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The short answer
If CBP finds undeclared prohibited food in luggage from Nigeria, the items are confiscated and CBP's agricultural products page says a civil penalty of up to $1,000 can apply for a first non-commercial offence, with much higher amounts for commercial quantities and the same approach for mail. Bushmeat is treated separately: CDC says it is illegal to bring in and destroys it in any amount, and its page refers to fines of up to $250,000.
What usually happens at the airport
Many travellers from Lagos are referred to secondary inspection, where bags are X-rayed or opened. If an officer finds agricultural items that were not declared on Form 6059B, CBP's page on bringing agricultural products sets out the consequence: undeclared prohibited items are confiscated, and the traveller can face a civil penalty. The same page asks travellers to declare meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil, animals and plant or animal products, including soups.
The key distinction is between items that were declared and items that were hidden or forgotten. A declared item that turns out to be prohibited is taken. The penalty exposure on CBP's page attaches to failing to declare.
The published penalty levels
| Situation | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| First non-commercial failure to declare | Civil penalty of up to $1,000 (CBP). |
| Commercial quantities | Much higher penalties (CBP; no figure on the page). |
| Items sent by mail | Same approach as for travellers (CBP). |
| Bushmeat | Illegal to import; destroyed in any amount with items it touched; CDC's page lists a fine of up to $250,000. |
These are maximums, not fixed fines. The pages we read do not set out how CBP chooses an amount below the maximum, so we do not suggest what a typical penalty is.
Why it is treated seriously
Agricultural rules exist to keep out plant pests and animal diseases. Meat and meat-containing products carry the highest risk, which is why CBP says many dried and some canned meats are prohibited and products such as beef broth are usually prohibited. Bushmeat is a public-health matter for CDC, covering wild animals such as cane rats (grasscutter), primates and bats. That is why a small piece of smoked bushmeat can be treated more severely than a bag of undeclared fruit.
If you receive a penalty notice
- Keep every document the officer gives you, and write down the date, airport and what was taken while you remember.
- Read the notice for the amount, the deadline and the options it lists for paying or contesting. Act before the deadline.
- If you believe the item was declared, or the facts are wrong, say so in writing within the time allowed, with any evidence (for example, a copy of your declaration).
- If the food was for sale, take advice: commercial cases are handled more strictly and FDA import rules may also have been breached.
- Do not ignore the notice. An unpaid civil penalty does not go away.
Parcels and commercial loads
Penalties are not only for travellers. CBP's page applies the same approach to items sent by mail, and says commercial quantities attract much higher penalties. A commercial food shipment also meets FDA rules: under 21 CFR Part 1 Subpart I, food that arrives without adequate prior notice is refused and held at the port or a secure facility, under bond and at no cost to the FDA or CBP, and international mail without notice can be held for 72 hours. If a relative in Lagos regularly sends you parcels of foodstuff to sell, the risk is both a CBP penalty and an FDA refusal.
What does not count as a defence
- Not knowing the item was restricted: the declaration asks about all food and agricultural products.
- Small quantity: bushmeat is destroyed in any amount, and the duty to declare does not depend on size.
- Someone else packed the bag: the traveller makes the declaration.
Worked example
Example only. Tunde flies Lagos to Houston with dried ponmo (cow skin), a bag of stockfish and a jar of homemade pepper sauce with crayfish, and ticks "no" for food. Inspection finds them. The ponmo, as a meat product, is likely to be confiscated; the officer decides on the rest. Because he did not declare, he is exposed to a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for a first non-commercial offence. Had he ticked "yes", the same items would have been inspected and any prohibited ones taken, without the failure-to-declare problem.
Avoiding it next time
- Declare all food, every time, even spices and snacks.
- Leave meat, ponmo, bushmeat and meat-containing soups and seasonings in Nigeria.
- Pack food together in labelled bags so inspection is quick.
- If you import food to sell, use a commercial route with prior notice; see filing FDA prior notice.
For what you can bring, see bringing foodstuff in your suitcase; for seized commercial food, see customs seizure of a food shipment.
Where Pryme fits
If paying a penalty leaves you short for planned support to family at home, a Pryme account from the US holds dollars and naira (multicurrency), and the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve a transfer.
Questions people ask
How much is the fine for not declaring food at a US airport?
CBP's page says up to $1,000 for a first non-commercial offence, with higher penalties for commercial quantities. These are maximums.
Will I be fined if I declare food that is not allowed?
Declared prohibited items are taken. The penalty on CBP's page is tied to failing to declare.
What is the fine for bringing bushmeat into the US?
CDC says bushmeat is illegal to bring in and is destroyed; its page refers to fines of up to $250,000.
Can I contest a CBP agriculture penalty?
The notice sets out your options and deadline. Respond in writing within that time, and take advice for commercial cases.
Sources
- CBP: Bringing agricultural products into the United States (last modified 1 May 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- CDC: Bringing animal products into the United States (28 Apr 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.