FDA Import Refusals Logged by DNEI
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The DNEI import division logged 6,211 FDA refusals between 2020 and 2026, 23.4% 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.
What these division codes mean
- DNEI
- Division of Northeast Imports.
- DSEI
- Division of Southeast Imports.
- DWCI
- Division of West Coast Imports.
- DSWI
- Division of Southwest Imports — the Mexican land border.
- DNBI
- Division of North Border Imports — the Canadian land border.
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FDA refusals logged by DNEI, by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 715 | — | |
| 2021 | 694 | -2.9% | |
| 2022 | 634 | -8.6% | |
| 2023 | 747 | +17.8% | |
| 2024 | 934 | +25.0% | |
| 2025 | 1,446 | +54.8% | |
| 2026 | 1,041 | — | YTD |
| Total | 6,211 |
Origins most often refused by DNEI
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,491 |
| 2 | China | 998 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 218 |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 177 |
| 5 | Turkey | 172 |
| 6 | Vietnam | 169 |
| 7 | Pakistan | 155 |
| 8 | Thailand | 143 |
| 9 | South Korea | 134 |
| 10 | Italy | 112 |
| 11 | Egypt | 104 |
| 12 | Nigeria | 100 |
| 13 | Brazil | 99 |
| 14 | Ghana | 98 |
| 15 | Philippines | 91 |
| 16 | Myanmar | 87 |
| 17 | El Salvador | 80 |
| 18 | Chile | 74 |
| 19 | United Kingdom | 72 |
| 20 | Ecuador | 70 |
| 21 | Guatemala | 70 |
| 22 | Japan | 70 |
| 23 | Taiwan | 61 |
| 24 | Hong Kong | 60 |
| 25 | Greece | 58 |
| 26 | Dominican Republic | 54 |
| 27 | Peru | 54 |
| 28 | Mexico | 53 |
| 29 | Israel | 50 |
| 30 | Russia | 45 |
Product categories most often refused by DNEI
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 1,050 |
| 2 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 1,041 |
| 3 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 760 |
| 4 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 481 |
| 5 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 382 |
| 6 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 362 |
| 7 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 313 |
| 8 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 263 |
| 9 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 254 |
| 10 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 201 |
| 11 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 169 |
| 12 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 149 |
| 13 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 121 |
| 14 | Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 91 |
| 15 | Ice Cream and Related Products | 84 |
Recent refusals logged by DNEI
- KM6-3689342-2 RAISINS, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Afghanistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residue
- H95-0122750-1 CHINESE RED DATE (JUJUBES, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA) (PIT FRUIT)From China, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- KM6-3685440-8 FISH, N.E.C.From Bangladesh, Fishery/Seafood Products. Salmonella
- KM6-3683668-6 MANGO (SUBTROPICAL AND TROPICAL FRUIT)From Pakistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- NQD-1256776-8 CANDY WITHOUT CHOCOLATE N.E.C.From Mexico, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. filth
- H67-1724012-0 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. filth
- KM6-3675547-2 DATES, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Pakistan, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- DM4-0867462-8 FLAVORED CANDY, SOFT (LIVE SAVERS, ETC.), WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From El Salvador, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- K64-3066307-5 GINGER ROOT (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)From Japan, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. FD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- 176-1054082-9 PEPPER, HOT, N.E.C. (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE)From Dominican Republic, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. pesticide residue
- FY4-0124128-3 MORINGA OLEIFERA (HERBAL AND BOTANICAL TEAS II, (CONTINUED)From India, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Salmonella
- 82S-0005193-4 MIXED SPICES AND SEASONING WITH SALT, N.E.C.From United Arab Emirates, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. insanitary plantinsanitary handling
- 8BL-0052646-2 SYRUPS AND MOLASSES, N.E.C.From China, Food Sweeteners (Nutritive). no food-canning registrationno process filing
- DP4-1096431-7 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. filth
- SCS-8325730-1 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.From Portugal, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. unapproved new drug
- KM6-3686224-5 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. filth
- H67-1717485-7 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, HARD, WITHOUT NUTS OR FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From India, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- KM6-3685157-8 PEPPER,BLACK, WHOLE (SPICE)From India, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. filthSalmonella
- BQL-0114463-1 HONEYFrom Turkey, Food Sweeteners (Nutritive). substitution
- KM6-3678696-4 BETEL NUT, SHELLEDFrom India, Nuts and Edible Seeds. poisonous substance
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 — more than 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.