Saudi Arabia: Exporter Guide
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U.S. food and agricultural product exports to Saudi Arabia in 2014 reached a record-high level of $1.37 billion, an increase of 16 percent over exports in the previous year. In 2015, Saudi Arabia’s regulatory authorities continued to strictly implement food import regulations and standards which have affected the flow of some U.S. food products exports to the Kingdom. The strict enforcement of import regulations included a ban on the use of unsubstantiated health benefits claims on labels of prepackaged food products, a ban on poultry and egg product exports from U.S. states that have confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and a continued import ban on U.S. beef imports started in May 2012. This report updates Saudi Arabia’s regulations and customs clearance procedures for importing food products and highlights issues that U.S. exporters should be aware of when exporting food products to the Saudi market.