Food, supplements and cosmetics from China are not restricted goods. They are regulated goods, and the difference is where the problem shows up.
Nothing about the cargo looks wrong. The cartons are fine, the declaration is fine, the duty is paid. The shipment is screened against FDA databases, the producing facility is not in them, and the goods are detained.
The goods are compliant. The registrations behind them are not. This is the most common reason a legitimate shipment in these categories gets held.
Cosmetics: the rules changed, and they are now being enforced
This is the category most people are behind on.
Under MoCRA, foreign cosmetic facilities must be registered with the FDA and must designate a US agent. Product listings are required for each product. Import shipments are screened against registration and listing data — non-filers risk detention at the border.
Two details that catch exporters out:
- Registration lapses matter. Facility registration must be renewed every two years, and a lapsed registration is treated as inactive during import screening.
- Listings must be maintained. Product listings cover the category, full ingredient list and manufacturing facility, and have to be updated when product information changes.
FDA has been building out its inspection programme and enforcement activity has been increasing through 2026.
Ask your factory for its FDA facility registration number and confirm the product is listed. If they cannot answer, you are not ready to ship retail quantities.
Food: Prior Notice and facility registration
Commercial food shipments have two requirements that sit outside the customs entry itself.
Facility registration. The facility that manufactures, processes, packs or holds the food for US consumption must be registered with the FDA.
Prior Notice. FDA must be notified of the shipment before it arrives. This is a separate filing from the customs entry, and it has its own timing requirements.
Miss either and the shipment is refused entry, regardless of whether the food itself is perfectly acceptable.
Sample quantities rarely trigger this. Retail stock always does. The line between the two is where most first-time importers get caught — the second shipment is the one that gets held, because the first was small enough to pass.
Supplements: labelling is the exposure
Dietary supplements are regulated as a category of food, so the registration and Prior Notice requirements above apply.
The additional risk is the label:
- Ingredient disclosure must be complete and accurate
- Structure/function claims are permitted within limits; disease claims are not. “Supports joint comfort” and “treats arthritis” are on opposite sides of a hard line
- Novel ingredients may require a New Dietary Ingredient notification before they can be lawfully marketed
A claim on the packaging can reclassify your product as an unapproved drug — at which point it is not a labelling problem, it is a prohibited import.
Send us the actual label artwork, not just the product name.
What we don’t carry
| Not accepted | Why |
|---|---|
| Meat, eggs, dairy | USDA / APHIS animal product restrictions. Disease control, not paperwork you can obtain. |
| Pet food with meat | Same rule. Meat-free formulations are fine. |
| Western pharmaceuticals | FDA approval and DEA control. Unapproved drugs are refused. |
| Psychotropics, narcotics | Controlled substances. |
| Unidentified liquids / powders | Cannot be classified, cannot be declared, cannot be defended at an inspection. |
What we do carry in this space: packaged food, still beverages, dried goods, meat-free pet food, cosmetics, home fragrance, essential oils, air-dried Chinese herbal materials and health supplements — subject to the registrations above.
The pattern behind all of it
Every rule on this page exists because the FDA regulates who made it, not just what it is.
Customs asks what the goods are and what they are worth. The FDA asks whether the facility that produced them is known to the agency, whether the product has been listed, and whether the label says anything it shouldn’t.
Those questions are answered before the container sails, or they are answered while it sits at the port.
Before you ship, confirm these
- FDA facility registration number for the producing facility
- Product listing status, for cosmetics
- US agent designated, for foreign facilities
- Full ingredient list, exactly as it appears on the label
- Label artwork, including all claims
- Whether this is a sample quantity or retail stock
We will tell you which filings apply before you pack. If something is missing, it is far cheaper to fix in the factory than at the port.
What we can and can’t do
We can tell you which requirements apply to your product, review the label and the declaration before filing, and flag a facility registration that will fail screening.
We can’t register your factory with the FDA, act as your US agent, or release a shipment detained on an FDA hold. Those sit with the importer and, where needed, a regulatory consultant.
Not sure which filings apply to your product?
Send us the product name, the ingredient list and the label artwork. We will tell you what is required the same working day. Mon–Sat, 08:00–22:00 China time (GMT+8).
This guide is general information, not regulatory advice. FDA requirements change — verify against FDA sources before acting.