Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that importers provide prior notification of food, including animal feed, that is imported or offered for import into the United States. Advance notice of import shipments allows FDA to target import inspections more effectively and help protect that nation's food supply against terrorist acts and other public health emergencies.

FDA must electronically receive and confirm Prior Notice before a food shipment arrives at the first port in the United States. The deadlines for submitting Prior Notice depends on the mode of transportation used for shipment and are sumamrized below.
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For Shipments Arriving                     Prior Notice Must Be Submitted
​By land via road                                 No less than 2 hours before arrival
By land via rail                                    No less than 4 hours before arrival
By air                                                   No less than 4 hours before arrival
By water                                              No less than 8 hours before arrival
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INLT will file Prior Notice for your shipment as part of the entry process. Therefore, if your are importing human or animal food products, it is important to get us your documents as early as possible.