United Arab Emirates: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025
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United Arab Emirates was the origin of 87 of 22,156 US food import refusals in 2020–2025 (0.4%), ranking 44th of 146 origins. 80% were hazard findings and 20% paperwork alone. 24% concerned fruit and fruit products; the most-cited safety charge was filth, and the most-cited paperwork charge nutrition labeling.
Every US food import refusal naming United Arab Emirates 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).
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By year
| Year | Refusals | Share of US total | Rank among origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14 | 0.5% | 33 |
| 2021 | 6 | 0.2% | 54 |
| 2022 | 6 | 0.2% | 60 |
| 2023 | 20 | 0.6% | 32 |
| 2024 | 12 | 0.3% | 46 |
| 2025 | 29 | 0.5% | 35 |
| 2020–2025 | 87 | 0.4% | 44 |
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 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 100.0% |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 50.0% |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 91.7% |
| 2025 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 93.1% |
| 2020–2025 | 70 | 17 | 0 | 80.5% |
By industry
| FDA industry | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 21 (24.1%) | — |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts rates → Spices-other |
3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 17 (19.5%) | — |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 12 (13.8%) | — |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 9 (10.3%) | — |
| Fishery/Seafood Products | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (4.6%) | — |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 (3.4%) | — |
| Chocolate and Cocoa Products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 (3.4%) | — |
| Food Sweeteners (Nutritive) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 (3.4%) | — |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 (3.4%) | — |
| Milk, Butter, and Dried Milk Products | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2.3%) | — |
| Nuts and Edible Seeds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (2.3%) | — |
| Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 (2.3%) | — |
| Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2.3%) | — |
| Coffee and Tea | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.1%) | — |
| Color Additives for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (1.1%) | — |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.1%) | — |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1.1%) | — |
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) | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 19 (21.8%) | — |
| Labelling (paperwork) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 19 (21.8%) | — |
| Salmonella (hazard) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 17 (19.5%) | — |
| Pesticide residues (hazard) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 16 (18.4%) | — |
| Process and registration (paperwork) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 14 (16.1%) | — |
| Unsafe additives (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 (16.1%) | — |
| Contaminants (hazard) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 (4.6%) | — |
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 |
6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 18 | — |
Salmonella SALMONELLA |
2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 17 | — |
pesticide residue PESTICIDE |
6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 16 | — |
unsafe color additive UNSAFE COL |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | — |
unsafe dietary ingredient UNSFDIETSP |
0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
unsafe food additive UNSAFE ADD |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | — |
insanitary handling MFR INJ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
insanitary plant MFR INSAN |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — |
lead PB-FOOD |
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
poisonous or deleterious substance POISONOUS |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
Paperwork charges
| Charge | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
nutrition labeling NUTRIT LBL |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | — |
unapproved new drug UNAPPROVED |
0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — |
labeling LABELING |
0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | — |
foreign plant not registered FRNMFGREG |
0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
no net quantity LACKS N/C |
0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | — |
ingredients not listed LIST INGRE |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — |
establishment not listed NOT LISTED |
0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
no adequate directions DIRSEXMPT |
0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
false or misleading label FALSE |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — |
FSVP violation FSVP VIO |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | new |
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 December; Paperwork only peak in February.
Hazard or paperwork
| Kind | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard findings | 3 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 13 | December |
| Paperwork only | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | February |
By charge group
| Charge group | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filth and insanitary conditions | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | March |
| Labelling | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | December |
| Salmonella | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | July |
| Pesticide residues | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | December |
| Process and registration | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | February |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNEI — Northeast | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 24 | — |
| DWCI — West Coast | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 22 | — |
| DNBI — North Border, the Canadian land border | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 21 | — |
| DSEI — Southeast | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 17 | — |
| DSWI — Southwest, the Mexican land border | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | — |
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 "United Arab Emirates: FDA food import refusals, 2020–2025", fruit-risk.com, 2026-09-20, https://fdair.fruit-risk.com/reports/united-arab-emirates.html.
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