The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on May 6, 2025, a major expansion of unannounced inspections at foreign manufacturing facilities that produce foods, medicines, and medical products for American consumers. This strategic shift aims to eliminate the longstanding disparity in regulatory oversight between domestic and international manufacturers.
The initiative builds upon the agency's Office of Inspection and Investigations Foreign Unannounced Inspection Pilot program, which has been operating in India and China. The expanded program will now apply the same rigorous inspection standards globally that U.S. manufacturers have long faced.
"For too long, foreign companies have enjoyed a double standard—given advanced notice before facility inspections, while American manufacturers are held to rigorous standards with no such warning. That ends today," said FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., M.P.H. "This is a key step for the FDA as part of a broader strategy to get foreign inspections back on track."
Addressing Inspection Disparities
The FDA conducts approximately 12,000 domestic inspections and 3,000 foreign inspections annually across more than 90 countries. Despite receiving advance notice, foreign facilities were found to have serious deficiencies more than twice as often as domestic sites during inspections.
This disparity has raised concerns about product quality and safety. Under the new approach, foreign manufacturers will no longer have weeks to prepare for inspections, a privilege that has potentially undermined the integrity of the oversight process.
FDA Assistant Commissioner for Inspections and Investigations Michael Rogers emphasized the importance of this change: "The FDA's rigorous, science-based global inspections of manufacturing facilities ensure that the food and drug products that enter the U.S. marketplace, and the homes of American consumers, are safe, trusted, and accessible."
Strengthening Regulatory Integrity
In addition to expanding unannounced inspections, the FDA will evaluate its policies and practices to improve the foreign inspection program. This includes clarifying policies for FDA investigators to refuse travel accommodations from regulated industry, such as lodging and transportation arrangements, to maintain the integrity of the oversight process.
The agency has made it clear that it has the authority to take regulatory action against any firm that seeks to delay, deny, or limit an inspection, or refuses to permit entry for an unannounced drug or device inspection.
Implications for Global Manufacturing
The FDA's shift toward unannounced foreign inspections represents a significant change for international pharmaceutical and food manufacturers. Companies that have previously had time to prepare for inspections will now face the same scrutiny as their U.S. counterparts.
This change comes at a time when the FDA has been working to address a backlog of inspections stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office, the administration has faced challenges in recruiting, hiring, and retaining both domestic and foreign investigators.
Protecting American Consumers
With approximately 15% of America's food supply and a significant portion of its pharmaceuticals coming from abroad, ensuring the safety and quality of these imports is crucial for public health.
"These inspections provide real-time evidence and insights that are essential for making fact-based regulatory decisions to protect public health," Rogers noted.
Every inspection undergoes a classification assignment process to enable an appropriate regulatory response. Even inspections that yield a "No Action Indicated" provide important regulatory intelligence that strengthens the safety net for American consumers.
The FDA describes this expanded approach as marking "a new era in FDA enforcement—stronger, smarter, and unapologetically in support the public health and safety of Americans."
Addressing Resource Challenges
The announcement comes despite reports that the FDA has recently cut 170 staffers, including its entire travel operations division. This has raised concerns about the agency's capacity to handle an expanded inspection program, as front-line investigators may now need to spend time processing their own travel and related administrative requirements.
However, the FDA appears committed to overcoming these challenges to ensure that every product entering the U.S. is safe, legitimate, and honestly made. Unannounced inspections are expected to help expose bad actors who falsify records or conceal violations before they can put American lives at risk.
