Dubai being the gateway to the African and Arab markets has become an international and the busiest hub in the Middle East in trading food products. The Import and Re-export business of food plays one of the major roles in Dubai’s economy. In the year 2019 alone, to meet the food demands in the holy month of Ramadan, Dubai imported food products worth AED 8.3 billion, the figure is likely to increase, as the Minister of State for Food Security said recently that the food consumption in Dubai is growing at the rate of 12% per year. To control such a high volume of trade and to ensure the safety and the quality of the products, proper procedures have to be followed which are enforced by the government.
The significant things to know before importing the food products are discussed below:
Table of Contents
The Food Import and Re-export System (FIRS) is an electronic service provider by the Dubai Municipality to assist the trading organizations which work in the import or re-export business of the food product. Its main services are:
Importing establishment must be registered with Dubai Municipality E-Government:
Before importing food products to UAE, the company must be first registered to the Food Import and Re-Import System (FIRS). The import establishment process can only be possible when the company importing is registered in the Dubai Municipality. The registration is done by doing the following listed steps:
Companies can register online by submitting an online application by logging on to the website: www.dm.gov. ae and the registration process can be done by following the instructions given.
For registering the company manually, a company’s representative must go to the customer service of the e-government in Dubai Municipality’s Karama office and submit the following things:
If any company wants to register for more products that haven’t been approved before, this can be done by sending an electronic mail through the (FIRS). This option to get any packaged food approved is present on the main menu under the name “approving food label”.
The food label for the packaged food yet to be approved must contain the following:
All the food products being imported must be registered in the Registration and the Classification System which is identified based on a barcode. It can be done in the following manner:
The production and the date of the expire should be mentioned in all the packages. It should be mentioned in the following manner
These documents then need to be submitted:
It should be made sure that there is no banned material in the ingredients. The banned ingredients might include drug products like poppy seeds, alcohol, etc. In case of any undertaking, the establishment should follow the application of FIRS and check the status of the product.
The completion of the registration is usually advised to be done prior to the arrival of the shipment so it can provide time to address any sort of problem that could be there due to any mistake which then gets solved efficiently and timely to avoid any sort of delay.
All the transactions can be made through electronic means from any part of the world for Importing Food into Dubai Customs.
According to a report, 65% of the food items imported from international countries do not follow the standards and procedures resulting in huge loss. So it is compulsory for the traders to understand everything related to the importing and the re-exporting of the food products, from the above guide about the process. The smoothe trade can only be possible if all the procedures are followed correctly as it avoids any unnecessary delay and ensures the safety of the resources.
The food products can be moved from the mainland either by trading directly and finishing the custom procedures all by yourself or with a reliable freight forwarding company that can take care of all the procedures for you and make the trade flow in with a peace of mind.
As we progress through April 2024, the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve dynamically, influenced significantly…
As we delve into 2024, the eCommerce landscape continues to evolve, offering unprecedented opportunities for…
Introduction Navigating the Retail Landscape in 2024 presents a challenging yet promising terrain for…
Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we delve into the latest industry news and trends…
In the rapidly evolving landscape of consumer technology retail, businesses are navigating a complex environment…
Expanding the European Union Emission Trading System (ETS) to the Shipping Sector: Ramifications and Timeline…