Shipping of Biological Samples – International / USA

FedEx &/or Eve Holiday closures 2023: Sep. 30 (National Truth – FedEx closed), Oct. 9 (Thanksgiving), Nov. 13 (Remembrance Day), Christmas Dec. 23 – Jan. 01.

• • • Process samples according to Eve Technologies Tubes, Volumes and Labeling guide (ie. Centrifuge then aliquot required volume from the middle of the liquid into 0.5 – 0.65 mL polypro snap-cap tube, then label the cap and side of the tubes with one letter and consecutive numbers using a permanent marker, S1, S2, S3, etc.).
    • Package samples appropriately (ie. Place 0.5 – .65mL tubes in a box then in a sealable bag along with absorbent material then place in a Styrofoam® box).  DO NOT place tubes directly in dry Ice.  Dry-ice: Add 6-12 kg. Refer to “How much Dry Ice Should I Use?” in Section 3 below.
    • Place your Eve Technologies packing slip INSIDE the outer cardboard box (either on top of the Styrofoam lid or inside the Styrofoam box).  Affix a Class 9 Dry-ice label (UN 1845) on outer packaging (with weights and addresses filled in).
    • In addition to the waybill, your address and the recipient address must be on the box in case the waybill is misplaced.  This can be on the dry-ice label but we recommend using our “Shipping Label” (refer to Appendix C – International Shipping Forms PDF).
    • Affix Exempt Human Specimens or Exempt Animal Specimens label on the outer packaging (if samples are non infectious).  If samples are infectious category B, use UN 3373 label and contact our lab prior to shipping for approval and any documentation we may require from you.
    • Affix  the document pouch to the outer packaging to hold the following:
      • International Waybill:
        • Under “Description” include the infectious nature of your sample, the species, and the sample type. For example, “non-infectious human serum”, and not “samples for research or Biological samples”.
        • Fill in your courier’s account number on the payment line indicating transportation charges are to be paid by the sender.  Under the “Duties and Taxes” or “Customs” section, mark “Recipient” and enter Eve Technologies courier account # (please request).  If any duties and taxes are incurred, they will be added to your invoice.
      • 3 copies of a Commercial Invoice (refer to Appendix C to use our pre-filled form).
        • Under “Description of Goods” include the infectious nature of your sample, the species, the sample type, and state “no commercial value”.  For example, “noninfectious human serum. No commercial Value”.
        • Enter $1.00 as the total package value/
      • Declaration of Biological Shipments (Highly Recommended although not required) (refer to Appendix C).

Triple Packaging:

1. Primary container (ie 0.5 – 0.65 mL sample tubes):
   • Leak-proof
2. Secondary container / sample tube box:
   • Leak-proof.  Examples: sample tube box inside a sealed plastic bag or screw-cap canister to protect samples from being crushed/broken by dry ice.
   • Absorbent material must be placed between the primary and secondary containers to absorb entire contents of the primary containers. (Examples: paper towels, cotton balls, cellulose )
3. Outer Packaging:
   • Styrofoam® insulated boxes with a corrugated fiberboard outer box is the recommended outer packaging.  Must be large enough to fit 6-12 kg of dry-ice. Min. 6-12 kg North America,  min. 12-15 kg Overseas.

**Styrofoam® without an outer box is not acceptable outer packaging.

Labeling Packages:

• For non-infectious specimen(s) affix appropriate label to the outer package – “Exempt Human Specimen” or “Exempt Animal Specimen” (refer to Appendix A, Figure 3).
• If shipping with dry ice, the outer package must have a Class 9 label affixed (refer to Appendix A, Figure 2).  This must be marked with the proper shipping name (‘Dry Ice’), UN number (UN1845), net quantity (for example; 8 kg) and contact information. *Please use a label from your own shipping department if available.

Delays:

Shipping delays can happen, but if you prepare for them, your samples will arrive in good condition.  Delays can be a result of Customs’ delays or logistical delays.

Reasons for Customs’ Delays:

• Improperly filled out paper work. (ie. incomplete item description on waybill or commercial invoice). Note FedEx preclears the package with just the waybill so please be sure to put the species and sample type.  Tick off Sender for the shipping fees and Consignee for the duties/brokerage.
• Missing paper work (ie. missing commercial invoice – 3 copies required)
• Animal samples – Any package labeled as an animal specimen (as opposed to human), WILL be delayed for at least one day to receive clearance and permits from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Therefore, if you are using an express overnight shipping service, it will take at least 2-days. To address this extra shipping time, ensure you have enough dry-ice (see “How much Dry Ice Should I Use?” below).  Packages denoted as ‘human samples’ are rarely refused.
• NOTE: The CFIA has updated the clearance requirements for rodent samples: if the samples are from prairie dogs, African giant pouched rats, or squirrels they are automatically refused import to Canada.  Please check with your local export requirements as well as Canadian imports with regards to your sample type.  At the moment Primate samples are very difficult to import and permits may take over a month with extra fees incurred.

Reasons for Logistical Delays:

 Logistical Delays are very rare – However, it can happen.  Here are some examples:

• Airport closures (ie weather).
• Limited space on aircraft for Dry Ice shipments.
• Shipping company delays (mechanical issues or shipping error).

If your area is experiencing extreme weather that will result in airport delays or airport closures, we recommend waiting to send your samples.

Hedging Against the Risk of Delays:

The most important step you can take to avoid the negative aspects associated with delayed shipments is to ensure your samples are shipped with a generous amount of dry-ice. The costs of using more dry ice (ie. larger box and more weight) is worth ensuring your sample’s integrity.

How Much Dry-Ice Should You Use?

Since there are many variables involved in shipping (such as Styrofoam® box wall thickness, shape of dry-ice, shipping temperatures, etc.) it is difficult to accurately know the sublimation rate of your dry-ice. Pellet-style dry-ice sublimates quicker than brick-style dry-ice. Trans-border and Domestic shipments should use a MIN of 5-6 kg of dry ice and ship Monday or Tuesday.  Overseas clients should use a MIN of 12-15 kg of dry ice and ship Monday only.

Overnight priority is not always one night as there can be delays. For packages labeled as animal samples we recommend adding more dry ice to address the possible extra shipping delay. If your institute provides brick-style dry-ice you can use less.

 Dry-Ice Guidelines

• Make sure the package containing the dry-ice is not air tight to allow the escape of carbon dioxide (Example: If you are shipping samples with dry ice in a Styrofoam® container, do not tape around all edges of the lid.)
• Dry ice must be placed inside the Styrofoam box with the samples.
• The primary and secondary packaging must be secure as the dry ice sublimates.

**Training is required when shipping sample with dry ice, contact the Safety Office at your institution for more information

Waybill Guidelines

This Waybill section is specific for shipping with FedEx using FedEx’s Expanded Service International Waybill. If you are not shipping with FedEx, consult the shipping company for more information.

• Under ‘Commodity Description’ state the species and sample type of your samples and include the phrase ‘non-infectious, no commercial value’ (ie. non-infectious human serum. no commercial value).  All shipping companies require the species and sample type.
• Enter $1.00 as the declared value as we are not purchasing your samples.
• If you are using dry-ice, check the “Yes. Shipper’s Declaration not required” box under the ‘Special Handling’
• Fill in the amount of dry ice (kg)
• If you are not shipping with dry-ice and if your samples are non-infectious mark ‘No’ for the ‘Does this shipment contain dangerous goods?’  Note that cytokines degrade at room temp.
• Under the ‘Payment’ heading mark the ‘sender’ box to indicate transportation charges, are to be paid by the sender. Write in your  account number.
• Under the “Duties and Taxes” or “Customs” section, mark “Recipient” to indicate Eve Tech as your importer who will pay for duties and taxes. Enter our courier account number (please request). If duties / taxes are incurred, they will be added to your invoice. International Shipments will be charged a $25 brokerage fee. This charge will initially be covered by Eve Tech then added to your order.

Commercial Invoice

International Shipments to and from Canada require 3 copies of a Commercial Invoice placed in the outer shipping pouch behind the Waybill (one signed original and two copies). A commercial invoice is the official transaction record between an exporter and an importer. In the case of sending biological samples to Eve Tech for testing, your samples have no commercial value. However, since Customs does not consider $0.00 to be a value field, enter $1.00. We recommend using the Canada Customs Invoice or the FedEx Commercial Invoice (Refer to Appendix C)

• Under the description of the item(s) be as detailed as possible. You MUST write the species and sample type of your samples. You may include the phrase “Non infectious. No commercial value”. Enter $1.00 in any reference to the declared value. An example of an item description would read “Exempt Human Serum Samples for academic testing. Non-infectious, No Commercial Value”. If you are typing this description, ensure that it fits in the provided area and does not get cut-off during
• DO NOT reference the price you are paying for the assay service on ANY documents. This will make Customs think that you are shipping an item that we are paying for, and will therefore erroneously charge duty and taxes.

Declaration of Biological Shipments

• There is an optional Declaration of Biological Shipments form when shipping from the USA. It is recommended to include this document as it describes the package contents in detail and whether the material is infectious or not. Refer to Appendix C for a copy of a Declaration of Biological Shipments form.