The food, beverage and perishables industry faces unique importing and exporting challenges, including the following.
- FDA regulations pertaining to imports of safe, sanitary, and properly labeled goods, including compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.
- USDA regulations ensuring that imported meat, poultry, eggs, animals, and agricultural products are sanitary, pest-free, and properly labeled.
- Food products such as pasta, olives, crawfish, salmon, honey, mushrooms. and tomatoes face antidumping and countervailing duties or may face marking orders.
- Excise taxes can impact these imports as well as tariff rate quotas on an MFN basis and under various free trade agreements.
ST&R attorneys serve clients in the seafood, produce, beverage, perishables, agricultural, and tobacco industries on the full range of importing and exporting issues. Our firm also has a 25+ year history of membership in the Association of Food Industries.