21 USC § 152 - Importation regulated and prohibited

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t21/s152"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "21 USC § 152 - Importation regulated and prohibited"
title_number: 21
title_name: "FOOD AND DRUGS"
section_number: "152"
section_name: "Importation regulated and prohibited"
chapter_number: 5
chapter_name: "VIRUSES, SERUMS, TOXINS, ANTITOXINS, AND ANALOGOUS PRODUCTS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 145, § 1 (part), 37 Stat. 832; Pub. L. 100–449, title III, § 301(d), Sept. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1868.)"
---


# § 152. Importation regulated and prohibited

The importation into the United States of any virus, serum, toxin, or analogous product for use in the treatment of domestic animals, and the importation of any worthless, contaminated, dangerous, or harmful virus, serum, toxin, or analogous product for use in the treatment of domestic animals, is prohibited without (1) a permit from the Secretary of Agriculture, or (2) in the case of an article originating in Canada, such permit or, in lieu of such permit, such certification by Canada as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

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**Source Credit**: (Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 145, § 1 (part), 37 Stat. 832; Pub. L. 100–449, title III, § 301(d), Sept. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1868.)

### Amendment of Section

For termination of amendment by , see Effective and Termination Dates of 1988 Amendment note below.

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

See note set out under .

### Amendments

1988— temporarily amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The importation into the United States, without a permit from the Secretary of Agriculture, of any virus, serum, toxin, or analogous product for use in the treatment of domestic animals, and the importation of any worthless, contaminated, dangerous, or harmful virus, serum, toxin, or analogous product for use in the treatment of domestic animals, are prohibited.” See Effective and Termination Dates of 1988 Amendment note below.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective and Termination Dates of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by  effective on the date the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement enters into force (), and to cease to have effect on the date the Agreement ceases to be in force, see section 501(a), (c) of , set out in a note under , Customs Duties.

### Transfer of Functions

For transfer of functions of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to agricultural import and entry inspection activities under this chapter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 231, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of , as modified, set out as a note under .