China — All Categories
China received 1,524 FDA import refusals across all food categories between 2024-Q1 and 2026-Q4. Volume peaked at 215 in 2026-Q2, with the trend roughly flat year-on-year. The most-cited issues are unsafe color additive, color not declared, and filth. No trade baseline is published for some of China's categories, so no per-$1B rate is shown for the origin total.
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Key figures
- Hazard or paperwork
- Of these, 1,296 were hazard refusals and 228 were paperwork refusals.
Quarterly refusals, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Refusals | Hazard | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | 89 | 68 | 21 |
| 2024-Q2 | 62 | 42 | 20 |
| 2024-Q3 | 79 | 65 | 14 |
| 2024-Q4 | 118 | 102 | 16 |
| 2025-Q1 | 156 | 138 | 18 |
| 2025-Q2 | 117 | 100 | 17 |
| 2025-Q3 | 127 | 113 | 14 |
| 2025-Q4 | 142 | 110 | 32 |
| 2026-Q1 | 191 | 166 | 25 |
| 2026-Q2 | 215 | 199 | 16 |
| 2026-Q3 | 193 | 164 | 29 |
| 2026-Q4 | 35 | 29 | 6 |
By year
| Year | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 634 |
| 2025 | 542 |
| 2024 | 348 |
| 2023 | 292 |
| 2022 | 346 |
| 2021 | 302 |
| 2020 | 330 |
By category, last 156 weeks
| Category | Refusals | Per $1B US imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 20 | 410.9 | melamine |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 327 | — | filth |
| Ice Cream and Related Products | 227 | — | melamine |
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 213 | — | filth |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 167 | — | melamine |
| Fishery/Seafood Products | 147 | — | veterinary drug residue |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 94 | — | unapproved new drug |
| Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 58 | — | melamine |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds | 50 | — | pesticide residue |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 33 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 29 | — | filth |
| Vegetable Protein Products (Simulated Meats) | 28 | — | melamine |
| Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 26 | — | melamine |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 23 | — | melamine |
| Coffee and Tea | 23 | — | inadequate process control |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 20 | — | melamine |
| Macaroni and Noodle Products | 15 | — | inadequate process control |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 14 | — | no process filing |
| Cereal Preparations, Breakfast Foods | 12 | — | undeclared allergen |
| Gelatin, Rennet, Pudding Mixes, and Pie Fillings | 10 | — | choking hazard not declared |
| Beverage Bases | 8 | — | melamine |
| Filled Milk and Imitation Milk Products | 4 | — | no process filing |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) | 3 | — | no net quantity |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 3 | — | unauthorized health claim |
| Soups | 2 | — | no process filing |
| Food Additives - for Human Use | 2 | — | refused establishment inspection |
| Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products | 2 | — | not in English |
| Egg and Egg Products | 1 | — | no process filing |
Recent refusals
- H95-0122750-1 CHINESE RED DATE (JUJUBES, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA) (PIT FRUIT)Fruit and Fruit Products. Import division DNEI. filth
- EI5-0601606-9 GINSENG UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITY FOR HUMANS OR ANIMALSVitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DWCI. Siberian ginseng mislabeled
- SQ4-0628635-2 BURDOCK, GOBO, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNBI. filthno manufacturer nameno net quantity
- 8BL-0052646-2 SYRUPS AND MOLASSES, N.E.C.Food Sweeteners (Nutritive). Import division DNEI. no food-canning registrationno process filing
- FY1-4099257-6 FUNGI PRODUCTS NOT MENTIONED ELSEWHERE, N.E.C.Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DWCI. filth
- NFT-2095220-5 ICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.)Ice Cream and Related Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- DS8-3035070-0 SHRIMP & PRAWNSFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. unsafe food additiveveterinary drug residue
- NFT-2095398-9 SOYBEAN FLOUR, MEAL, OR POWDERWhole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. Import division DNEI. poisonous or deleterious substancemelamineunfit for food
- 406-0622738-3 MUSSELSFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DSEI. HACCP failure
- AWJ-0333169-6 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DWCI. Listeria monocytogenes
- K09-0100544-5 SOFT DRINK, PIT FRUIT FLAVORED, NONCARBONATEDSoft Drinks and Waters. Import division DNEI. FSVP violation
- EAY-0057680-6 ICE CREAM, REGULAR, NOT VANILLA OR VANILLIN FLAVOREDIce Cream and Related Products. Import division DWCI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NFT-2097373-0 CHILI SAUCEMultiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet). Import division DNEI. inadequate process control
- NFT-2096176-8 ICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.)Ice Cream and Related Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NFT-2096772-4 ICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.)Ice Cream and Related Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- KX2-0090799-9 HAW, DRIED OR PASTEFruit and Fruit Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- NFT-2097033-0 ICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.)Ice Cream and Related Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NFT-2096144-6 ICES, FRUIT FLAVORED, ON A STICK, (POPSICLES, ETC.)Ice Cream and Related Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- AWJ-0326435-0 CHINESE RED DATE (JUJUBES, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA) (PIT FRUIT)Fruit and Fruit Products. Import division DWCI. filth
- 9EX-2608518-6 CHINESE RED DATE (JUJUBES, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA) (PIT FRUIT)Fruit and Fruit Products. Import division DWCI. filth
Recent weeks
| Week | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026-W44 | 0 |
| 2026-W43 | 4 |
| 2026-W42 | 16 |
| 2026-W41 | 5 |
| 2026-W40 | 14 |
| 2026-W39 | 10 |
| 2026-W38 | 11 |
| 2026-W37 | 30 |
→ See all FDA import refusals for 2026-W44
Data and downloads
Download all 2,794 entries (CSV) — every refusal behind this page, with its import division, FDA product code, charges and whether it was a hazard finding or paperwork. Every entry is also listed by year above.
The file holds entries up to 2026-10-22. To get new ones for China by email, watch China.
China country report since 2020 — every refusal by year, charge and import division →