Food and Beverage Logistics for US Importers

Food and beverage logistics covers the full supply chain function of moving food and packaged beverage products from manufacturer to US market, including international freight, customs entry, FDA compliance, and delivery to a DC, distributor, or retailer. For US importers, the defining difference versus other industries is that food shipments are regulated by both CBP and FDA at entry, and in some cases by USDA APHIS as well. Every shipment requires FDA Prior Notice before arrival, and every importer is legally required under FSMA to maintain Foreign Supplier Verification Program documentation for each supplier. A freight forwarder specializing in food and beverage logistics manages the FDA documentation timeline alongside the freight timeline, because the two are not separate.

FDA Prior Notice is a pre-arrival notification required under the Bioterrorism Act and enforced under 21 CFR Part 1, Subpart I. It must be submitted through FDA's Prior Notice System Interface for every food shipment entering the US, regardless of product type or origin. For ocean shipments, Prior Notice must be submitted at least 8 hours before the vessel arrives at the US port. For air shipments, 4 hours before arrival. For land border crossings by truck or rail, 2 hours before arrival. If the Prior Notice is missing, refused by FDA, or contains incorrect information, CBP is required to hold the shipment and FDA can order it refused and returned at the importer's expense. We file Prior Notice as part of the standard import workflow on every food shipment so this step does not become a port exception.

FSMA's Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) rule, in effect since 2017, requires that US importers of human and animal food conduct and document verification activities to ensure their foreign suppliers are producing food in a manner that meets US food safety standards. The FSVP record for each supplier must include a hazard analysis of the food, an evaluation of the foreign supplier's food safety performance, and documentation of the verification activities performed, which may include on-site audits, periodic testing, or review of the supplier's food safety records. The FSVP record must be kept for at least two years and must be made available to FDA on request. Importers are responsible for maintaining these records, not the freight forwarder. Our role is to confirm FSVP documentation is current per supplier before a shipment books and to flag any supplier whose records are out of date.

Most packaged and processed food products from China land under Section 301 List 1, which adds 25 percent on top of standard MFN duty. This covers a wide range of categories including sauces, condiments, spices, packaged teas, canned goods, food-grade ingredients, and food preparations under HTS Chapters 16 through 21. Some raw agricultural commodities and bulk ingredients fall under List 3 or List 4A at 25 or 7.5 percent respectively depending on the 8-digit HTS code. Exclusions have been granted and expired on specific codes, and active exclusions have sunset dates that require tracking. For programs with significant China sourcing, we map every product to the correct list and monitor exclusion status on a quarterly basis so a rate change does not arrive as a surprise at entry.

Food and beverage imports span HTS Chapters 7 through 22. Chapter 7 covers vegetables, Chapter 8 fresh and dried fruits, Chapter 9 coffee and tea and spices, Chapter 11 milling products and starches, Chapter 16 prepared fish and meat products, Chapter 17 sugars and confectionery, Chapter 18 cocoa and chocolate, Chapter 19 baked goods and pasta, Chapter 20 preparations of vegetables and fruit, Chapter 21 miscellaneous food preparations including sauces and condiments, and Chapter 22 beverages including water, juices, wine, and spirits. Each chapter carries its own base MFN duty rate, and chapters covering products with significant Chinese sourcing often carry additional Section 301 exposure at the 8-digit level.

No. Platton's food and beverage practice is focused on shelf-stable, dry, and ambient-temperature food and beverage imports. This covers packaged and processed foods, beverages, dry ingredients, canned goods, spices, coffee and tea, confectionery, and similar categories that do not require refrigerated containers or cold chain handling in transit. Fresh produce, fresh meat and seafood, dairy, and other perishables requiring continuous refrigeration are outside Platton's current scope.

Several food categories from China carry active anti-dumping duty orders that add significant cost on top of Section 301 and standard MFN duty. Honey from China has been subject to an anti-dumping order since 2001. Fresh garlic from China has carried an anti-dumping order since 1994, with rates that vary widely by producer and can exceed 300 percent for companies not separately reviewed. Canned mushrooms from China have been under an anti-dumping order since 1999. Certain species of shrimp and crawfish tail meat also carry orders from prior investigation cycles. All of these orders are product-specific and producer-specific. A new supplier within a scoped category may have a different rate than your existing supplier. We verify your product mix and supplier status against current orders and cash deposit rates before every PO cycle.

Mexico to US border by truck runs 1 to 3 days transit from Monterrey or Guadalajara to Texas ports of entry, plus 1 to 2 days for customs and FDA clearance. Total door to door typically 5 to 10 days. China to US West Coast (Los Angeles or Long Beach) runs 14 to 18 days ocean transit on a direct service. Add 7 to 10 days for origin booking and export documentation and 3 to 7 days for drayage and delivery. Total China to DC typically 30 to 40 days in normal conditions. Vietnam to US West Coast from Ho Chi Minh City runs 18 to 22 days ocean. Total Vietnam to DC typically 35 to 45 days. India to US West Coast via Nhava Sheva runs 22 to 27 days. All ocean lead times extend 5 to 10 days during peak season from vessel rolling and port congestion.