Except as provided in § 590.960, each consignment imported into the United States must have an electronic foreign inspection certification or a paper foreign inspection certificate issued by an official of the foreign government agency responsible for the inspection and certification of the product.

An official of the foreign government agency must certify that any product described on any official certificate was produced in accordance with the regulatory requirements § 590.910.

The electronic foreign inspection certification must be in English, be transmitted directly to FSIS before the product's arrival at the official import inspection establishment, and be available to import inspection personnel.

The paper foreign inspection certificate must accompany each consignment; be submitted to import inspection personnel at the official import inspection establishment; be in English; and bear the official seal of the foreign government responsible for the inspection of the product, and the name, title, and signature of the official authorized to issue the inspection certificates for products imported into the United States.

The electronic foreign inspection certification and paper foreign inspection certificate must contain:

The date;

The foreign country of export and the producing foreign establishment number;

The species used to produce the product and the source country and foreign establishment number, if the source materials originate from a country other than the exporting country;

The product's description including the process category, the product category, and the product group;

The name and address of the importer or consignee;

The name and address of the exporter or consignor;

The number of units (pieces or containers) and the shipping or identification mark on the units;

The net weight of each lot; and

Any additional information the Administrator requests to determine whether the product is eligible to be imported into the United States.