FDA Import Refusals Logged by DNEI
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The DNEI import division logged 6,075 FDA border rejections between 2020 and 2026, 23.5% of all US import refusals in the dataset. The origins it rejects most often are India, China, Indonesia. Its most-rejected product category is Fishery/Seafood Products. Volume in 2025 was up 55% on 2024.
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Border rejections notified by DNEI, by year
| Year | Border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 715 | — | |
| 2021 | 694 | -2.9% | |
| 2022 | 633 | -8.8% | |
| 2023 | 747 | +18.0% | |
| 2024 | 934 | +25.0% | |
| 2025 | 1,446 | +54.8% | |
| 2026 | 906 | — | YTD |
| Total | 6,075 |
Origins most rejected by DNEI
| # | Origin country | Rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,459 |
| 2 | China | 972 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 217 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 172 |
| 5 | Turkey | 167 |
| 6 | Vietnam | 165 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 152 |
| 8 | Thailand | 141 |
| 9 | South Korea | 130 |
| 10 | Italy | 111 |
| 11 | Egypt | 104 |
| 12 | Nigeria | 100 |
| 13 | Brazil | 98 |
| 14 | Ghana | 93 |
| 15 | Philippines | 90 |
| 16 | Myanmar | 86 |
| 17 | El Salvador | 77 |
| 18 | Chile | 74 |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 71 |
| 20 | Ecuador | 70 |
| 21 | Guatemala | 70 |
| 22 | Japan | 67 |
| 23 | Hong Kong | 60 |
| 24 | Greece | 58 |
| 25 | Taiwan | 57 |
| 26 | Peru | 52 |
| 27 | Dominican Republic | 50 |
| 28 | Israel | 50 |
| 29 | Mexico | 47 |
| 30 | Russia | 45 |
Product categories rejected by DNEI
| # | Product category | Rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 1,042 |
| 2 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 1,008 |
| 3 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 743 |
| 4 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 469 |
| 5 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 376 |
| 6 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 357 |
| 7 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 305 |
| 8 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 254 |
| 9 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 248 |
| 10 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 199 |
| 11 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 166 |
| 12 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 145 |
| 13 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 120 |
| 14 | Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 89 |
| 15 | Ice Cream and Related Products | 73 |
Recent rejections notified by DNEI
- KM6-3677866-4 IndiaSpices, Flavors, and SaltsMIXED SPICES AND SEASONING WITH SALT, N.E.C. filthy
- AEK-2031384-6 IndiaFruit and Fruit ProductsTAMARIND (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT PUREES) filthy
- KM6-3677890-4 IndiaMacaroni and Noodle ProductsNOODLES, INSTANT filthy
- AEK-9759966-4 MalaysiaCoffee and TeaCOFFEE, N.E.C. dietarylbl
- KM6-3681261-2 IndiaVegetables and Vegetable ProductsMIXED VEGETABLES, N.E.C. poisonousneeds fceno process
- BNI-0149560-3 El SalvadorSpices, Flavors, and SaltsWHOLE SPICE, N.E.C. pesticide
- 820-2219336-9 IndonesiaSpices, Flavors, and SaltsCLOVE, NATURAL EXTRACT OR FLAVOR (SPICE)
- KM6-3687342-4 IndiaSpices, Flavors, and SaltsCORIANDER, GROUND, CRACKED (SPICE) salmonella
- SCS-1055895-3 ItalyMultiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)SAUCES, N.E.C. no process
- SCS-0285424-6 IndiaCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumCANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe collist ingre
- NFT-2096419-2 ChinaIce Cream and Related ProductsICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.) unsafe colcolor lblg
- EUG-0051865-4 IndonesiaVitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for HumansKRATOM (HERBAL AND BOTANICAL TEAS II, CONTINUED) unsfdietsp
- EH3-2671074-4 Costa RicaCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumJELLY FRUIT POPPERS CANDY unfit4food
- K09-0100080-0 ChinaBakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and IcingsFRUIT/FRUIT FLAVORED PREPARED DRY COOKIE MIX WITHOUT MILK OR EGG unsafe col
- KM6-3677873-0 IndiaMultiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)CHILI SAUCE filthy
- T77-1669447-8 IndiaVegetables and Vegetable ProductsVEGETABLE & VEGETABLE PRODUCTS NOT MENTIONED ELSEWHERE, N.E.C. pesticide
- EI5-4041505-3 ChileFruit and Fruit ProductsBLUEBERRIES (BERRY) mfr insanmfr inj
- K79-0194679-1 IndiaSpices, Flavors, and SaltsPEPPER,BLACK, WHOLE (SPICE) filthy
- AEK-2014469-6 IndiaFruit and Fruit ProductsPALM NUT ARECA, ARECA NUT OR BETEL NUT, SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT poisonous
- DE6-9014318-0 PortugalVegetables and Vegetable ProductsPEPPER, HOT, N.E.C. (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE) no process
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.