FDA Halt Exports from Affected Areas of Japan
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, because of the heavy damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami to the region, there are little or no products are currently being exported from the affected area. Products generally travel by vessel, and the typical transit time for products to reach the U.S. is about 8 days.
FDA’s import tracking system has been programmed to automatically flag all shipments of FDA-regulated products from Japan, and the Agency maintains a registry of companies that prepare, pack, manufacture, or hold food for intended consumption in the U.S. The Agency will be paying special attention to shipments from those companies in the affected area.
Standard operating procedure requires shippers to submit and FDA to receive prior notice of a shipment before the arrival of any shipments of FDA-regulated food/feed products. FDA’s Prior Notice Center (PNC) enables the agency to stop these products upon arrival at the U.S. border or before they are distributed in U.S. commerce if a credible threat is identified for any shipment.
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents routinely use radiation detection equipment to screen food imports, cargo, and travelers. This screening helps identify and resolve potential safety or security risks. FDA is working with CBP to determine if their Automated Targeting System can assist in identifying shipments of FDA-regulated products, other than food, originating from Japan before they arrive so that these shipments can be better targeted for examination. FDA’s import staff will review each shipment of regulated goods originating from Japan and determine if it should be examined and sampled or released.
If you have questions with regards to this new process, please contact your Bay Brokerage Inc. account manager or call our headquarters at 1-315-482-6161