Meat, Seafood, Dairy and Livestock Products from the United States: Export Buying Guide

Buying meat, seafood, dairy and livestock products from the United States starts with a clear specification and an identified receiving market. Wigmore Trading can assess a sourcing or logistics brief and clarify what is needed for a written offer. A guide or product list is not confirmation of stock, supplier appointment or approval to trade a particular item.

Define the requirement before requesting prices

Describe the exact species, cut or product, processing state, pack size and intended market. Chilled, frozen, shelf-stable and live-animal enquiries are different projects. Dairy buyers should specify composition, format and application; seafood buyers should identify species, size, processing and handling requirements rather than using a broad trade category.

Establish eligibility before agreeing a price

Confirm that the product, source establishment and destination combination is eligible through the relevant official pathway. Ask for the applicable health and product documentation and identify the authorised importer. Food that can be sold domestically in the source country is not automatically acceptable in every overseas market. Live cattle require a distinct veterinary and welfare plan, separate from meat cargo.

Products to distinguish in your enquiry

The following are separate specification lines. Identify the exact product, grade or model and intended use rather than requesting an undifferentiated mixed shipment.

• Pig Meat
• Poultry Meat
• Bovine Meat
• Frozen Bovine Meat
• Concentrated Milk
• Edible Offal
• Cheese
• Non-fillet Frozen Fish
• Fish Fillets
• Other Prepared Meat
• Crustaceans
• Whey and other milk products
• Sausages
• Eggs
• Bovine, Sheep, and Goat Fat
• Bovine

Qualify the cold chain and receipt process

Define required temperatures, packaging, loading checks, monitoring and responsibility for delays or temperature excursions. Agree minimum remaining shelf life at arrival and a documented release or rejection procedure. Plan customs clearance and cold storage before the shipment moves. Include inspection, storage and local delivery in the landed-cost comparison so a low unit price does not conceal an unusable arrival condition.

Compare the full commercial scope

Ask each supplier to quote the same specification, quantity, condition, packing basis and named delivery point. List the currency, quote validity, inspection scope, payment milestones and treatment of non-conforming goods. Request actual packed dimensions and gross weights before comparing freight options.

Keep product price separate from collection, export preparation, freight, insurance, destination charges, duties, storage and final delivery. Identify the party responsible for each stage. Do not pay for a shipment whose destination acceptance or essential technical specification is still unresolved.

Prepare a sourcing brief

Send the specification or catalogue reference, quantity and expected repeat demand, receiving location, required date and any supporting drawings or quality requirements. Say whether the enquiry is for an approved replacement, a new production input or resale. Ask for the manufacturer and origin to be identified; a source-country dispatch address alone does not establish origin.

Use the US sourcing directory to compare related product guides, or the US commercial shipping guide when preparing cargo details.

Reviewed 1 November 2026. Gallery images illustrate procurement and logistics; they do not identify offered stock.