AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
First find out whether your goods are detained (held while checks are done) or seized (taken by the authority), because the deadlines differ and are short. In the UK a notice of claim against a seizure must reach HMRC or Border Force within one calendar month of the seizure date. In the US, FDA-detained food usually has about ten business days for a response, and a CBP seizure petition is due within 30 days of the notice. Act within those windows or you lose the right to challenge.
A shipment of egusi, palm oil or shea butter leaves Lagos with its paperwork in order and then stops at Heathrow, Newark or Toronto. Your freight forwarder emails a reference number and the word "hold". What happens next depends on which authority holds the goods, why, and whether you respond in time. This guide covers the common reasons and the official routes in three main destinations.
Why shipments from Nigeria get stopped
- Food safety targeting. The UK's National Monitoring Plan for 2026/27 marks several Nigerian foods as high sampling priorities: palm oil for Sudan dyes ("particularly from Ivory Coast and Nigeria"), kuli kuli, suya spice and ogbono for aflatoxins, and dried bean flour for pesticide residues (medium). Consignments in those categories are more likely to be sampled.
- Missing or wrong documents. Health or phytosanitary certificates, an incorrect commodity code, an invoice value that does not match, or no importer registration.
- Prohibited or restricted goods. Meat, bushmeat, some plants and live animals (see bushmeat import ban).
- Labelling and composition. Food or cosmetics that fail local labelling rules, undeclared allergens or unapproved ingredients.
- Duty or valuation disputes. Customs disagree with the declared value or origin.
Step 1: get the notice and the reason
Ask your forwarder or customs broker for the written notice, the authority that issued it (customs, port health, FDA, plant health) and the legal reason. Check the date on it. Every deadline below runs from that date or from when the notice was sent, not from when you heard about it.
United Kingdom: HMRC and Border Force seizures
GOV.UK's guidance on seized goods (updated January 2026) sets out these routes:
| Route | What it does | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of claim | Challenges the legality of the seizure; the case goes to a magistrates' court (Sheriff court in Scotland) | Received within one calendar month of the seizure date; late claims are not accepted |
| Restoration request | Asks for the goods back even if the seizure was lawful (not normally for prohibited goods) | Within 45 days of seizure |
| Review | Reviews a restoration decision | Within 45 days of the decision |
| Tribunal appeal | Appeals the review outcome | Within 30 days |
If you live outside the UK and make a notice of claim, the guidance says you must name a UK solicitor and give an agent authority form within the same month. Food stopped at port health for testing follows the port health authority's own process. Ask the authority directly whether you can arrange re-export or destruction at your cost.
United States: FDA detention and CBP seizure
- FDA detention. A Notice of FDA Action marked "Detained" is a notice of detention and hearing. FDA's page says the response period is generally 10 business days, and you can ask for an extension within that time. You can present evidence (for example, a private laboratory analysis) or propose reconditioning on Form FDA 766.
- FDA refusal. If FDA refuses admission, the goods must be exported or destroyed under CBP supervision within 90 days of the notice. FDA cannot extend that. If not, CBP can demand redelivery and claim liquidated damages against the importer's bond.
- CBP seizure. Under 19 CFR Part 171, a petition for relief generally goes to the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures Officer within 30 days of the notice of seizure being mailed. A supplemental petition is possible within 60 days of the first decision.
Canada
CBSA's traveller guidance says undeclared food, plant and animal products can be confiscated, and that penalties on seized goods range from 25% to 70% of their value. Commercial shipments held by CBSA or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have their own notices. Ask your broker which agency holds the goods and what deadline it gives.
Release, return or destroy: choosing
- Release is worth pursuing if the problem is paperwork you can fix: a missing certificate, a wrong code, a valuation query.
- Re-export back to Nigeria or to a third country with looser rules may be allowed for refused food, but freight both ways often costs more than the goods.
- Destruction under supervision is sometimes the cheapest end, and stops storage charges building up.
- Abandonment by doing nothing still leaves you liable for storage, destruction and, in some cases, penalties.
Example only. A £3,000 consignment of ogbono is held for aflatoxin testing. Storage at £40 a day for 20 days costs £800. If the test fails, return freight could cost more than the goods are worth. Here supervised destruction may cost less overall, and a supplier test certificate on the next shipment is the real fix.
Preventing the next hold
Ask your supplier for a laboratory certificate of analysis for aflatoxins or dyes on high-risk lines (see aflatoxin testing for exports and palm oil rejected for Sudan dye). Check that the NAFDAC export certificate and NAQS phytosanitary certificate match the invoice. Use a broker who knows the food category.
Where Pryme fits
Storage, destruction and broker fees come in your local currency while supplier refunds may come in naira. A Pryme Business Account keeps NGN and GBP, USD or EUR side by side, so a supplier credit note in naira can be held or swapped when you choose.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to challenge a UK customs seizure?
GOV.UK says a notice of claim must be received within one calendar month of the seizure date. A restoration request can be made within 45 days of seizure.
What happens if FDA refuses my food from Nigeria?
It must be exported or destroyed under CBP supervision within 90 days of the notice. FDA cannot extend that period.
Can I get seized goods back if the seizure was lawful?
In the UK you can ask HMRC or Border Force for restoration within 45 days. It is not normally granted for prohibited goods.
Why are Nigerian foods stopped so often?
Several are on targeted sampling lists. For example, the UK's 2026/27 monitoring plan lists Nigerian palm oil for Sudan dyes and suya spice, kuli kuli and ogbono for aflatoxins as high priorities.
Sources
- What you can do if things are seized by HMRC or Border Force (GOV.UK, updated 30 Jan 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Detention and hearing (US FDA) · accessed Oct 2026
- Import refusals (US FDA) · accessed Oct 2026
- 19 CFR Part 171: Fines, penalties and forfeitures (eCFR) · accessed Oct 2026
- UK National Monitoring Plan sampling priorities for imported foods 2026/27 (GOV.UK, updated 9 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Declare what you bring (Canada Border Services Agency) · 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.