FDA Deadline Approaches

Food Facility Registration and Re-registration Deadline

January 31, 2013 is the deadline for all food facilities – foreign and domestic – that manufacture, pack or store food, alcoholic beverages, food ingredients, pet foods or dietary supplements to renew their food facility registrations with FDA or risk suspension of import privileges. If suspended, a facility may not be allowed to import, distribute or sell food in the United States.

We would like to call your attention to the following message sent out by Customs and Border Protection: http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/csms.asp?srch_argv=13-000020&srchtype=all&opt=1

Further informationa can be obtained at FDA’s website: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm314178.htm

Additional Bills for Merchandise Processing Fee

Customs has begun to send out additional invoices to cover the increase in Merchandise Processing Fees (from 0.21% to 0.3464% of FOB Value) effective October 1, 2012.

We strongly urge our importers to pay these additional invoices upon receipt. Delay or failure to pay could result in the importer being place on the National Sanction List by Customs and Border Protection. This would remove the importer’s Immediate Delivery privileges and require Live Entries along with duty payments to be submitted for each shipment thereby creating delays and potential demurrage/storage situations.

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!