If I remember correctly, there was something mentioned a long time ago about our buyer canning the peppers. So they would be "processing" the produce to make a food product.
I looked briefly at some of the USDA and FDA info about bringing produce and food products into the U.S. a while back. Importing from an FDA-registered supplier seems to require only a permit. It's the USDA/FDA registration and certification (or whatever they call it) of the exporter that requires the testing and such.
But there's a major difference in the requirements for a "farm" versus anything that doesn't qualify as a "farm". Any processing of raw produce beyond planting, growing, harvesting, packing and in some cases drying (like turning grapes into raisins) disqualifies an operation as a "farm." I think because there are significant additional requirements for a food processing plant, there is no need to go back as far as the soil and water used to grow the produce. It may be that the processing plant and/or the processed food product are inspected and/or sample-tested for contaminants, toxicity, disease, etc.
Whatever the case, it does make some sense that the plant/farm/operation that is handling the product to export to the U.S. is going to have to be registered or certified and subject to inspection throughout the handling from the point of the plant, farm or operation, through the packing and transportation across the border.
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