By Julie Cerenzia, Director of Research, Bryant Christie
Are you a frozen food company that exports from the United States? If you are looking to grow your export sales, AFFI’s International Trade and Regulatory Database is a free resource for AFFI members that provides up-to-date information on trade regulations that affect the frozen food and beverage industry.
Some of the strongest trends in the global food sector are driving continued growth in the market for frozen foods. As more countries develop reliable cold chains, this presents an opportunity to grow the market for frozen foods.
While export markets present a significant growth opportunity, assessing the hurdles that must be cleared to tap these markets can be burdensome. To support its members’ export activities, AFFI provides the Trade and Regulatory Database to serve as an initial reference resource for several key markets. The Database provides user-friendly information on the technical trade requirements for Canada, Mexico, Chile, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong, as well as U.S. import regulations. Topics covered include tariffs applied on U.S. frozen food products, necessary documentation, product registration requirements, labeling requirements, packaging regulations, pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for imported fruits and vegetables, and trade agreements that may provide preferential market access to U.S. or competing suppliers.
To ensure that all information remains up to date, a dedicated team of analysts at Bryant Christie Inc. monitor foreign government agencies and official gazettes, WTO notifications, U.S. Embassy reporting, and key trade press. The team analyzes new regulations and policies for their relevance to U.S. frozen food products and updates the Database as new requirements enter into force.
As new trade agreements are implemented and trade battles evolve, our analysts also determine the changes to tariffs on U.S. products. The Database currently includes the calculated tariffs for frozen fruits and vegetables under the recently implemented U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement and the total tariffs currently applied in China as a result of the various ups and downs in retaliatory tariffs.
By providing quick and accurate insight into market-specific requirements, the AFFI Trade and Regulatory Database reduces uncertainty and the burden on your compliance staff as your firm develops its global exports.
AFFI members who would like access to AFFI’s Trade and Regulatory Database, please email info@affi.com.
