For mid-market and enterprise
Food and beverage imports need more than classification.
Scope the customs, FDA and animal-ingredient work together. Greenwich supports mid-market and enterprise import programs, with product-specific responsibilities and relevant broker experience made explicit.
Service scope, responsibilities and fees are agreed in writing. No guarantee of clearance or savings.
Food compliance is not just an HTS code.
Food and beverage is one of Greenwich’s four focus sectors, alongside fashion, beauty and consumer goods. Greenwich Mercantile works with European food and beverage brands shipping into the U.S. and with U.S. importers of specialty and perishable food. Scope customs analysis, documentation and operational support around the product’s actual regulatory requirements. This page is not evidence that a particular broker has handled your exact formulation.
Separate the work from the legally responsible party.
| Area | Question to resolve before shipment |
|---|---|
| Customs entry and judgment | Who is the licensed broker, and who supplies and verifies classification, origin and valuation evidence? |
| FSVP | Does FSVP apply, including exemptions or modified requirements? Who is the designated FSVP importer and who performs the agreed program work? |
| Prior Notice | Who prepares and submits the notice, who supplies the data, and who checks the confirmation? |
| Facility registration and U.S. agent | Which facility requirements apply and who is separately appointed? Neither broker appointment nor Prior Notice automatically supplies this role. |
| Label and formulation review | Who checks the product category, ingredients, claims and label, and what review is actually included? |
| Animal-derived ingredients | Which species, source country, processing and intended-use facts determine APHIS requirements? Confirm admissibility evidence and permits before dispatch. |
Bring the evidence that makes a review useful.
Provide the formulation, label, manufacturer and facility information, ingredient species and source countries, processing description, intended use and shipping plan. Distinguish where the finished product is made from where its ingredients originate.
An illustrative duty example: olive oil packed two ways.
Illustrative example: a European brand ships 10,000 kg of extra virgin olive oil to the U.S. in one container load. The U.S. general rate on extra virgin olive oil is charged per kilogram, and the rate depends on whether each container, with the oil in it, weighs under 18 kg.
Extra virgin olive oil in 1-liter glass bottles is classified under HTS 1509.20.20 (weighing with the immediate container under 18 kg), general rate 5¢/kg on contents and container. The bottles weigh 6,000 kg, so the dutiable weight is 16,000 kg: 16,000 kg × $0.05 = $800.
Extra virgin olive oil in 1,000-liter totes is classified under HTS 1509.20.90 (other), general rate 3.4¢/kg. Unlike the bottled rate, the bulk rate is not charged on contents and container, so it applies to the net weight of the oil: 10,000 kg × $0.034 = $340.
The bottled load pays $460 more duty than the same oil in bulk, and neither figure changes with the price of the oil. Net and gross weights for every package on the packing list let the broker check the dutiable weight before the entry is filed.
The example uses only the general (MFN) rates returned by the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule on 2 October 2026. Additional duties in force on the entry date must be confirmed by a licensed broker.
Dietary supplements and collagen need product-specific review.
Do not infer admissibility from the word collagen, the exporting country or the finished product’s tariff code. The product’s regulatory category and ingredient facts matter. FDA describes modified FSVP requirements for some dietary-supplement circumstances; APHIS provides a product-specific permitting tool. This page does not determine whether a particular Turkish bovine- or marine-collagen shipment is admissible.
Agree the team, scope and exception response.
Ask for the proposed broker’s identity, verified credentials and relevant food or supplement experience. Confirm the Greenwich contact and who responds to an agency request or hold. A sector page is not a substitute for those answers. No clearance-time guarantee or all-inclusive FDA-service price is implied.
Questions, answered directly.
Does Greenwich work with food and beverage importers?
Yes. Food and beverage is one of Greenwich’s four focus sectors. Confirm the proposed team’s relevant product experience and which customs and agency-specific tasks are included before engagement.
Does appointing a customs broker appoint the FSVP importer?
No. Identify the FSVP importer and applicable program requirements separately. Support with records or submissions does not itself constitute acceptance of that legal role.
Does Greenwich automatically become our FSVP importer or FDA U.S. agent?
No automatic appointment is stated. Confirm the applicable role, willing eligible party, authorization and scope explicitly.
Can you guarantee a food shipment will not be held?
No. Preparation helps address avoidable issues, but authorities can examine or hold shipments. Agree the responsible contact and response scope before dispatch.
Who files the entry with U.S. Customs?
A licensed U.S. customs broker reviews and files every entry under your power of attorney: one of our partner brokers, or your existing broker working from the same record. Greenwich does the customs work behind each entry with AI.
Sources and limits
- FDA: FSVP requirements
- APHIS: animal-product imports
- USITC HTS 1509.20.20: extra virgin olive oil, under 18 kg with the immediate container
- USITC HTS 1509.20.90: extra virgin olive oil, other
- 19 CFR 159.22: net weights and tares
Sources support the stated context, not an endorsement of Greenwich or a shipment-specific determination.
Define your next U.S. decision.
Agree the question, evidence and responsibilities before acting.
Import readiness review