FDA Import Refusals Logged by DSWI
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The DSWI import division logged 4,831 FDA refusals between 2020 and 2026, 18.2% 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.
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 DSWI, by year
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 459 | — | |
| 2021 | 445 | -3.1% | |
| 2022 | 765 | +71.9% | |
| 2023 | 708 | -7.5% | |
| 2024 | 800 | +13.0% | |
| 2025 | 972 | +21.5% | |
| 2026 | 682 | — | YTD |
| Total | 4,831 |
Origins most often refused by DSWI
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 3,722 |
| 2 | India | 423 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 61 |
| 4 | China | 59 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 58 |
| 6 | Guatemala | 48 |
| 7 | Nigeria | 47 |
| 8 | Vietnam | 43 |
| 9 | El Salvador | 25 |
| 10 | Honduras | 22 |
| 11 | United States | 21 |
| 12 | Thailand | 17 |
| 13 | Senegal | 16 |
| 14 | Egypt | 15 |
| 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 | Philippines | 10 |
| 24 | Japan | 9 |
| 25 | United Kingdom | 9 |
| 26 | Tanzania | 7 |
| 27 | France | 6 |
| 28 | Spain | 6 |
| 29 | Ecuador | 5 |
| 30 | Germany | 5 |
Product categories most often refused by DSWI
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 1,208 |
| 2 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 975 |
| 3 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 813 |
| 4 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 308 |
| 5 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 244 |
| 6 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 156 |
| 7 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 147 |
| 8 | Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 105 |
| 9 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 105 |
| 10 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 104 |
| 11 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 102 |
| 12 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 100 |
| 13 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 91 |
| 14 | Dressings and Condiments | 61 |
| 15 | Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 60 |
Recent refusals logged by DSWI
- U72-0541301-7 TILAPIAFrom Nigeria, Fishery/Seafood Products. insanitary plantinsanitary handling
- BJG-0215917-5 MILK, FLAVORED (CHOCOLATE, ETC.)From Mexico, Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products. ingredients not listedunsafe food additivelabel not conspicuousfalse or misleading label+1 more
- EMK-0157694-6 FOODS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS ADDED, WITH OR WITHOUT ARTIFICAL SWEETNERSFrom Mexico, Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- N9H-0011809-9 FILLED MILK, CONCENTRATED, EVAPORATED MILK TYPE PRODUCTFrom Mexico, Filled Milk and Imitation Milk Products. no food-canning registrationno process filing
- ADM-0067450-4 RICE, PLAIN (WHITE OR POLISHED) PROCESSED (PACKAGED)From India, Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch. pesticide residuefilth
- NDA-1038475-4 HUSK TOMATO (TOMATILLO) (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE)From Mexico, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Salmonella
- 635-1125720-4 DATES (PIT FRUIT), (PIT FRUIT)From Mexico, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- NJA-0004325-9 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additivelabel not conspicuousnot in Englishcolor additive labeling+1 more
- NJA-0004406-7 SQUASH, SUMMER (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE)From Mexico, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. pesticide residue
- BHK-6118330-6 PRICKLE PEAR (CORE FRUIT)From Mexico, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residue
- BJG-0222075-3 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- NJA-0004253-3 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- BJG-0222052-2 CORN CHIPS, FRIEDFrom Mexico, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). unsafe color additiveingredients not listedlabel not conspicuouscolor not declared+3 more
- BJG-0223283-2 SAUCES, N.E.C.From Mexico, Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet). no acidified-food filingno food-canning registrationno process filing
- 83U-1466183-1 PRICKLE PEAR (CORE FRUIT)From Mexico, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residue
- AMH-0035885-6 MIXED SPICES AND SEASONING WITH SALT, N.E.C.From Mexico, Spices, Flavors, and Salts. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- 83U-1466142-7 PRICKLE PEAR (CORE FRUIT)From Mexico, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residue
- NDA-1038362-4 HUSK TOMATO (TOMATILLO) (FRUIT USED AS VEGETABLE)From Mexico, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Salmonella
- NDA-1038736-9 PIMIENTO PEPPER, JUICEFrom Mexico, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. pesticide residue
- RTW-0045096-4 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.From India, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
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.