What preparations are needed to send food products to the U.S.?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Customs are leading the way in improving food import safety, imposing certain restrictions on food imports into the U.S. and similar restrictions on food shipments through the U.S. All food products for corporate customers in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe are required to obtain a Prior Notice Confirmation Number (PNC#) from the FDA prior to shipment, regardless of their intended use. Exceptions exist for shipments of gifts or food for personal consumption from individuals below a certain value, which may not require a PNC#, but do require a declaration of the intended use, product name, manufacturer's company name and address. 

Step 1

Please check to see if the food you are shipping can be handled by FedEx.

FedEx does not handle the following food items:

• Alcohol for which both the exporter and importer lack a license to handle alcoholic beverages.
• Fresh foods and other perishable foods (including foods that require refrigeration or freezing)
• Foods containing beef, pork, chicken or extracts, e.g., cup noodles, etc.

Foods that require preparation prior to shipment:

• Canned seafood
• Processed tuna and bonito foods

Step 2
Please confirm the purpose of the shipment.

Depending on the purpose of shipment, you may need to obtain a PNC# from the FDA.

Homemade food products as a gift to an individual with a declared value of 100 USD or less
An air waybill and commercial invoice must be prepared.

Please fill in the following information in the item name field of the air waybill and commercial invoice.

• FS (Food Shipment)
• Personal gift (for gift items)
• Homemade
• Name of the food product

Please leave the company name blank for both the shipper and the recipient, and enter only the individual's name. (If the company name is included, it will not be accepted as an exemption from the PCN#.)

[Example]
In the case of sending homemade cookies as a gift

FS/Personal Gift, Homemade, Cookie

Food purchased as a personal gift with a declared value of 100 USD or less
An air waybill and commercial invoice must be prepared.

In addition, you will need to obtain a PNC# from the FDA and a printout of the screen used to obtain the PNC#.

The following information must be entered in the item name field of the air waybill and commercial invoice.

1. FS (Food Shipment)
2. Food name
3. Manufacturer's name
4. Manufacturer's name and address

[Example]
In the case of shipping rice crackers manufactured by ABC Seika

FS/Rice Cracker

Manufacturer: ABC Seika Co., Ltd. (X-X-X Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan)

For personal consumption with a declared value of 200 USD or less
An air waybill and commercial invoice are required.

The following information should be entered in the "Item Name" field of the air waybill and commercial invoice.

1. FS (Food Shipment)
2. Personal use only (for personal consumption)
3. Homemade or non-homemade (purchased)
4. Name of food product
5. Manufacturer's name and address (not required for Homemade)

Please leave the company name blank for both the shipper and recipient, and enter only the individual's name (If the company name is written, it will not be accepted as an exemption from the PCN#.).

[Example]
In case of sending rice crackers manufactured by ABC Confectionery for personal use

FS/Personal use only, Non-Homemade, Rice Cracker

Manufacturer: ABC Seika Co., Ltd. (X-X-X Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan)

For shipments for purposes other than the above
An air waybill and commercial invoice must be prepared.

In addition, you will need to obtain a PNC# from the FDA and print out a copy of the screen used to obtain the PNC#.

The following information must be entered in the Item Name field of the air waybill and commercial invoice.

1. FS (Food Shipment)
2. Food name
3. Manufacturer's name
4. Manufacturer's name and address

[Example]
In case of shipping rice crackers manufactured by ABC Seika

FS/Rice Cracker

Manufacturer: ABC Seika Co., Ltd. (X-X-X Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan)

Notes
The above information is subject to change without notice by the FDA.

Depending on customs' decision, some items may not be treated as gifts or for personal use, and you may be required to obtain an FDA pre-declaration number.

Depending on customs inspections, it may take longer than usual to clear imports, which may cause delays in delivery.

If you wish to obtain an FDA pre-filing number, please obtain an FDA account ID and password from the FDA website, complete the pre-filing number application procedures with reference to the guidance below and attach a printout of the screen at the time of obtaining the PNC#.

External website
FDA website

Related questions
How to obtain a PNC#
Shipping food products to destinations via the U.S.
Shipping canned seafood to the U.S.
Air waybill
Commercial invoice