Importing NA Beverages into the US
FDA, customs, and the rulebooks that govern bringing a non-alcoholic brand across the Atlantic.
How to Import Non-Alcoholic Beverages into the US (2026)
Import non-alcoholic beverages into the US: FDA regulates sub-0.5% ABV as food, not TTB. Registration, US agent, FSVP, prior notice, customs and labeling.
Read the guide →FDA vs TTB: Who Regulates Your Non-Alcoholic Beverage?
A non-alcoholic beverage under 0.5% ABV is FDA-regulated as food, not TTB-regulated as alcohol. The exception: malt-based NA beer stays under TTB.
Do Non-Alcoholic (0.0%) Beverages Use the Three-Tier System?
Generally no — 0.0% beverages are FDA-regulated food, not TTB alcohol, so most sell DTC and direct to retail. A few states apply beer rules; check first.
FDA Prior Notice for Non-Alcoholic Beverage Shipments
For every shipment of food — including non-alcoholic beverages — arriving in the United States from a foreign country, the FDA requires advance notification called prior notice. Prior notice must be filed before the shipment arrives, within a specific time window that varies by…
FDA Food Facility Registration & US Agent Guide
Any facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the US must be registered with the FDA before that food is imported. For a European NA beverage brand, that means your brewery, winery, distillery, or contract manufacturer needs an active FDA…
FSVP Requirements for Non-Alcoholic Beverage Imports
FSVP requirements in plain English: what the Foreign Supplier Verification Program demands of your US importer, and how European alcohol-free brands comply.
HS Codes & US Import Duty for Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-alcoholic beverages import under HS code 2202 at low or zero duty and pay no excise tax. HTS codes, CBP entry docs, and a landed-cost example.
What European Founders Get Wrong About US Beverage Importing
The US non-alcoholic market crossed $1 billion in off-premise retail by end of 2025, per NIQ. European NA brands look at that number, see a natural match with their products, and move — often without fully understanding what they're moving into. Having run Boisson (the largest…
Importing Dealcoholized Wine, Alcohol-Free Spirits & Beer
The "non-alcoholic beverage" category sounds like a single regulatory lane — but for US import purposes, it is three distinct lanes with materially different rules. Dealcoholized wine, 0.0% botanical spirits, and NA malt beer each face different regulator combinations, different…
Pre-COLA, COLA & When Non-Alcoholic Brands Need TTB
Most NA brands entering the US never touch the TTB. But three specific situations still trigger TTB jurisdiction even for non-alcoholic products: malt-based NA beer (the malt beverage exception applies at any ABV), dealcoholized wine derived from a base that crossed the 7% ABV…