FDA Import Refusals Logged by DSWI
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The DSWI import division logged 4,737 FDA border rejections between 2020 and 2026, 18.3% of all US import refusals in the dataset. The origins it rejects most often are Mexico, India, Indonesia. Its most-rejected product category is Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Volume in 2025 was up 22% on 2024.
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Border rejections notified by DSWI, by year
| Year | Border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 459 | — | |
| 2021 | 445 | -3.1% | |
| 2022 | 765 | +71.9% | |
| 2023 | 708 | -7.5% | |
| 2024 | 799 | +12.9% | |
| 2025 | 972 | +21.7% | |
| 2026 | 589 | — | YTD |
| Total | 4,737 |
Origins most rejected by DSWI
| # | Origin country | Rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 3,665 |
| 2 | India | 411 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 61 |
| 4 | China | 59 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 58 |
| 6 | Guatemala | 48 |
| 7 | Vietnam | 42 |
| 8 | Nigeria | 33 |
| 9 | El Salvador | 25 |
| 10 | Honduras | 22 |
| 11 | United States | 20 |
| 12 | Thailand | 17 |
| 13 | Senegal | 15 |
| 14 | Egypt | 14 |
| 15 | Chile | 13 |
| 16 | Jordan | 13 |
| 17 | South Korea | 13 |
| 18 | Taiwan | 13 |
| 19 | Turkey | 13 |
| 20 | Bangladesh | 12 |
| 21 | Costa Rica | 12 |
| 22 | Italy | 12 |
| 23 | Japan | 9 |
| 24 | United Kingdom | 9 |
| 25 | Philippines | 8 |
| 26 | Tanzania | 7 |
| 27 | France | 6 |
| 28 | Spain | 6 |
| 29 | Germany | 5 |
| 30 | South Africa | 5 |
Product categories rejected by DSWI
| # | Product category | Rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1,189 |
| 2 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 962 |
| 3 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 807 |
| 4 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 300 |
| 5 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 226 |
| 6 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 153 |
| 7 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 142 |
| 8 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 104 |
| 9 | Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 103 |
| 10 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 103 |
| 11 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 100 |
| 12 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 99 |
| 13 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 89 |
| 14 | Dressings and Condiments | 57 |
| 15 | Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 56 |
Recent rejections notified by DSWI
- 635-1124606-6 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsDATES (PIT FRUIT), (PIT FRUIT) filthy
- 635-1124566-2 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsDATES (PIT FRUIT), (PIT FRUIT) filthy
- DM4-0859788-6 El SalvadorCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumFLAVORED CANDY, SOFT (LIVE SAVERS, ETC.), WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe col
- BJG-0216869-7 MexicoDietary Conventional Foods and Meal ReplacementsORAL REHYDRATION PRODUCTS list ingreinconspicufalseno english+3 more
- BPI-0264491-6 MexicoCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumCANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) filthy
- NB8-0221641-7 MexicoCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumSOFT CANDY WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) list ingreinconspicu
- U72-0540606-0 NigeriaWhole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and StarchSTARCH PRODUCTS N.E.C. salmonella
- EFP-2608579-0 MexicoCheese and Cheese ProductsCHEESE, HISPANIC/LATINO/MEXICAN STYLE, ALL VARIETIES, INCLUDING QUESO filthy
- B4S-1015560-2 IndiaBakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and IcingsOTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C. filthy
- BJG-0222298-1 MexicoMilk, Butter, and Dried Milk ProductsLOW FAT MILK PRODUCT, N.E.C. no process
- BJG-0221028-3 MexicoMultiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)SAUCES, N.E.C. inconspicuno english
- BYX-0314869-3 MexicoVegetables and Vegetable ProductsPEPPER, HOT, N.E.C. (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE) pesticide
- 9L9-0254396-1 MexicoCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumCANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) fsvp vio
- 918-5447315-3 MexicoCandy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing GumCANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE) unsafe colcolor lblg
- 8MH-0116289-6 MexicoVegetables and Vegetable ProductsSPINACH (LEAF & STEM VEGETABLE) pesticide
- DP4-3999678-7 IndiaWhole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and StarchRICE, BASMATI, PROCESSED (PACKAGED) pesticide
- 392-0264222-7 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsBERRIES AND CORE, MIXED filthy
- BJG-0222252-8 MexicoVegetables and Vegetable ProductsRADISH (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE) pesticide
- 02K-0000306-5 MexicoFruit and Fruit ProductsGUAVA, JUICE, MILK, CREME, DRINK OR NECTAR, SUB/TROPICAL FRUIT unsafe colcolor lblg
- BJG-0220444-3 MexicoSnack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)POTATO CHIPS,FRIED unsafe colcolor lblg
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.