Beginning October 1, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will start collecting fees for new export certifications on foods for human consumption. The program will apply to foods such as produce, grains, processed foods, food additives, color additives, and infant formula.
The new program implements an amendment to the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act passed by Congress in 2011. Through this amendment, foods were added to the list for which a request can be made to the FDA who will certify in writing that the exported product meets certain requirements. The FDA notes that this program is not intended to replace export certifications for foods currently issued by other federal agencies and that those arrangements will remain the same.
“We anticipate that this new export certification will facilitate trade by assisting U.S. food exporters in fulfilling importing country requirements for FDA certification of FDA-regulated food products,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “While American food standards are among the most stringent in the world, the FDA recognizes that some U.S. trading partners seek additional assurance that imported food products are produced under applicable requirements, and may request specific language or product information on export certificates. The new export certification program will continue FDA’s efforts to help facilitate American global exports and boost our nation’s economy.”
The FDA will begin collecting the following fees for new export certifications for food for human consumption starting October 1st.
| Type of Certificate | Fee |
| First Certificate | $175 |
| Second Certificate for the same product(s) issued in response to the same request | $155 |
| Subsequent certificates for the same product(s) issued in response to the same request | $100 |
*The FDA will continue to issue the current “Certificate of Free Sale” for dietary supplements, medical foods and foods for special dietary uses.
In order to ensure the needs of U.S. exports are met, the FDA will continue to work with other U.S. Government agencies on export certifications as well as to partner with interagency consultants on any new requests by foreign governments.
For more information, please visit the Federal Register’s National Archives.
