FDA import refusals
FDA import refusals: seafood from Hong Kong
FDA category: Fishery/Seafood Products · October 2016 to September 11, 2026
FDA refused 120 seafood shipment lines from Hong Kong between October 2016 and September 11, 2026, 6 of them in 2026; the most refused products were fish maw and shrimp & prawns, most often for FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance).
Data from FDA public records, last checked .
- 120
- seafood lines refused since October 2016
- 6
- refused so far in 2026
- 10
- firms with the most records, listed below
Seafood refusals from Hong Kong by year
Shipment lines FDA refused each year. The table has the same numbers as the chart.
| Year | Refusal lines | vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | 6 | |
| 2025 | 4 | -71% |
| 2024 | 14 | +40% |
| 2023 | 10 | -44% |
| 2022 | 18 | +50% |
| 2021 | 12 | +33% |
| 2020 | 9 | +80% |
| 2019 | 5 | -37% |
| 2018 | 8 | -75% |
| 2017 | 32 | |
| 2016 (from Oct) | 2 |
Fish maw refusals from Hong Kong
FDA refused 70 fish maw lines from Hong Kong between October 2016 and September 11, 2026, 58% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c. | 70 | 58.3% |
Recent fish maw refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source |
Shrimp & prawns refusals from Hong Kong
FDA refused 14 shrimp & prawns lines from Hong Kong between October 2016 and September 11, 2026, 12% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp & prawns | 14 | 11.7% |
Recent shrimp & prawns refusals
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoptai Marine Products Company LimitedHong Kong, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Manwill Trading Development Co. LimitedTsuen Wan, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Hoptai Marine Products Company LimitedHong Kong, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | VETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Gui Nan Hong Company LimitedSheung Wan, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Wing Cheong Marine ProductHong Kong, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source |
Fish refusals from Hong Kong
FDA refused 6 fish lines from Hong Kong between October 2016 and September 11, 2026, 5% of the seafood lines.
| FDA product description | Lines | Share of seafood |
|---|---|---|
| Fish, n.e.c. | 6 | 5.0% |
Other seafood products refused from Hong Kong
| Product group | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Anchovy | 4 | 3.3% |
| Croaker | 3 | 2.5% |
| Squid | 3 | 2.5% |
| Eel | 2 | 1.7% |
| Flounder | 2 | 1.7% |
| Mackerel | 2 | 1.7% |
| Mussels | 2 | 1.7% |
Why FDA refused seafood from Hong Kong
FDA records a charge code on each refused line; one line can carry several.
| Charge code | Meaning | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FILTHY | Filthy, putrid or decomposed substance | 77 | 55% |
| VETDRUGRES | Animal drug residue | 16 | 12% |
| UNSAFE ADD | Food additive unsafe under section 409 | 13 | 9% |
| NO PROCESS | No scheduled process filed | 8 | 6% |
| NEEDS FCE | Processor not registered for canned or acidified foods | 6 | 4% |
| IMPTRHACCP | The food appears to have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions, or may have become… | 5 | 4% |
| SALMONELLA | Salmonella | 5 | 4% |
| LABELING | Fair Packaging and Labeling Act | 3 | 2% |
| LIST INGRE | Ingredients not listed | 3 | 2% |
| MFR INSAN | Insanitary manufacturing, processing or packing | 3 | 2% |
Import alerts for seafood that list Hong Kong firms
| Alert | Covers | Red | Green |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-81 | Seafood products: Salmonella | 25 | |
| 16-74 | Uneviscerated salt-cured, dried, smoked or fermented fish | 4 | |
| 16-02 | Dried shark fins, fish maws and shark cartilage: filth | 3 | |
| 16-120 | Seafood from processors not in compliance with HACCP | 2 | |
| 16-18 | Raw shrimp | 1 | |
| 16-121 | Cooked Seafood Products Due to E. Coli | 1 |
Hong Kong seafood firms with the most FDA records
Counts are FDA records in SupplierRadar's data, not a ranking of quality.
| Firm | City | FDA records |
|---|---|---|
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co., | Sai Ying Pun | 42 |
| Lee Fung Marine Products Trading Co | Hongkong | 13 |
| Hang Tai Marine Products Co. | Hong Kong | 9 |
| Ho's Import & Export Limited | Tuen Mun | 7 |
| Han Wa Bird'S Nest Ltd | Sheung Wan | 6 |
| Wing Cheong Marine Product | Hong Kong | 4 |
| Gainful Trading Limited | Sheung Wan | 4 |
| Hongkong Tianbao Food Co.,Limited | Kwai Chung | 4 |
| Sanwa Food Enterprise Company | Chai Wan | 3 |
| Manwill Trading Development Co. Limited | Tsuen Wan | 3 |
Latest seafood refusals from Hong Kong
| Date | Firm | Product | Charges | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Hoptai Marine Products Company LimitedHong Kong, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Manwill Trading Development Co. LimitedTsuen Wan, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Hoptai Marine Products Company LimitedHong Kong, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | VETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Gui Nan Hong Company LimitedSheung Wan, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | EEL | UNSAFE ADDFILTHYVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Wing Cheong Marine ProductHong Kong, Hong Kong | Shrimp & prawns | UNSAFE ADDVETDRUGRES | Source | |
| Yuen Tai Seafood Co.,Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source | |
| Ho's Import & Export LimitedTuen Mun, Hong Kong | Fish maw, fishery products, n.e.c | FILTHY | Source |
Questions about seafood refusals from Hong Kong
- How many seafood shipments from Hong Kong did FDA refuse in 2026?
- FDA refused 6 shipment lines of seafood from Hong Kong in 2026 through September 11, 2026, compared with 4 in 2025.
- Why does FDA refuse seafood from Hong Kong?
- FDA records a charge code on every refused shipment line. For seafood from Hong Kong the most frequent are FILTHY (filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, 77 lines), VETDRUGRES (animal drug residue, 16 lines) and UNSAFE ADD (food additive unsafe under section 409, 13 lines). A charge describes what FDA's reference table says about one shipment line, not about every firm.
- Which import alerts cover seafood from Hong Kong?
- As of October 26, 2026, the FDA import alerts for this category that list Hong Kong firms are Import Alert 16-81 (25 firms), Import Alert 16-74 (4 firms), Import Alert 16-02 (3 firms) and Import Alert 16-120 (2 firms). General food alerts numbered 99-xx can list Hong Kong firms too; see the country page.
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