Association of Food Industries

What Association of Food Industries does

The Association of Food Industries, Inc. (AFI) is a New Jersey-incorporated, nonprofit trade association founded in 1906, headquartered in Neptune, NJ, and operating with a 7-person staff. Its mission is to ensure member compliance with U.S. food import laws and regulations, promote fair trade practices, and operate programs that facilitate smooth business operations for companies importing food into the United States. AFI serves three primary member segments: domestic food importers, foreign food suppliers seeking U.S. FDA registration representation, and associate members providing services to the import trade.

AFI's core product surface is built around the AFI Trade Intelligence Reports system, developed in-house by AFI's IT staff. This platform ingests bills-of-lading data through a partnership with the U.S. Customs Service and delivers subscription-based import intelligence on consignee, country of origin, foreign shipper, arrival date, commodity, quantity, weight, and calculated value. The portfolio also includes the AFI Standard Import Contract, an arbitration service operating since 1906 for peer-based dispute resolution, codified AFI Food Standards for cashew kernels, Turkish dried apricots, shelled hazelnuts, shelled Brazil nuts, and macadamia kernels, FSVP Online Training, an FDA Facility Registration Service in which AFI acts as U.S. agent, the annual Food Import Industry Annual Report with advertising inventory, website banner and square display advertising, and an annual convention.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of streams: annual membership dues (domestic, foreign supplier, and associate tiers), monthly Trade Intelligence Report subscriptions priced $295-$1,885 based on commodity count, advertising in the annual report ($225-$2,400 per placement) and on the website ($200-$350/month), FDA facility registration fees, and convention registration ($875 member / $1,049 non-member) plus sponsorships. Distribution is primarily direct to members through the AFI Store, a GrowthZone-powered online platform, supported by social media presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, email communications, and partnerships with Groceryshop, the Specialty Food Association, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, SIAL Paris, Gulfood, and the Americas Food & Beverage show.

Name

Association of Food Industries

Legal name

Association of Food Industries, Inc.

Website

https://afius.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Association of Food Industries is a 1906-founded, Neptune, NJ-based nonprofit trade association serving U.S. food importers, foreign suppliers, and associate members with trade intelligence reports, FDA registration services, arbitration, codified food standards, and compliance training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Import/Export & Cross-Border Food Commodity Trading (AFAIAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Import/Export & Border Compliance Support (FSVP, Prior Notice, Health Certificates) (AFALADAE), Food Ingredients & Commodities Wholesale (Sugar, Flour, Oils, Spices) (AFAIABAK)

Keywords

• Food import trade association
• FDA registration services
• Trade intelligence reports
• Commodity arbitration services
• Food industry standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Neptune

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for domestic, foreign suppliers, and associate members that provide access to AFI services, resources, and member benefits including FDA registration services, arbitration, trade intelligence reports, and industry standards.
2. Trade Intelligence Reports: Subscription-based trade intelligence reports providing import data, priced by commodity count from 1-8+ commodities at $295-$1,885 per month.
3. Food Import Industry Annual Report Advertising: Advertising sales in annual report publication with various ad placements including back cover ($2,400), inside front cover ($1,950), inside back cover, full page color ($1,250), half page color ($750), quarter page color ($425), and black & white options.
4. Website Advertising: Digital advertising placements on website including banner display ads ($350) and square display ads ($200) with varying impression rates.
5. FDA Registration Service: Foreign supplier membership includes FDA registration service for one facility; additional facilities incur $200 annual fee.
6. Convention and Events: Annual convention registration fees (Members: $875, Non-Members: $1,049), plus additional fee activities like golf ($225), pickleball clinic ($50), optional dinner ($149), and various sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Association of Food Industries is a trade association that supports U.S. food importers and foreign food suppliers with regulatory compliance, trade intelligence, and dispute resolution. Its core offerings include membership tiers (domestic, foreign suppliers, associate), subscription-based Trade Intelligence Reports sourced from U.S. Customs bills of lading, FDA facility registration as U.S. agent, FSVP compliance training, arbitration services, standardized import contracts, and industry food standards for nuts and dried fruits.

Product overview

The Association of Food Industries operates as a membership-based trade organization offering a portfolio of services centered on food import compliance, trade intelligence, and dispute resolution. The core offerings include AFI Trade Intelligence Reports (subscription-based commodity import data), AFI Membership Services (with tiers for domestic, foreign suppliers, and associates), FDA Facility Registration Services, FSVP Online Training, and Arbitration Services established in 1906. Supporting products include AFI Standard Import Contracts, AFI Food Standards (quality specifications for nuts and dried fruits), the annual Food Import Industry Annual Report with advertising options, Website Advertising placements, and the AFI Annual Convention. These services are distributed through the AFI Store (powered by GrowthZone) and provide members with regulatory compliance tools, market intelligence, and industry networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFI Membership Services Membership programs including Domestic Membership, Foreign Suppliers Membership, and Associate Membership tiers. Members receive access to FDA registration services, trade intelligence reports, arbitration services, FSVP training, networking opportunities, and industry resources.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GroceryshopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGroceryshop serves as the industry's personal GPS, helping businesses navigate rapid changes, latest business models and technologies, and shifting consumer behaviors. AFI partnership brings together 4,000+ leaders and executives, over 200 must-see speakers, and hundreds of solution providers for collaboration and learning.
• Specialty Food Association (SFA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSFA produces the Fancy Food Shows and presents the annual Sofi Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. The Association is also a source of industry information, educational events and in-person and online networking opportunities for members, including the digital Infinite Aisle product sales platform.
• Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEP champions Saskatchewan province's export industry and assists provincial businesses in realizing global marketing opportunities. A member-driven, non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing Saskatchewan's export activities while raising awareness of the province's distinct products and services. Links Saskatchewan suppliers with the global marketplace.
• U.S. Customs ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFI Trade Intelligence Reports are collected through a partnership with U.S. Customs Service, providing data directly from bills of lading for import tracking and analysis.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FMI - The Food Industry Association: Major U.S. food-industry trade association serving retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. Comparable trade-body membership model serving overlapping food-import and food-distribution members, with broader advocacy, education, and data services.
• National Confectioners Association (NCA): Trade association for chocolate, candy, and gum manufacturers. Comparable category-specific food-industry association providing advocacy, education, conventions, and standards support to its member importers and processors.
• Specialty Food Association (SFA): Core strategic partner and fellow food-industry trade association that produces the Fancy Food Shows and Sofi Awards. Directly comparable as a membership-based association providing education, advocacy, and networking for food importers, producers, and retailers.
• National Grocers Association (NGA): Trade association representing independent grocers and wholesalers. Overlaps with AFI on the wholesale/food-distribution membership side, providing advocacy, education, and networking services similar in structure and mission.
• International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA): Trade association serving the dairy products industry with advocacy, standards, and education. Highly comparable as a category-specific food trade body providing regulatory support, member services, and industry data to processors/importers.
• National Fisheries Institute (NFI): Trade association representing the seafood industry, including importers. Comparable category-specific food trade body offering member services, regulatory advocacy, industry data, and standards.
• North American Meat Institute (NAMI): Trade association representing meat and poultry processors and suppliers. Mirrors AFI's role for the meat-import segment, providing regulatory guidance, member advocacy, conventions, and industry standards.

Others

• Groceryshop: Industry conference and media platform for grocery and consumer packaged goods, partnered with AFI for member attendance. Not a direct peer but a closely related events/community platform serving overlapping food-import and food-retail audiences.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): Federal agency that supplies the underlying bills-of-lading data for AFI's Trade Intelligence Reports. Not a peer in the trade-association sense, but the strategic data-source counterpart that defines AFI's intelligence product.
• Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP): Member-driven, non-profit corporation promoting Saskatchewan exports. Established AFI partner at international events; comparable non-profit trade-body model, though regional in scope and not a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afius_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrvIWEKCGCxsY4HZwBxzooA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Association-of-Food-Industries-103805305717244
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-food-industries
• Instagraminstagram.com/afius_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association of Food Industries