Important Information for Customers Outside of the U.S.

Shipping biological material to the U.S. is heavily regulated by several U.S. federal agencies. This includes purified DNA from certain sources.

To best avoid materials being detained or destroyed during shipment, please complete the 5 recommended items below before shipping your samples. We strongly advise that you assess importation restrictions far in advance of shipping material, as permit approval can take several months.

Due to recent changes in duties and tariffs, please also carefully review the shipping invoice section below (commercial/pro forma invoice strictly for shipping), in order to avoid unnecessary fees.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@seqcenter.com, and include a description of the material and its origins.

6-8 weeks before shipping, check if the material being shipped is regulated or requires a permit.

If a permit is required, please contact info@seqcenter.com to begin the application process. (Fees may apply.) The guidance below is broken down by source type.

Material from specific organisms can require a permit.

  • All: Please check your country’s export restrictions, as there may be collection regulations in place for the original organism that are enforced during export.
  • Shrimp or other seafood material: please contact us. We will evaluate if there are regulations regarding harvesting.
  • Plants: Certain plant material (excluding DNA/RNA) requires permits from the USDA. Please contact us to evaluate regulations.
  • Organisms protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): These will require reciprocal permits in both the U.S. and shipper’s country. Please contact us with information about your CITES application, for us to initiate the process on the U.S. side.

Permitting can depend on the format of the material being sent.

  • Frozen cells or live cultures (agar plates)
    • We cannot accept submissions of cells in this format from Category A/BSL 3 or higher organisms.
    • In particular, we cannot accept any cells from any pathogens on the select agents list.
    • Most other microorganisms will require import permits from either the USDA or CDC, in this format.
  • Cells inactivated with ZymoResearch DNA/RNA Shield and purified DNA/RNA

Human-derived samples stored in a transport medium that is known or certified to inactivate potential pathogens can be shipped without a permit. (Examples include DNA/RNA Shield (ZymoResearch) and VTM with published efficacy studies.)

Samples stored in other buffers or frozen without inactivation will require a CDC permit to import into the U.S.

This material must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please email us with a description of the material and how it is stored, the name of the originating animal, and whether the originating animal was wild or has been inoculated or exposed to any of the following two lists: the USDA Veterinary Services list of potential livestock/poultry pathogens and the U.S. Federal Select Agents list

We strongly recommend purifying DNA/RNA from environmental samples, to avoid restrictions.

Raw soil, water, and wastewater are heavily regulated and can require multiple permits.

Samples obtained from swabbing services most likely do not require a permit, but please contact us so that we can evaluate your specific material.

Prepare the Shipper’s Declaration letter to be included in triplicate with the shipping paperwork.

This letter should explicitly identify the contents and declare the safety status and end usage of the material. The document must:
  • Be a signed letter on company or university letterhead.
  • Be in English.
  • Include your contact information, including email address and physical address (if it is not in the letterhead.)
  • List the AWB # for the shipment.
  • Describe the nature of the material being sent in detail.
    • State the full chemical name (or commercial name, if proprietary) of all components included (Ex. deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) suspended in 10mM Tris-EDTA buffer.) Or
    • Describe the material in detail (ex. human fecal samples preserved in Zymo DNA/RNA Shield.)
  • State the origin of the sample,
    • including full scientific names of any organisms (except for human, which can be left at that.)
    • for environmental samples, denote the physical location where they were isolated.
  • Provide statements on safety statuses:
    • Provide a CDC statement for samples derived from humans or human pathogens. If true, you should state that the material is unregulated by the CDC because the material being shipped is not infectious. You must include how or why that is true. (Ex. “Purified DNA is removed from all cellular context, is rendered non-pathogenic to humans, and is considered to be unregulated biological material by the CDC.)
    • Provide a USDA statement for all samples derived from plants, animals, or microorganisms.
      • If you have a USDA VS or PPQ permit, you must state that here and declare all necessary conditions required by the permit.
      • For DNA not regulated by the USDA, you must provide an exemption statement describing how the material does not fall under USDA regulations. Examples of material that is not regulated and the guidelines that you can list as reasoning can be found here. Please use only 1 guideline for the documentation. (DNA, RNA, tissue, and swabs are all considered products of their originating organisms.)
    • Provide a toxicity statement:
      • If applicable, you should list that the material is non-toxic.
      • If hazardous materials are present (such as DNA/RNA Shield), you must state that the material is unfit for human consumption and is not intended for therapeutic use.
      • If you are customer in Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, please contact us in advance to prepare you a negative Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) certification. It should not be required with careful description, but is often requested by US Customs.
  • Describe the end-use: “Samples are being sent for Research Use Only (RUO) destructive laboratory (in vitro) testing and analysis at SeqCenter’s facilities in Pittsburgh, PA, and have no trade value. These are not commercial goods, are not for resale, and are not intended for human consumption or therapeutic use.”

If you have any questions regarding the statements to be included or would like us to review the document, please send an editable copy to info@seqcenter.com.

Prepare the shipping invoice (Commercial Invoice or Pro forma Invoice) to be included with the shipping paperwork.

This document declares the purchase/sell of material goods, which should amount to $0. This invoice is NOT meant to reflect the sequencing services that SeqCenter will provide.
Your institution may generate this as part of making the shipping arrangements, and each courier has their own templates, if you need one. The document must:
  • Declare a trade value of $0 for all material, in a tabular format. This is to show that we have not purchased the material from you, and ensure that we are not taxed for the shipment.
    • A total other than $0 will incur taxes. If you are unable to generate a commercial invoice of $0, we ask that you arrange for the duties and fees to be billed to the shipper.
    • (If you are insuring your shipment, the insurance can still cover a higher amount.)
  • Must list a Harmonized Tariff (HS) code for the material. If you need assistance with this, we can provide suggestions.
  • Must include the statement: “For testing and analysis only. Not trade goods.”
  • Eventually contain the AWB #.
  • Contain your contact information.
  • Contain our contact information:
    • Phone number: +1 878-227-4915
    • Email: info@seqcenter.com

Complete your order and print out the sample manifest to include inside of your package.

Please make sure to complete the checkout process online, entering your sample information and payment method details. The body of the email that delivered the pdf quote contains a link to return to your order.

The last page of the process (title “Shipping Information”) contains an overview of your samples that must be printed and included inside of your package.

Please share all requested information (payment method, additional files, etc.) and your completed Sample Intake Form with the team member assisting.

When you are preparing your shipment, include printed copies of both your quote and Sample Intake Form inside of the package.

Prepare your shipment and plan delivery.

Packaging and Contents

When preparing your shipment, please remember that the process is very rough on packages, from being crushed and dropped, to experiencing extreme temperatures and pressures. We strongly recommend protecting all samples appropriately.

  • Microcentrifuge tube caps and plates should have their caps wrapped in parafilm and placed in a sealed, secondary rigid container (ex. conical tube or hard cardboard box.)
  • Bubble wrap, loose packing paper, cotton, etc. can be used for additional sample protection, while Kimwipes and paper towels can be included in the event of any leaks or condensation within the package.
  • All shipments should follow IATA guidelines for shipping biological material, including enclosing samples inside a water-tight secondary container with absorbent material, in addition to the outer package.
  • When shipping cells or using dry ice, please refer to the CDC’s guidance for Category B material. Wet ice is not allowed.

Your printed sample manifest (either “Shipping Information” page or custom quote and Sample Intake form) must be included inside of the package, with your samples.

Making Your Shipping Arrangements

  • If using dry ice, make sure to include at least 5-10 lbs of dry ice per day of expected transit, and to arrange with your courier to have the dry ice replenished, if the package is delayed.
  • Review all documentation with your courier, and make arrangements for packages to be delivered within business hours. SeqCenter is open Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm.
  • SeqCenter is closed for certain U.S. holidays and cannot receive packages on these days. Please see our holiday closures on our FAQs page for the specific dates.
  • We recommend shipping samples on Monday or Tuesday for overnight delivery. This provides the most buffer during the work week for delays and responding to U.S. Customs documentation requests, in case there are any issues.
  • Please track your package with your courier’s tracking number and watch out for any requests via phone or email.

Contact:
91 43rd Street, Ste. 250
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
(878) 227-4915

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