Japan — All Categories
Japan received 158 FDA import refusals across all food categories between 2024-Q1 and 2026-Q4. Volume is falling year-on-year. The most-cited issues are not in English, HACCP failure, and unsafe color additive. No trade baseline is published for some of Japan's categories, so no per-$1B rate is shown for the origin total.
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Key figures
- Hazard or paperwork
- Of these, 73 were hazard refusals and 85 were paperwork refusals.
Quarterly refusals, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Refusals | Hazard | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| 2024-Q2 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| 2024-Q3 | 19 | 5 | 14 |
| 2024-Q4 | 17 | 4 | 13 |
| 2025-Q1 | 18 | 13 | 5 |
| 2025-Q2 | 19 | 10 | 9 |
| 2025-Q3 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| 2025-Q4 | 9 | 4 | 5 |
| 2026-Q1 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| 2026-Q2 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| 2026-Q3 | 11 | 4 | 7 |
| 2026-Q4 | 9 | 4 | 5 |
By year
| Year | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 |
| 2025 | 58 |
| 2024 | 55 |
| 2023 | 62 |
| 2022 | 52 |
| 2021 | 40 |
| 2020 | 43 |
By category, last 156 weeks
| Category | Refusals | Per $1B US imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishery/Seafood Products | 41 | — | HACCP failure |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 34 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 31 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 24 | — | not in English |
| Coffee and Tea | 10 | — | not in English |
| Soups | 5 | — | HACCP failure |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 4 | — | color not declared |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 3 | — | unapproved new drug |
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 3 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 3 | — | importer HACCP failure |
| Macaroni and Noodle Products | 3 | — | not in English |
| Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products | 1 | — | no net quantity |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 1 | — | nutrition labeling |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 1 | — | undeclared allergen |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 1 | — | no process filing |
Recent refusals
- FY1-4103443-6 MACKEREL (ALL EXCEPT SCOMBEROMORUS SP, EG SPANISH OR KING SEE '22')Fishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. HACCP failure
- 1FX-3654157-2 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DSEI. supplement labelingnot in Englishnutrition labeling
- K64-3066307-5 GINGER ROOT (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. FD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- 235-1768372-0 SNAILS, AQUATIC, OTHER AQUATIC SPECIESFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. ingredients not listedundeclared allergenno process filing
- 235-1766384-7 FISH, N.E.C.Fishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. Listeria monocytogenes
- NUV-4039671-8 WHEY BASE INFANT FORMULA PRODUCT (0-12 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULABaby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. Import division DWCI. label not conspicuousno net quantity
- FY1-4106818-6 SQUID, BREADED, OTHER AQUATIC SPECIESFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. HACCP failure
- 1FX-2581497-2 CANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DWCI. not in English
- K64-3065975-0 GINGER ROOT (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- 417-0416513-7 MACKEREL (ALL EXCEPT SCOMBEROMORUS SP, EG SPANISH OR KING SEE '22')Fishery/Seafood Products. Import division DNEI. HACCP failure
- EPM-0196215-4 HERBALS & BOTANICALS (NOT TEAS), N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DWCI. supplement GMP failure
- DS8-3034859-7 RADISH (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DWCI. unsafe color additive
- NUV-4010000-3 FOODS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS ADDED, WITH OR WITHOUT ARTIFICAL SWEETNERSDietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements. Import division DWCI. ingredients not listedlabel not conspicuousno manufacturer namenutrition labeling
- FY1-4102900-6 MACKEREL (ALL EXCEPT SCOMBEROMORUS SP, EG SPANISH OR KING SEE '22')Fishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. HACCP failure
- 1FX-2767843-2 CANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DWCI. not in English
- 1FX-2198343-2 PLUM (PIT FRUIT)Fruit and Fruit Products. Import division DWCI. unsafe color additivenot in English
- 1FX-3376590-0 CANDY SPECIALTIES, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DNBI. not in English
- K64-3065334-0 GINGER ROOT (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. unsafe color additive
- 788-1925541-1 HERBALS & BOTANICALS (NOT TEAS), N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DSWI. supplement GMP failure
- U47-2513202-9 SOFT CANDY WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT, N.E.C. (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. Import division DNEI. unfit for food
Recent weeks
| Week | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026-W44 | 0 |
| 2026-W43 | 4 |
| 2026-W42 | 3 |
| 2026-W41 | 1 |
| 2026-W40 | 3 |
| 2026-W39 | 0 |
| 2026-W38 | 1 |
| 2026-W37 | 0 |
→ See all FDA import refusals for 2026-W44
Data and downloads
Download all 355 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 Japan by email, watch Japan.
Japan country report since 2020 — every refusal by year, charge and import division →