Importing tea coffee or spices

Imports of tea, coffee, and spices are subject to review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)and their admissibility is determined by the FDA. You may want to contact the FDA to obtain instructions on how to label the products (i.e., ingredients, nutrition, content etc.). FDA can be reached at 1-888-723-3366. or www.fda.gov.

All commercial imports of food products require the filing of Prior Notice with FDA, and foreign manufacturers and/or distributers of food products must register with the FDAbefore their goods may be admitted.

There are no restrictions or quotas on coffee, tea, and spices whether bottled, brewed or packaged, which means there is no limit to the amount you can import into the U.S. However, some products which contain these items may be subject to some restrictions or special duties (e.g. sauces, syrups, soups etc.). If you are importing any of those products, you may want to consult with an Import Specialist at your local port of entry.