A separate, per-shipment filing — required every time, not just once.
This is the single most common point of confusion for first-time coffee exporters: Food Facility Registration and Prior Notice are two entirely separate requirements. Registration confirms who your facility is and that it's authorized to ship to the U.S. Prior Notice tells FDA what's arriving, when, and through which port — and it must be filed for every individual shipment, not once a year.
| Mode | Minimum Advance Filing |
|---|---|
| Ocean freight | 8 hours before arrival |
| Air freight | 4 hours before arrival |
| Land (truck) | 2 hours before arrival |
| Land (rail) | 4 hours before arrival |
These are minimums — filing earlier, once shipment details are confirmed, reduces the risk of last-minute errors holding up your container.
No — registration is facility-level and renewed every two years. Prior Notice is filed separately, before every individual shipment, regardless of how many times that facility has shipped before.
FDA can hold or refuse the shipment at the port of entry until a corrected filing is submitted and reviewed, which typically means added demurrage costs and delivery delays.
We manage Prior Notice filings alongside your registration and U.S. Agent service.
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