Last refresh: · 25,892 refusals since 2020-01-01

FDA Import Refusals Logged by DWCI

← all import divisions · dashboard

The DWCI import division logged 5,578 FDA refusals between 2020 and 2026, 21.5% of all US import refusals in the dataset. The origins it rejects most often are China, India, Vietnam. Its most-rejected product category is Fishery/Seafood Products. Volume in 2025 was up 32% 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 DWCI, by year

YearRefusalsYoY
2020 670 —
2021 599 -10.6%
2022 678 +13.2%
2023 794 +17.1%
2024 879 +10.7%
2025 1,162 +32.2%
2026 796 — YTD
Total5,578

Origins most often refused by DWCI

#Origin countryRefusals
1 China 1,312
2 India 831
3 Vietnam 526
4 Philippines 362
5 South Korea 321
6 Indonesia 300
7 Thailand 265
8 Taiwan 204
9 Japan 187
10 Hong Kong 106
11 Pakistan 97
12 Malaysia 54
13 Guatemala 44
14 Turkey 40
15 Bangladesh 36
16 Chile 35
17 Italy 35
18 Fiji 34
19 Peru 34
20 Sri Lanka 32
21 United States 32
22 Egypt 29
23 Portugal 29
24 United Arab Emirates 29
25 Afghanistan 27
26 El Salvador 27
27 Mexico 24
28 Ecuador 22
29 Myanmar 21
30 Tanzania 21

Product categories most often refused by DWCI

#Product categoryRefusals
1Fishery/Seafood Products1,158
2Vegetables and Vegetable Products826
3Fruit and Fruit Products786
4Spices, Flavors, and Salts334
5Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings297
6Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet)283
7Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans281
8Nuts and Edible Seeds276
9Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base)226
10Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch182
11Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum179
12Macaroni and Noodle Products149
13Ice Cream and Related Products128
14Soft Drinks and Waters76
15Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products51

Recent refusals logged by DWCI

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 — close to three in ten are labelling or registration failures rather than a hazard in the product itself, which is why this site counts hazard and paperwork refusals separately.