Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published an update on entry data requirements for importers subject to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Food Importers (FSVP) regulation.
Current, FDA guidance provides that FSVP Importers may temporarily submit “UNK” (unknown) in place of the DUNS number for the FSVP Importer. FDA expected all importers to provide their Unique Firm Identifier (UFI) in accordance with FDA regulations at the time of imporation. FDA recognized, the initial requirement was a new requirement and some factors may have prevented importers from providing this information. In recognizing the challenges around this requirement, FDA established a temporary policy providing FSVP importers unable to immediately obtain a DUNS number to transmit the value “UNK” in the UFI field for shipments subject to FSVP entry requirements.
On July 24, 2022, FDA will end its temporary policy of permitting use of the entity identification code “UNK.” FSVP importers. The FSVP importer must ensure that their valid, 9-digit DUNS number is provided in the Entity Number field. As of July 24, 2022, CBP will reject an entry line of a food subject to the FSVP regulation when the importer’s DUNS number is not provided in the Entity Number field.
FDA Guidance – Providing Acceptable Unique Faciliity Identifier for FSVP for Food Importers
Courtesy of John S. Connor – Compliance
