At least 15 shipments of Indian mangoes have been rejected by authorities in the United States due to documentation errors during the export process, according to media reports. The consignments, sent via air freight, were denied entry upon arrival at airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta.
The affected mangoes had undergone mandatory irradiation treatment in Mumbai on May 8-9. This process, required for exports to the US, involves exposing the fruit to regulated doses of radiation to eliminate pests and increase shelf life.
The United States remains the largest market for Indian mango exports. After the shipments were refused entry, exporters were given the choice to either destroy the cargo or return it to India. Owing to the fruit's perishable nature and the high costs associated with re-importation, the exporters opted to discard the mangoes.
US officials cited irregularities in the irradiation documentation as the reason for the rejection. The exporters noted that the irradiation is conducted at a facility in Navi Mumbai under the supervision of an officer from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).&nbsp;
This official is responsible for issuing the PPQ203 form, which is compulsory for mango shipments to the US.
&ldquo;We are being penalised for mistakes made at the irradiation facility,&rdquo; one exporter told a section of the media. Another exporter also raised concerns about the documentation process overseen at the facility.
The rejection has resulted in an estimated loss of around $500,000 for the exporters. A communication from the USDA to one of the exporters confirmed that the shipment had been refused entry by US Customs and Border Protection &ldquo;due to incorrectly issued PPQ203&rdquo;.&nbsp;
The notification further stated that the US government would not bear &ldquo;remedial measures for this shipment&rdquo;.&nbsp;
When approached for comment, the office of the chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) responded: &ldquo;The matter pertains to the shipment of mangoes from USDA approved facility, Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) located at Vashi, Mumbai. Hence inputs may be sought from them.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;
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Indian mango exports worth $500,000 discarded after US cites documentation errors in irradiation process.

US Rejects 15 Indian Mango Shipments Over Paperwork

Indian mango exports worth $500,000 discarded after US cites documentation errors in irradiation process.

May 18, 2025 | 16:49 IST