21 CFR § 1.509 - How must the importer be identified at entry?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t21/s1.509"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "21 CFR § 1.509 - How must the importer be identified at entry?"
title_number: 21
title_name: "Food and Drugs"
section_number: "1.509"
section_name: "How must the importer be identified at entry?"
chapter_name: "FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "1"
part_name: "GENERAL ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "15 U.S.C. 1333, 1453, 1454, 1455, 4402; 19 U.S.C. 1490, 1491; 21 U.S.C. 321, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335a, 342, 343, 350c, 350d, 350j, 352, 355, 360b, 360ccc, 360ccc-1, 360ccc-2, 362, 371, 374, 381, 382, 384a, 387, 387a, 387c, 393, and 2223; 42 U.S.C. 216, 241, 243, 262, 264, 271."
regulatory_source: "42 FR 15553, Mar. 22, 1977, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "1"
---


# 1.509 How must the importer be identified at entry?

(a) You must ensure that, for each line entry of food product offered for importation into the United States, your name, electronic mail address, and unique facility identifier recognized as acceptable by FDA, identifying you as the importer of the food, are provided electronically when filing entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

(b) Before an article of food is imported or offered for import into the United States, the foreign owner or consignee of the food (if there is no U.S. owner or consignee) must designate a U.S. agent or representative as the importer of the food for the purposes of the definition of “importer” in § 1.500.