Food import customs clearance
Food entries carry a second data set alongside the customs declaration. The customs side can be flawless while the food side stalls the shipment.
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Food import customs clearance is the filing of customs entries for food products that FDA reviews at the border. Alongside the ordinary customs declaration, the entry carries FDA product codes, facility registration details, affirmations of compliance, Prior Notice confirmation and, where the rules apply, the identity of the FSVP importer.
Key takeaways
- Prior Notice must be submitted before the shipment arrives — timing depends on the mode of transport.
- The FDA product code describes the food far more precisely than the tariff code does.
- Most imported food requires an identified FSVP importer.
- Foreign facilities must be registered, and registration lapses.
- CBP may release the customs entry while FDA still holds the goods.
The second data set
A food entry declares what the product is, who made it, where the facility is registered, what compliance affirmations apply and who carries the FSVP responsibility. Each of those is a point where a shipment can be held, and none of them is visible in the customs data.
The common failure is an entry transmitted with the customs side settled and the FDA data entered as supplied, unchecked. It clears CBP, then sits.
Where holds actually come from
In our experience the recurring causes are an inaccurate product code, Prior Notice that nobody confirmed was filed, registration data that has lapsed since the last shipment, and no identified FSVP importer. All four are avoidable, and all four are cheaper to fix before transmission.
How it works
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01
Product identified precisely
What the food actually is, how processed, how packaged — the product code depends on it.
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02
Facility registration verified
Manufacturer and facility details confirmed current, not assumed.
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03
Prior Notice confirmed
Who is filing it and by when, agreed in writing rather than presumed.
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04
FSVP importer identified
Named in the entry where the rule applies.
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05
Codes and affirmations matched
Product code and affirmations checked against the actual goods.
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06
Entry filed and monitored
Both determinations tracked, because release from one is not release from both.
Common mistakes
- Assuming somebody filed Prior Notice. When everyone assumes, nobody did.
- Reusing a product code from a similar item. Similar is not the same.
- Stale registration data. Registrations expire and the entry carries what it is given.
- No FSVP importer named. Where the rule applies, someone must be identified.
- Treating labelling as a post-arrival problem. It forms part of admissibility.
Questions
What is Prior Notice?
Advance notification to FDA that a food shipment is arriving, required before the goods reach the United States. The deadline depends on the mode of transport. A shipment arriving without it can be refused entry.
Who is the FSVP importer?
The U.S. person responsible for verifying that a foreign supplier produces food consistent with U.S. safety requirements. That person must be identified in the entry where the rule applies, and it is not automatically the customs Importer of Record.
Does customs release mean my food is cleared?
No. CBP may release the customs entry while FDA still holds the shipment. Food moves into commerce only when both authorities allow it.
Why was my food shipment held?
Common causes include an incorrect product code, missing or inaccurate Prior Notice, registration data that does not match the manufacturer, no identified FSVP importer, or labelling questions. Some holds are routine selection with no defect at all.
Related
Tell us what you're importing.
Commodity, origin, port and arrival date is enough to start.