We have written about tariffs and their impact on our business. Now, its time to talk about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Shipment Disposed by UPS and FDA.
Last month, a matcha package shipped via UPS was "disposed." The reason was vague, but stated "Package cannot clear due to customs delay or missing info. Attempt to contact sender made." Neither the sender (Marukyu Koyamaen) nor myself were contacted in advance or asked for additional information or documentation. We were only contacted after disposal and given no course of action. Luckily, this was a smaller shipment, and we absorbed the cost. Unfortunately, it seems our story is not unique, as other matcha shipments have been disposed of by UPS.
Current shipment cycling in the system.
We thought the issue may have been limited to UPS but we now have a much larger matcha shipment with DHL that has been "stuck" in review by the FDA for almost three weeks.
Despite no communication from DHL or the FDA, I am optimistic because (1) everyone involved (Marukyu Koyamaen and us) is in full compliance, (2) we paid the tariff and fees the day that invoice posted, (3) Marukyu Koyamaen is meticulous in their paperwork - there are multiple documents required by FDA, (4) we have never had an issue in the past - outside of the disposed UPS shipment.
What makes me nervous is (1) we did have that UPS package disposed, (2) there is no communication from DHL or FDA, (3) and all the unknown. Has the federal government shutdown impacted food import reviews? Is the FDA short-staffed?
I write this post not to vent or call for sympathy, but to share our experiences, and to let our community know we are doing our best to deliver quality Japanese tea to you and your homes.
- Jason