Before any country may export meat or poultry to the US, USDA FSIS must determine that the country's food safety inspection system is equivalent to the US system. Importers can only source from establishments in countries that have received this equivalence determination and that appear on FSIS's list of eligible countries and establishments. Sourcing from a non-eligible country or establishment will result in automatic refusal at the border.

Meat packaging materials — such as vacuum pouches, trays, and modified-atmosphere films — are classified under HTS chapters covering plastics, paper, or other materials, entirely separate from the meat product tariff lines in Chapter 2 or 16. They are not subject to FSIS inspection and follow standard FDA or CBP entry procedures. Importers should ensure that packaging and product are declared separately to avoid classification errors.