The Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that, beginning on July 24 of this year, the entity identification code “UNK” (unknown) will no longer be accepted when filling out the entity number field in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection form. Instead, New Foreign Supplier Verification Program importers must have a valid Data Universal Number System number to input into the field.
A DUNS number is a unique and universal 9-digit identification number used to verify business information. UNK was temporarily added to allow Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Food Importers time to obtain a valid DUNS number.
If a business already has a DUNS number, no further action is required. For businesses with multiple DUNS numbers, the number that applies to the location where FSVP records are maintained is to be used.
All businesses without DUNS numbers can request a new number from Dun & Bradstreet through the D&B’s Import Safety Lookup Portal. This website also allows a business to look up DUNS numbers and request an update to an existing number.
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Image: FDA