Dairy Products

Yes. FDA requires that raw-milk cheeses be aged for a minimum of 60 days at a temperature of not less than 35°F before they may be sold in the US. Importers must be able to document that this aging requirement has been met; cheeses that do not satisfy the standard are subject to refusal of admission.

US dairy TRQs allocate country-specific quota shares that carry lower in-quota duty rates. Once a country's quota is exhausted for the quota year, imports face substantially higher over-quota duties, which can make certain origins uncompetitive. Importers typically monitor quota fill rates closely and may adjust sourcing or timing to secure in-quota access, particularly for high-value specialty cheeses.