Importing seafood through Miami in 2026 means clearing three checkpoints — CBP entry, FDA review under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program, and for some species NOAA fisheries documentation — while keeping product frozen or chilled from vessel to warehouse. Miami is one of the busiest U.S. gateways for Latin American and Caribbean seafood, and the cold chain is where most money is lost. Here is how the flow works and how to protect your margin.
How seafood enters through PortMiami and MIA
Fresh fish (tuna, snapper, mahi) usually arrives by air at Miami International Airport, where hours matter. Frozen shrimp, fillets and value-added products arrive in reefer containers at PortMiami or Port Everglades. Either way, product should move directly into a temperature-controlled facility — fresh at 32°F on ice, frozen at -0.4°F (-18°C) or below — with refrigerated trucking covering every leg in between.
Documentation you need in 2026
Expect to file: CBP entry with a customs broker, prior notice to FDA, FSVP importer identification, and — for species in the Seafood Import Monitoring Program such as tuna, red snapper and shrimp — harvest and landing data through SIMP. Shrimp and abalone also require processor registrations. Missing SIMP data is one of the most common causes of delayed release at Miami in 2026.
Handling FDA holds without losing the product
If FDA flags a line for exam or sampling, the container must be held intact under controlled temperature. A bonded, FDA-registered cold facility lets you stage the product legally while the review runs. Go Freight coordinates reefer drayage from the port, genset monitoring, and cold storage staging, so a hold does not become a total loss — see our cold chain warehousing guide for temperatures by commodity and our overview of agriculture holds at Florida ports for how exams unfold.
Cold chain best practices from vessel to customer
Pre-cool trailers before loading, require temperature downloads at every hand-off, and set reefer units to continuous run rather than cycle for fresh product. Insist on door-open discipline at the dock: 20 minutes with doors open in a Miami summer can push surface temperatures out of spec. For air arrivals, book recovery drayage in advance — our guide to MIA air cargo recovery explains cutoffs and cooler transfer windows.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature must frozen seafood maintain during import?
Frozen seafood should stay at -18°C (-0.4°F) or colder through drayage and storage. Fresh seafood should be held just above freezing, packed in ice, and moved within hours of recovery.
What is SIMP and does it apply to my product?
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program requires harvest, landing and chain-of-custody data for priority species including tuna, swordfish, red snapper, shark and shrimp. Your broker files it electronically before entry.
Can seafood sit in a bonded warehouse while FDA reviews it?
Yes. An FDA-registered bonded cold storage facility can legally hold product under seal during review, preserving both compliance and quality until release.
Moving seafood through Miami? Get a free cold chain quote or call (786) 445-0150.