Businesses that export food products, dietary supplements and other FDA-regulated products from the United States are not required to obtain a certificate from the FDA to legally export these products. However, many foreign countries and customers will request a “certificate” with every shipment. To help businesses meet these requests, the FDA will issue certain export certificates upon request.       

The FDA will issue one of three types of certificates (listed below), depending on the type of product being exported and the businesses’ need.  

Certification to a Foreign Government

•  The certification to a foreign government is available for exporting conventional foods, food additives, food contact substances, infant formula products, and seafood that meet the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act’s (FDC Act) requirements for marketing in the U.S. and may be legally exported from the U.S.
• This certificate states that a product (or products) are under the jurisdiction of the FDA and...