Thailand: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025
← All origin reports Thailand: refusals and rates, last 3 years →
Thailand was the origin of 476 of 22,158 US food import refusals in 2020–2025 (2.1%), ranking 7th of 146 origins. 80% were hazard findings and 20% paperwork alone. 30% concerned fishery/seafood products; the most-cited safety charge was filth, and the most-cited paperwork charge nutrition labeling.
Every US food import refusal naming Thailand as origin, 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025. A refusal is one import entry, however many product lines it carried. Download every table (CSV).
Exporting from Thailand? Get an email when shipments from Thailand are refused at the US border — before your buyers ask.
One email a week, and only when something matches. We'll send a confirmation link first; unsubscribe any time from the footer of any email.
By year
| Year | Refusals | Share of US total | Rank among origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 84 | 3.1% | 6 |
| 2021 | 40 | 1.4% | 11 |
| 2022 | 65 | 1.9% | 9 |
| 2023 | 83 | 2.4% | 9 |
| 2024 | 84 | 2.1% | 8 |
| 2025 | 120 | 2.1% | 8 |
| 2020–2025 | 476 | 2.1% | 7 |
Year links open that year's refusals, entry by entry.
Tables below show each year 2020–2025; cells are shaded against their row's own peak. Change compares 2025 with 2020 and is shown only where 2020 had at least 10 refusals ("new" where it had none).
Hazard or paperwork
A refusal is a hazard finding when any of its charges is a safety one — filth, pathogens, residues, contaminants, unsafe additives — and paperwork when every charge is labelling, registration or a missing filing. One citing only charge codes FDA has not published is unclassified.
| Year | Hazard findings | Paperwork only | Unclassified | Hazard share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 69 | 15 | 0 | 82.1% |
| 2021 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 75.0% |
| 2022 | 46 | 19 | 0 | 70.8% |
| 2023 | 74 | 9 | 0 | 89.2% |
| 2024 | 65 | 19 | 0 | 77.4% |
| 2025 | 98 | 22 | 0 | 81.7% |
| 2020–2025 | 382 | 94 | 0 | 80.3% |
By industry
| FDA industry | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishery/Seafood Products rates → Fish-other, Shrimp-prawn, Tuna |
23 | 21 | 15 | 27 | 16 | 42 | 144 (30.3%) | +83% |
| Fruit and Fruit Products rates → Berries-grapes, Citrus, Fruit-other, Stone-fruit, Tropical |
23 | 4 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 94 (19.7%) | −9% |
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products rates → Pepper, Vegetables-other |
3 | 1 | 12 | 24 | 15 | 16 | 71 (14.9%) | — |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds rates → Cashew, Groundnut, Other-nuts, Sesame, Sunflower |
2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 35 (7.4%) | — |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) rates → Sauces-prepared |
10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 26 (5.5%) | −50% |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans rates → Herbals-botanicals, Supplements |
9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 23 (4.8%) | — |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 19 (4.0%) | — |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 15 (3.2%) | — |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts rates → Spices-other |
4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 (2.1%) | — |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 (1.7%) | — |
| Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 (1.5%) | — |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings rates → Bakery |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 (0.8%) | — |
| Beverage Bases | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 (0.8%) | — |
| Coffee and Tea | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (0.6%) | — |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) rates → | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (0.6%) | — |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements rates → | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (0.4%) | — |
| Macaroni and Noodle Products rates → Noodles-pasta |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 (0.4%) | — |
| Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 (0.4%) | — |
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Filled Milk and Imitation Milk Products | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Ice Cream and Related Products | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Soups | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
By charge group
A refusal citing charges in two groups counts once in each, so rows can add up to more than the total.
| Charge group | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filth and insanitary conditions (hazard) | 41 | 18 | 12 | 23 | 24 | 49 | 167 (35.1%) | +20% |
| Labelling (paperwork) | 18 | 7 | 14 | 16 | 22 | 16 | 93 (19.5%) | −11% |
| Salmonella (hazard) | 6 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 71 (14.9%) | — |
| Pesticide residues (hazard) | 9 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 64 (13.4%) | — |
| Process and registration (paperwork) | 6 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 62 (13.0%) | — |
| Unsafe additives (hazard) | 6 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 42 (8.8%) | — |
| Contaminants (hazard) | 4 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 37 (7.8%) | — |
| Undeclared allergens (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 11 (2.3%) | — |
| Veterinary drug residues (hazard) | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 (2.3%) | — |
| Histamine (hazard) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 (0.8%) | — |
| Mycotoxins (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
| Other charges (no group) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (0.2%) | — |
Most-cited charges
FDA's own charge codes, with a plain-English label. Each is counted once per refusal.
Safety charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
filth FILTHY |
35 | 16 | 12 | 22 | 24 | 39 | 148 | +11% |
Salmonella SALMONELLA |
6 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 71 | — |
pesticide residue PESTICIDE |
9 | 4 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 64 | — |
unsafe color additive UNSAFE COL |
3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 24 | — |
poisonous substance POISONORD |
0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 21 | — |
insanitary plant MFR INSAN |
0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 12 | — |
undeclared allergen ALLERGEN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 11 | — |
poisonous or deleterious substance POISONOUS |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | — |
unsafe food additive UNSAFE ADD |
1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | — |
veterinary drug residue VETDRUGRES |
2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | — |
Paperwork charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
nutrition labeling NUTRIT LBL |
7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 41 | — |
not in English NO ENGLISH |
6 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 40 | — |
no process filing NO PROCESS |
2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 25 | — |
ingredients not listed LIST INGRE |
1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 20 | — |
no net quantity LACKS N/C |
3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 | — |
FSVP violation FSVP VIO |
0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 15 | — |
label not conspicuous INCONSPICU |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | — |
no manufacturer name LACKS FIRM |
5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | — |
color not declared COLOR LBLG |
1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 12 | — |
no food-canning registration NEEDS FCE |
2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | — |
By month
Pooled across 2020–2025. Each row is shaded against its own peak, so its season shows whatever its size. Hazard findings peak in May; Paperwork only peak in January.
Hazard or paperwork
| Kind | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard findings | 26 | 45 | 33 | 38 | 49 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 42 | 38 | May |
| Paperwork only | 12 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 11 | January |
By charge group
| Charge group | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filth and insanitary conditions | 7 | 21 | 24 | 13 | 30 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 14 | May |
| Labelling | 6 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 7 | February |
| Salmonella | 5 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 5 | April |
| Pesticide residues | 10 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 12 | December |
| Process and registration | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | January |
Import divisions
The FDA division that handled the entry. DSWI and DNBI are the Mexican and Canadian land borders, so this says as much about the route as about the product.
| Division | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DWCI — West Coast | 42 | 16 | 38 | 37 | 46 | 47 | 226 | +12% |
| DNEI — Northeast | 16 | 11 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 29 | 113 | +81% |
| DSEI — Southeast | 16 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 28 | 78 | +75% |
| DNBI — North Border, the Canadian land border | 6 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 44 | — |
| DSWI — Southwest, the Mexican land border | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 15 | — |
Method
Source: FDA Import Refusal Report (U.S. Food and Drug Administration); every food import refusal dated 2020–2025.
Counts are import entries, not product lines. A refusal naming several origins counts once for each, so origin shares can add up to more than 100%.
Charge groups are this site's grouping of FDA's charge codes; a code belongs to the first group that claims it, the same rule as the hazard pages.
A charge is what FDA cited to refuse the entry, often on appearance or documents rather than a laboratory result. Counts depend on how often each product is examined, so they are not a rate of unsafe food.
Licence: CC-BY-4.0. Cite as "Thailand: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025", fruit-risk.com, 2026-11-01, https://fdair.fruit-risk.com/reports/thailand.html.
All origins togetherSouth KoreaPhilippinesTurkey All origin reports