FDA Import Refusals Logged by DNBI
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The DNBI import division logged 2,991 FDA border rejections between 2020 and 2026, 11.6% of all US import refusals in the dataset. The origins it rejects most often are Canada, India, China. Its most-rejected product category is Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Volume in 2025 was up 21% on 2024.
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Border rejections notified by DNBI, by year
| Year | Border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 243 | — | |
| 2021 | 343 | +41.2% | |
| 2022 | 362 | +5.5% | |
| 2023 | 444 | +22.7% | |
| 2024 | 545 | +22.7% | |
| 2025 | 660 | +21.1% | |
| 2026 | 394 | — | YTD |
| Total | 2,991 |
Origins most rejected by DNBI
| # | Origin country | Rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 827 |
| 2 | India | 517 |
| 3 | China | 148 |
| 4 | United States | 105 |
| 5 | Turkey | 103 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 73 |
| 7 | Jordan | 70 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 59 |
| 9 | Thailand | 54 |
| 10 | Afghanistan | 53 |
| 11 | Lebanon | 53 |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 45 |
| 13 | Italy | 43 |
| 14 | Vietnam | 43 |
| 15 | Tanzania | 38 |
| 16 | South Korea | 32 |
| 17 | Egypt | 28 |
| 18 | United Arab Emirates | 28 |
| 19 | Yemen | 25 |
| 20 | Malaysia | 24 |
| 21 | Myanmar | 23 |
| 22 | Poland | 23 |
| 23 | Spain | 23 |
| 24 | Australia | 22 |
| 25 | Saudi Arabia | 22 |
| 26 | Senegal | 22 |
| 27 | Sweden | 22 |
| 28 | Chile | 19 |
| 29 | Morocco | 19 |
| 30 | Peru | 19 |
Product categories rejected by DNBI
| # | Product category | Rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 478 |
| 2 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 464 |
| 3 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 451 |
| 4 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 229 |
| 5 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 185 |
| 6 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 180 |
| 7 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 154 |
| 8 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 149 |
| 9 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 126 |
| 10 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 74 |
| 11 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 71 |
| 12 | Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 61 |
| 13 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 59 |
| 14 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 51 |
| 15 | Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 33 |
Recent rejections notified by DNBI
- BQT-2601590-7 IndiaVegetables and Vegetable ProductsCHANA DAL, DRIED OR PASTE pesticide
- 8RG-2689436-6 PolandSoft Drinks and WatersCARBONATED SOFT DRINK, N.E.C. unsafe collist ingre
- KM6-3689185-5 IndiaNuts and Edible SeedsPEANUT, SHELLED salmonella
- 1FX-4113252-4 CanadaSnack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)POTATO SNACKS (FLAVORED OR UNFLAVORED), VEGETABLE SNACKS (OTHER THAN PULSES) BAKED unsafe col
- 417-0413158-4 TurkeyFood Sweeteners (Nutritive)MOLASSES list ingrefilthyfalseno english+1 more
- SCS-3270558-2 United StatesCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumBUBBLE GUM (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe colcolor lblg
- 9DH-0083503-8 United StatesBakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and IcingsOTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C. unsafe colcolor lblglacks n/cnutrit lbl+1 more
- SCS-3267469-7 United StatesCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumCHEWING GUM (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe colcolor lblg
- SCS-3265439-2 United StatesCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumBUBBLE GUM (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe colcolor lblg
- 98F-0130006-8 CanadaSoft Drinks and WatersSOFT DRINK, COLA, CARBONATED lacks n/cnutrit lbl
- SCS-3273132-3 CanadaCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumMINT CANDY, HARD, WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe colcolor lblglacks n/cnutrit lbl+1 more
- 9DH-0083566-5 CanadaCheese and Cheese ProductsCHEESE AND CHEESE PRODUCTS, NOT ELSEWHERE MENTIONED, N.E.C. lacks n/cnutrit lbl
- 551-7647194-1 CanadaVegetables and Vegetable ProductsPEPPER, SWEET (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE) fsvp vio
- 1FX-4121164-1 CanadaSnack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)POTATO SNACKS (FLAVORED OR UNFLAVORED), VEGETABLE SNACKS (OTHER THAN PULSES) BAKED unsafe col
- EH3-2670727-8 Costa RicaCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumJELLY FRUIT POPPERS CANDY unfit4food
- 300-6052071-8 CanadaBakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and IcingsCOOKIE,BISCUIT,WAFER DOUGH, N.E.C. color lblg
- SCS-3009274-4 United StatesNuts and Edible SeedsPISTACHIO, PASTE lacks n/cnutrit lbl
- 98F-0130874-9 CanadaSoft Drinks and WatersSOFT DRINK, COLA, CARBONATED lacks n/cnutrit lbl
- 551-4156704-7 MoroccoFruit and Fruit ProductsOLIVES, BLACK, (PIT FRUIT) no process
- 551-4180059-6 CanadaFruit and Fruit ProductsDATES, DRIED OR PASTE filthy
About FDA import refusals
What is an FDA import refusal?
An FDA import refusal is an entry that FDA examined, or sampled, and refused admission into US commerce — most often because it appeared adulterated or misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It is an entry-level administrative action, not a finding of guilt and not an adjudication; the importer may recondition, re-export or destroy the goods.
What is the difference between the import division and the country of origin?
The import division is one of FDA's own operating divisions that processed the entry and issued the refusal. The country of origin is where the refused product was produced or shipped from. These pages rank import divisions by the number of refusals they issued, separately from the origin-country breakdown.
Do import refusals keep unsafe food out of the United States?
Yes, that is their purpose: refusing an entry at the border stops a non-compliant consignment from reaching US commerce. Not every refusal is a safety finding, though — roughly a quarter are labelling or registration failures rather than a hazard in the product itself, which is why this site counts hazard and paperwork refusals separately.