You should be aware that shipping research materials within the United States and Internationally has become a highly regulated process.
The shipping of hazardous materials can pose a serious danger to human health, property and the environment if the materials are improperly packaged and labeled and release their contents during transportation. For example, an incorrect package can be easily crushed and the containers broken resulting in liquid or solids leaking from the package contaminating handlers and anything in the area. The legal, regulatory and clean-up costs can be in tens of thousands of $$. The US Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration can and has imposed large fines ($$$$) and possible jail time for persons who knowingly or unknowingly violate these regulations.
Tufts University does not operate a centralized shipping service on any of its campuses. Hence, each employee is responsible for packaging, shipping and documenting hazardous materials shipments.
The rules for shipping biologicals are complex however Tufts EHS offers a training program on a scheduled basis for persons who need to ship biological materials: human blood, human or primate cell lines, preserved biologicals, microbial agents. In addition, these shipments may involve ethanol, formaldehyde, dry ice or liquid nitrogen which are all hazardous chemicals and have to be shipped as hazardous chemicals. Please see Tufts EHS trainings for “IATA/DOT Regulations for the Shipment of 6.2 Biologicals, Infectious Substances and Class 9, Dry Ice Dangerous Goods Training.”
The rules for shipping chemicals are complex however the Chemical Safety Program offers a training program for individuals who need to ship chemicals routinely as part of the their job. Please see Tufts EHS trainings for “IATA/DOT Regulations for the Shipment of Chemicals, Hazardous Materials and Dangerous Goods Training.”
All of EHS trainings can be found at:
International shipping regulations vary widely from country to country. Tufts University EHS is not expert in the specific shipping regulations for all foreign countries. Also, some goods may require an export license, such as CITES (fish and wildlife) material, some pesticides and materials that are controlled under anti-terrorism and warfare laws. The 4 US agencies which may require an import/export permit are: USDA, CDC, Department of Commerce and Fish & Wildlife.
The license/permitting requirements will depend upon the following criteria:
Each of these factors will affect which regulatory agencies are concerned with the consignment and consequently what licenses and/or documents will be required.
For international shipments we strongly recommend the hiring of a customs broker or shipping agent to guide you through this complex process. Shipping agents are listed below:
Utilizing one of these vendors will cost between $300-$500 for a domestic shipment and $750-$1,100 for an international shipment which includes the vendor completing various permits, licenses and custom’s paperwork.
If you wish to proceed to ship the package yourself, have the recipient of the shipment check for any necessary import permits needed in order to bring materials into the destination country. Each country has specific requirements. If appropriate paperwork is not received by the customs official in the destination country, the material will not be allowed entrance. In some instances, the customs office may contact you and the paperwork will be rushed and in other cases the package will be destroyed. Therefore, it is highly imperative to work out paperwork requirements before sending the package to an international location. A good starting point to determine US export/import requirements is to contact the National Center for Import/Export (NCIE) at 301-851-3300.
Questions regarding country-specific requirements are usually best answered by officials at the receiving country’s embassy. Contact information can be found on the Embassy.org website. http://www.embassy.org/embassies/
Always contact the country’s customs office before planning an import, especially in the beginning when learning the international shipping procedures of a country.
Please note: In 2007 the Department of Commerce issued a $100,000 fine to a local university for exporting equipment to Pakistan without first obtaining the proper license.
In 2011, the FAA issued a $175,000 fine to another local university for shipping lithium batteries without proper labels and documentation.
Get trained in how to ship these samples!
If you don’t have time to get trained, or don’t intend to do frequent shipments hire a shipping agent or customs broker.