Guide

Importing food from Türkiye into the United States: FDA rules and documents

Lotvela · Gaziantep · Checked 28 October 2026

To import food from Türkiye into the United States, the Turkish facility that makes, packs or holds it must be registered with the FDA, each shipment needs FDA Prior Notice before arrival, and the US importer must run a Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) for that supplier. The food must also meet FDA safety and labelling rules and clear US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Since 24 July 2026, products of Türkiye also carry an additional 12.5% duty unless exempt.

FDA registration of the Turkish facility

A facility that manufactures, processes, packs or holds food for consumption in the US must register with the FDA before it starts. A foreign facility must name a US agent, a person who lives or does business in the US; a mailbox or answering service does not qualify. The registration includes a DUNS number and an assurance that the FDA may inspect.

Registration is free and is renewed between 1 October and 31 December of each even-numbered year. The current window closes on 31 December 2026; registrations not renewed by then expire. Food from an unregistered foreign facility is held at the port, and unless the facility registers it can only be exported or destroyed.

Prior Notice for every shipment

The FDA must receive Prior Notice of each food shipment before it arrives: at least 2 hours ahead by road, 4 by rail or air and 8 by sea. Mail needs notice before the parcel is sent. Anyone with the required information may file, so agree who does. Food without adequate notice is refused and held at the port.

The FSVP importer and what it must do

Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the FSVP importer is the US owner or consignee of the food at entry. If there is none, it is the foreign owner's US agent or representative, who signs a statement of consent. For each food and supplier, it must:

• identify known or reasonably foreseeable hazards, such as aflatoxins in nuts and dried figs;
• evaluate the risk and the supplier's record, approve the supplier, and re-evaluate at least every three years;
• verify the supplier by on-site audit, sampling and testing, or records review; an annual audit is generally required where a hazard could cause serious harm or death;
• take corrective action when the supplier falls short;
• give its name, email address and DUNS number on each entry line; CBP has rejected "UNK" instead of a DUNS since 24 July 2022;
• keep records for at least two years and produce them within 24 hours of an FDA request.

A qualified individual must do the work and be able to read the records, which may be in Turkish. Very small importers have modified requirements.

Preventive controls at the producer

A Turkish facility that must register also falls under the Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, 21 CFR 117, unless exempt. It must follow good manufacturing practice and keep a written food safety plan, prepared or overseen by a preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI). The plan covers hazard analysis, preventive controls, supply-chain controls, recalls, monitoring, corrective action and verification.

Import alerts, aflatoxins and pesticides

An import alert lets FDA staff detain a firm's goods without examining them. Import Alert 23-14, on mycotoxins, names Turkish firms for aflatoxins in pistachios, dried figs, fig paste, peanuts and pistachio halva. On 28 October 2026 it named none for Turkish hazelnuts or apricot kernels. Also check Import Alerts 99-08 (pesticides in processed foods) and 99-19 (Salmonella). Lists change; search them for your supplier before you contract.

The FDA may consider human food with more than 20 µg/kg (ppb) of total aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) adulterated (CPG Sec. 555.400). CPG Sec. 570.500 sets the same level for pistachios. EU maximum levels are lower; our guides to Antep pistachios, dried figs and hazelnuts give them.

The EPA sets pesticide tolerances and the FDA enforces them on imports. A residue above the US tolerance, or with no US tolerance for that food, is a violation even if legal in Türkiye or the EU.

Labelling under 21 CFR 101

• Allergens. Declare the nine major allergens in the ingredients list or a "Contains" statement: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and, since 1 January 2023, sesame. Sesame matters for tahini and halva.
• Sulfites. Declare them at 10 ppm or more in the finished food (21 CFR 101.100(a)(4)), as in sulphured dried apricots.
• Nutrition Facts. Required under 21 CFR 101.9 unless an exemption applies; one covers bulk food not sold to consumers in that form.
• Country of origin. Under CBP rules (19 CFR 134), the article or its container must show the ultimate purchaser the English name of the origin country, legibly and permanently. For nuts and fruit in their natural state, the outermost container reaching that purchaser carries the mark. CBP has ruled that "Made in Türkiye" is not acceptable and "Made in Turkey" or "Product of Turkey" is (HQ H323767, 2022).

Our private-label guide covers the rest of the label.

Tariffs and additional duties

The US has no free trade agreement with Türkiye, so the general rate in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (USITC) applies. From 24 July 2026, the US Trade Representative added a 12.5% Section 301 duty on products of Türkiye, on top of that rate. Some products are exempt; check chapter 99 with your broker. Tariffs can change at short notice; recheck before each contract.

Customs entry, the broker and the bond

The importer of record is liable for the duties. It may file the entry itself, but only a licensed customs broker may do customs business for others. Entry is due within 15 calendar days of arrival, and a single-entry or continuous bond must be on file before release. For sea freight, an Importer Security Filing is due 24 hours before the cargo is loaded at the foreign port. For the producer's papers, see food export documents.

Checklist: documents and registrations

For other products, see what we source.

Questions buyers ask

Does the Turkish producer need to register with the FDA?

Yes, if its facility manufactures, processes, packs or holds food for the US. It must name a US agent, give a DUNS number and renew in every even-numbered year; the 2026 window closes on 31 December. Ask for the registration number, not a certificate: the FDA issues none.

Who is the FSVP importer?

The US owner or consignee of the food at entry. If there is none, the foreign owner designates a US agent or representative, who signs a statement of consent. That party approves and verifies the supplier, keeps the records, and is named, with email and DUNS number, on every entry line.

Are there import alerts on Turkish figs or pistachios?

Yes. On 28 October 2026, Import Alert 23-14 listed several Turkish firms for aflatoxins in pistachios, dried figs or fig paste, so their shipments can be detained without examination. It names firms, not the whole country, and changes often. Search it for your supplier before you sign, and make recent aflatoxin results a contract term.

Do I need Prior Notice for samples?

Yes. The rule expressly covers trade and quality-control samples and has no exclusion for small parcels. File it before arrival or, for mail, before the parcel is sent; otherwise the samples are refused and held. Samples for research or evaluation may be exempt from FSVP if they meet the conditions, but they still need Prior Notice.

Can the label say "Made in Türkiye"?

Not as the US origin mark, on current rulings. In HQ H323767 (March 2022), CBP held that "Made in Türkiye" and "Made in Turkiye" do not meet US marking rules, while "Made in Turkey" and "Product of Turkey" do. Check CBP's rulings database for newer decisions before printing.

Sending a brief to Lotvela

Lotvela is a sourcing intermediary in Gaziantep. Send a brief naming your product, specification and US requirements; Lotvela approaches producers that fit, checks product fit, a free production window, export record and documents, and sends a dated shortlist with every claim marked confirmed or not confirmed. It is free for buyers: the producer pays a commission at the same rate for every producer, invoices and ships, and money never passes through Lotvela.

Sources

• 21 CFR 1.227: What definitions apply to this subpart? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.230: When must you register or renew your registration? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.232: What information is required in the registration? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.285: What happens to food that is imported or offered for import from unregistered facilities that are required to register under subpart H of this part? (eCFR)
• FDA Reminds Food Facilities of Biennial Renewal Requirements (FDA, 29 September 2026)
• Food Facility Registration User Guide: Biennial Registration Renewal (FDA)
• Questions Regarding Whether Food Facilities are Required to Pay Registration Fees and Private Businesses Claiming or Suggesting an Affiliation with FDA (FDA)
• 21 CFR 1.277: What is the scope of this subpart? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.278: Who is authorized to submit prior notice? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.279: When must prior notice be submitted to FDA? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.283: What happens to food that is imported or offered for import without adequate prior notice? (eCFR)
• FSMA Final Rule on Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals (FDA)
• 21 CFR 1.500: What definitions apply to this subpart? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.509: How must the importer be identified at entry? (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 1.510: How must I maintain records of my FSVP? (eCFR)
• FDA Issues Updated Guidance on Compliance and Date for Providing an Acceptable Unique Facility Identifier (DUNS number) for the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FDA, 27 April 2022)
• FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food (FDA)
• 21 CFR 117.126: Food safety plan (eCFR)
• Import Alert 23-14: Detention Without Physical Examination of Food Products Due to the Presence of Mycotoxins (FDA)
• Import Alert 99-08: Detention without Physical Examination of Processed Human and Animal Foods for Pesticides (FDA)
• Import Alert 99-19: Detention Without Physical Examination of Food Products Due to the Presence of Salmonella (FDA)
• Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 555.400 Aflatoxins in Human Food: Guidance for FDA Staff (FDA, June 2021)
• Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 570.500 Aflatoxins in Pistachio Nuts: Guidance for FDA Staff (FDA, June 2021)
• Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Questions and Answers (FDA)
• Food Allergies (FDA)
• 21 CFR 101.100: Food; exemptions from labeling (eCFR)
• 21 CFR 101.9: Nutrition labeling of food (eCFR)
• 19 CFR 134.11: Country of origin marking required (eCFR)
• 19 CFR 134.33: J-List exceptions (eCFR)
• HQ H323767: Affirmation of NY N323837; Country of origin marking of ceramic tiles from Turkey (CBP CROSS, 29 March 2022)
• Free Trade Agreements (Office of the United States Trade Representative)
• Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations of Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure of Each Economy To Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced With Forced Labor (Federal Register, 28 July 2026)
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (USITC)
• 19 CFR 101.1: Definitions (eCFR)
• 19 CFR 111.2: License and permit required (eCFR)
• 19 CFR 142.2: Time for filing entry (eCFR)
• 19 CFR 142.4: Bond requirements (eCFR)
• 19 CFR 149.2: Importer security filing: requirement, time of transmission, verification of information, update, withdrawal, compliance date (eCFR)