the United States has always been a major player among meat and poultry exporters, most American business owners don't even consider looking to food sources abroad. However, there are some food purveyors within the United States who prefer poultry and beef imports. As always, allow your customers' demands to dictate your choices. If your customers are inspired to try exotic meats, or if their eyebrows are raised when served imported rather than domestic meats, you should definitely consider purchasing some meats and poultry from abroad.

If you're among this growing group of restaurateurs and food service operators, you should know that the market for imported beef and poultry continues to expand. Since it is a relatively new market trend in the United States, you should consider the following points as you search for meat and poultry importers and exporters:

1. Find meat importers for fresh meat and poultry importers for processed chicken.

2. Pick foreign chicken exporters and meat exporters who can boast many years of experience in their field.

3. Indulge your taste for exotic meats with a growing number of specialty meat importers.

4. Play it safe by dealing with domestic meat and poultry importers and exporters.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Contact meat and poultry importers to obtain products from several different countries

Some countries specialize in just one kind of meat or poultry. It's easier to find vacuum-packed fresh meats which are available from several countries. However, if you're looking for poultry, you'll have to make do with processed chicken, such as in pâtés.

I recommend: Meat & Livestock Australia, which imports beef and lamb from Australia, maintains a list of companies importing Australian meat and provides complete contact information for most. Also, A Taste of Italy Foods has a somewhat limited product line for imported Italian meats, but the company allows you to purchase meats by the piece rather than in bulk. Fine French Foods imports processed chicken and meats directly from France and at affordable prices.

Establish accounts with experienced foreign export meat packers

You can contact the foreign exporters directly by phone or through updated e-mail addresses posted on their websites.

I recommend: JBS Swift & Company, the largest meat exporter in Australia, has decades of experience under its belt and exports meat to 13 different countries. Landfa Australian Meat Exports prides itself on its agreeable prices for beef, mutton, lamb and veal. S.S. Brothers specializes in the increasingly popular buffalo as a beef export. Biz Dimension Company is one of the few chicken exporters with a solid reputation for its frozen poultry from Thailand.

Experiment with exotic choices from meat exporters

You may import specialty meats, such as kangaroo or ostrich, as long as you comply with the federal government's guidelines for imported foods.

I recommend: Macro Meats is an exporter who specializes in many different cuts of Kangaroo meat. Also, D'Groot International Food Marketing Pty Ltd. is a leader in the game meat market and offers meat from ostrich, wild boar, camel and even crocodile.

Deal with domestic meat exporters

If you are more comfortable dealing with U.S. companies. There are a couple which are very reliable.

I recommend: Two of the largest exporters of meat and poultry and certainly the most accessible, the U.S. Meat Export Federation and the U.S.A. Poultry & Egg Export Council, both seek to help their members tap into new markets.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Not every country is permitted by U.S. law to export foods to the United States. Contact the USDA Office of International Affairs to make sure the country you're importing from is on that office's list of eligible meat and poultry importers and exporters.

Meat and poultry importers and exporters make up a large segment of the world economy. Whether we're dining on Kobe beef imported from Japan, or people in Asia are dining on fresh chickens from America, there are many processes and procedures that the importers and exporters must follow to ensure the products are safe.Taking a few moments to understand a few basic terms associated with the meat and poultry importing and exporting industry will give you an edge over others in the same field. Here are some key terms along with quality resources that offer further explanation.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Equivalence process

The equivalence process refers to the inspection of foreign regulatory systems by the United States to ensure that meat and poultry imports are meeting a similar standard of conditions in terms of sanitation and refrigeration.

I recommend: Visit United States Department of Agriculture for further information on the equivalence process and how to become certified in order to import meat, poultry and egg products into the United States.

Labeling guidance

Labeling guidance refers to the series of standards that meat and poultry manufacturers must utilize when importing or exporting their products in accordance with the Food and Safety Inspection Service.

I recommend: The Food Safety and Inspection Service has information on labeling guidance, labeling policies and requirements for importing and exporting meat and poultry items in and out of the United States.

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule refers to the list of tariffs charged on all imports into the United States. Meat and poultry products have their own separate classifications.

I recommend: The Harmonized Tariff Schedule details tariffs on meat and poultry imported into the United States. This tariff schedule is set by the World Customs Association on Brussels.

Controlled risk

Controlled risk refers to the classification that the United States has received from the World Organization of Animal Health Scientific Commission stating that the beef products can be exported safely because of the interlocking standards in place.

I recommend: The National Cattleman's Beef Association has several articles that discuss the United States Classification as a "controlled risk" environment.

Beef quality assurance

Beef quality assurance is both an organization and a set of guidelines and standards that cattle farmers follow so that their beef can be exported. These programs are usually led by state beef councils.

I recommend: Beef Quality Assurance.org outlines the programs and standards it implements so that American beef can be exported.

National Poultry Improvement Plan

The National Poultry Improvement Plan has been instituted by the United States Department of Agriculture to stave off disease in slaughtered poultry that will be consumed in America or exported overseas. The plan details the methods by which poultry should be slaughtered, the conditions in which the poultry should be kept and how to eliminate the latest threatening disease to hit poultry, the Avian bird flu, as well as other diseases.

I recommend: Visit Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for more information on the National Poultry Improvement Plan and approved slaughterhouses. Learn more about the avian bird flu poultry improvement plan that protects the U.S. population.