Worldwide Customs & Regulatory Updates
February, 2004
New Update on US Food Import Rules
New regulations effective December 2003 require Prior Notice to be sent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for shipments sent to the U.S. that contain food or food ingredients. We would like to take this opportunity to make sure you are aware of the new regulations and the required information to avoid clearance delays.
Prior Notice must be provided for each different food product in a shipment, and any missing data may cause the shipment to be delayed and possible refusal by FDA. To find out more details about the required data elements, please click here.
The next phase of the FDA educational period begins March 13, at which time fines or penalties may be assessed for shipments arriving without proper Prior Notice. All shippers should review documentation for food shipments sent to the U.S. to ensure all Prior Notice data elements are included.
FedEx can help you file the Prior Notice to FDA. Please download and fill in the Prior Notice Submission form, and attach it with your shipment. With the information you provided in the form, we will then file the Notice.