FDA Import Refusals Logged by DWCI
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The DWCI import division logged 5,711 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
| Year | Refusals | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 670 | — | |
| 2021 | 599 | -10.6% | |
| 2022 | 678 | +13.2% | |
| 2023 | 794 | +17.1% | |
| 2024 | 879 | +10.7% | |
| 2025 | 1,162 | +32.2% | |
| 2026 | 929 | — | YTD |
| Total | 5,711 |
Origins most often refused by DWCI
| # | Origin country | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,361 |
| 2 | India | 839 |
| 3 | Vietnam | 535 |
| 4 | Philippines | 370 |
| 5 | South Korea | 324 |
| 6 | Indonesia | 304 |
| 7 | Thailand | 276 |
| 8 | Taiwan | 209 |
| 9 | Japan | 195 |
| 10 | Hong Kong | 108 |
| 11 | Pakistan | 98 |
| 12 | Malaysia | 54 |
| 13 | Guatemala | 45 |
| 14 | Turkey | 42 |
| 15 | Bangladesh | 36 |
| 16 | Chile | 35 |
| 17 | Italy | 35 |
| 18 | Fiji | 34 |
| 19 | Peru | 34 |
| 20 | Sri Lanka | 32 |
| 21 | United States | 32 |
| 22 | Afghanistan | 29 |
| 23 | Egypt | 29 |
| 24 | Portugal | 29 |
| 25 | United Arab Emirates | 29 |
| 26 | El Salvador | 28 |
| 27 | Mexico | 24 |
| 28 | Ecuador | 22 |
| 29 | Tanzania | 22 |
| 30 | Myanmar | 21 |
Product categories most often refused by DWCI
| # | Product category | Refusals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fishery/Seafood Products | 1,176 |
| 2 | Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 837 |
| 3 | Fruit and Fruit Products | 816 |
| 4 | Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 341 |
| 5 | Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 299 |
| 6 | Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 288 |
| 7 | Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 284 |
| 8 | Nuts and Edible Seeds | 280 |
| 9 | Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 227 |
| 10 | Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 194 |
| 11 | Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 182 |
| 12 | Ice Cream and Related Products | 155 |
| 13 | Macaroni and Noodle Products | 153 |
| 14 | Soft Drinks and Waters | 80 |
| 15 | Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products | 52 |
Recent refusals logged by DWCI
- FY1-4103443-6 MACKEREL (ALL EXCEPT SCOMBEROMORUS SP, EG SPANISH OR KING SEE '22')From Japan, Fishery/Seafood Products. HACCP failure
- EI5-0601606-9 GINSENG UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITY FOR HUMANS OR ANIMALSFrom China, Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Siberian ginseng mislabeled
- AD4-0726145-3 MARSHMALLOW CANDY, SOFT, WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Sweden, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- BWS-0007112-9 RAISINS, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Turkey, Fruit and Fruit Products. pesticide residuefilth
- 1FX-6543817-9 TAMARIND, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Vietnam, Fruit and Fruit Products. filth
- BDD-6711316-3 BISCUITSFrom Philippines, Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. unsafe color additivecolor not declaredFD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- BDD-6711278-5 CARAMEL CANDY PIECES, SOFT, WITH NUTS OR NUT PRODUCTS (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Philippines, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. FD&C Yellow No. 5 undeclared
- MQ9-0213174-6 MIXED VEGETABLES, N.E.C.From India, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. poisonous or deleterious substance
- 235-1768372-0 SNAILS, AQUATIC, OTHER AQUATIC SPECIESFrom Japan, Fishery/Seafood Products. ingredients not listedundeclared allergenno process filing
- FY1-4099257-6 FUNGI PRODUCTS NOT MENTIONED ELSEWHERE, N.E.C.From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. filth
- 235-1766384-7 FISH, N.E.C.From Japan, Fishery/Seafood Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- 082-0477760-4 SNAPPER (RED, GRAY, MALABAR, ETC.)From Indonesia, Fishery/Seafood Products. filth
- DS8-3035070-0 SHRIMP & PRAWNSFrom China, Fishery/Seafood Products. unsafe food additiveveterinary drug residue
- 8M6-0077442-0 MANGO, DRIED OR PASTEFrom Thailand, Fruit and Fruit Products. sulfites not declared
- AWJ-0333169-6 ENOKITAKE MUSHROOMS, WHOLE (BUTTON) (FUNGI)From China, Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Listeria monocytogenes
- NUV-4039671-8 WHEY BASE INFANT FORMULA PRODUCT (0-12 MONTHS), POWDER FORMULAFrom Japan, Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products. label not conspicuousno net quantity
- EAY-0057680-6 ICE CREAM, REGULAR, NOT VANILLA OR VANILLIN FLAVOREDFrom China, Ice Cream and Related Products. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- 1FX-7762713-2 JELLIED CANDY, SOFT (JELLY BEANS, GUM DROPS, ETC.), WITHOUT NUTS AND FRUIT (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE)From Sweden, Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- 1FX-3814947-3 TILAPIA, AQUACULTURE HARVESTED FISHERY/SEAFOOD PRODUCTSFrom Nigeria, Fishery/Seafood Products. ingredients not listedfilthno common namenutrition labeling
- 300-3751398-6 POTATO CHIPS,FRIEDFrom Canada, Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base). 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.