APHIS Attaché: Melody Maxwell

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
International Services (IS)
South American Region (SAR)

La Plata Area: Argentina, Brazil Paraguay and Uruguay
Area Director: Melody Maxwell
US Embassy Brasilia, Brazil

The Mission of APHIS

To protect America’s animal and plant resources by:

• Safeguarding resources from exotic invasive pests and diseases
• Monitoring and managing agricultural pests and diseases existing in the United States
• Resolving and managing trade issues related to animal or plant health

Primary Functions of APHIS South America Region

1) Facilitate fair and science-based trade between South America and the U.S. through sanitary and phytosanitary technical negotiations and participation in international trade organizations, and

2) Protect U.S. agriculture against exotic plant and animal pests and diseases by

• conducting preclearance programs in South America for agricultural products destined for the U.S.,
• partnering with countries in South America in bilateral commissions and field programs for the control of exotic pests and diseases, and
• participating in international organizations for the control of plant and animal pests and diseases. With the signing of the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which mandated the reduction of tariffs and quotas, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) technical negotiations have become much more significant as possible barriers to trade. APHIS is the U.S. agency with the technical qualifications to participate in SPS negotiations.

The APHIS office also handles issues such as:

• traveling with pets
• questions regarding the import or export of agricultural products
• negotiations of sanitary health requirements for the importation and exportation of agricultural products
• information exchange on animal diseases of international concern.

Import and Export of Agricultural Products  (Including Traveling with Pets)

From Uruguay to U.S.:

• Dogs
• Cats
• Live Animals Including Pet Birds, Animal Semen and Animal Embryos
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Complete list of APHIS manuals

From U.S. to Uruguay:

• Dogs, Cats and pets

For more information, please visit the APHIS website
Uruguay Official Information website about entering with your pet (dog or cat)