The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published two Federal Register Notices announcing the fiscal year (FY) 2020 fee rates for importers approved to participate in the Voluntary Qualified importer Program (VQIP), and accreditation and certification bodies interested in participating in the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP).

The user fee rates are authorized by the 2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), which allow the agency to assess and collect fees to cover the FDA’s cost of administering these programs.  

The FSMA FY2020 VQIP user fee rate will be effective on July 24, 2019 and supports program benefits from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. Currently, the agency is not offering an adjusted fee for small businesses.  

VQIP is a voluntary, fee-based program for the expedited review and importation of foods from importers who achieve and maintain a high level of control over the safety and security of their supply chains. Approved VQIP applicants need to pay the user fee before October 1, 2019 to begin receiving benefits for the 2020 fiscal year.

The FSMA FY2020 TPP user fee rate will be effective on October 1, 2019 and will remain in effect through September 30, 2020.  

The Accredited Third-Party Certification Program is a voluntary program in which FDA recognizes “accreditation bodies” that may accredit third-party “certification bodies.” The certification bodies may conduct food safety audits and issue certifications of foreign food facilities.