---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 581"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "581"
heading: "Standards of export; establishment; shipping without certificate forbidden; hearings"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/581"
units:
  - "Chapter 25 — Export Standards for Apples"
---

# §581. Standards of export; establishment; shipping without certificate forbidden; hearings


It shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/7/589.md?p=1) to ship or offer for shipment or for any carrier, or any steamship company, or any [person](/usc/7/589.md?p=1) to transport or receive for transportation to any foreign destination, except as provided in this chapter, any [apples](/usc/7/589.md?p=4) in packages which are not accompanied by a certificate issued under authority of the [Secretary of Agriculture](/usc/7/589.md?p=2) showing that such [apples](/usc/7/589.md?p=4) are of a Federal or [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) grade which meets the minimum of quality established by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) for shipment in export. The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) is authorized to prescribe, by regulations, the requirements, other than those of grade, which the fruit must meet before certificates are issued. The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall provide opportunity, by public hearing or otherwise, for interested [persons](/usc/7/589.md?p=1) to examine and make recommendation with respect to any standard of export proposed to be established or designated, or regulation prescribed, by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) for the purposes of this chapter.


## Source credit

(June 10, 1933, ch. 59, § 1, 48 Stat. 123; Pub. L. 106–96, § 1(c), Nov. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1321.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1999—Pub. L. 106–96 struck out “and/or pears” after “any apples” and “or pears” after “such apples”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title

Act June 10, 1933, ch. 59, § 11, as added by Pub. L. 106–96, § 1(a), Nov. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1321, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Export Apple Act’.”.