Trade Remedies & Import Compliance
Partner Government Agency
Also known as: PGA, OGA
A partner government agency is any regulatory body other than the customs authority whose approval or data is required before certain imported goods may be released — for example the food and drug regulator, the agriculture and plant-health service, the environmental protection agency, or the consumer product safety commission. At entry, these agencies communicate their requirements through electronic message sets, and an importer must satisfy each agency's admissibility rules, submit the mandated data, and sometimes obtain a permit or prior notice before the shipment can clear. PGA requirements are a frequent cause of holds and detentions when documentation is incomplete.
The reason an entry that looks simple is not. FDA, USDA, FWS, EPA, DOT and others each have their own data requirements, and a PGA hold does not care that your customs entry is perfect. The expensive version of this is discovering the requirement when the goods are already at the port.
Where it matters for compliance
- PGA data is transmitted with the entry. Missing data is a rejected filing, not a later correction.
- Whether an agency requirement applies is decided by the goods, not by what the carrier's paperwork recites.
Related terms
Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.