Food and Agriculture Logistics

What food and agriculture logistics covers

This page covers commercial food and agricultural consignments moving to Syria from the origins we serve, and out of Syria as exports. That includes dry and ambient foodstuffs, food ingredients and packaging, chilled and frozen food, fresh produce and Syrian agricultural goods such as olive oil, dried fruit, nuts, pulses, herbs and spices. Each consignment is planned against its commodity, packing, temperature needs and document set rather than a generic food template.

Dry food in full and part containers

Packaged, canned and dry foodstuffs and food ingredients move in dry containers. A full container load suits a single supplier's order and is covered on our FCL shipping to Syria page. Where the volume does not fill a box, LCL cargo can be consolidated, including through Jebel Ali, before it continues to Syria.

For food in a dry box we ask for the packing, the pallet or carton count, the gross weight and the storage instruction printed on the pack. Food in a shared container also needs packing that keeps it apart from the other cargo in the box, and consolidation remains subject to cargo compatibility, documents and space.

Chilled and frozen food in reefer equipment

Chilled and frozen food moves in refrigerated containers or refrigerated road trailers. The setpoint belongs to the shipper: we ask for it with the commodity and packing, and write it onto the booking and the shipping instruction. We require the pre-trip inspection report for every reefer unit we book, and the temperature record is issued to the consignee with the arrival documents. Reefer by road carries the regional work between the UAE, Egypt and Syria.

The equipment, power at each handover and the monitoring arrangement are described on our refrigerated and temperature-controlled transport page.

Syrian agricultural and food exports

The Syrian export traffic we carry to the UAE includes olive oil and olives, dried fruit, nuts and pulses, herbs and spices, and processed food and confectionery. To Egypt it includes dried produce and pulses, herbs and spices, and processed food and confectionery.

A Syrian export starts with an export declaration lodged by an exporter holding a commercial register entry and an exporter card, together with the foreign-currency undertaking. Agricultural produce carries a phytosanitary certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, and food and processed food carry a health certificate. Syrian customs examines export cargo where it is stuffed, so we position the container at the factory or packhouse, present the goods and seal on site. See Syria to UAE and Syria to Egypt for the arrival side, including Dubai Municipality food control in the UAE and the buyer's ACID number for Egypt.

Health and phytosanitary certificates

A health certificate covers food and processed food, including foodstuffs of animal origin; a phytosanitary certificate covers plant produce. Both are issued by the competent authority of the exporting country against the goods as presented, so they need to be arranged before the container is stuffed. In Syria the phytosanitary certificate comes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform; fresh produce from Egypt carries the certificate of the Central Administration of Plant Quarantine.

MIDTRANS does not issue these certificates. We check that they have been requested, that the product description matches the invoice and packing list, and that the documents travel with the file, because the certificates are checked against the entry at destination before release.

Certificate of origin and legalisation

For Syrian exports, the certificate of origin is issued by the chamber of commerce or the chamber of industry of the governorate where the exporter is registered; a manufacturer exporting its own production takes it from the chamber of industry.

For food imported into Syria from the UAE, the certificate of origin and the commercial invoice are attested by the chamber of commerce in Dubai and then legalised by the Syrian diplomatic mission. From Egypt they are legalised by the Syrian diplomatic mission in Egypt. For other origins we confirm the legalisation route with the exporter and the Syrian importer before the documents are issued.

Shelf-life and labelling checks

Before booking we ask for the production and expiry dates, the storage condition printed on the pack and a sample of the label, and we compare them with the planned route and the importer's instructions. A product with little shelf life left on arrival, a label that does not match the invoice description, or cartons marked differently from the packing list can hold a consignment at food control.

In the UAE, food and agricultural consignments are registered with Dubai Municipality food control, and the label and certificates are checked before release. Labelling rules and acceptable remaining shelf life are set by the destination authority and confirmed by the importer; we check the paperwork against them, we do not rule on them.

Customs clearance in Syria

The Syrian import file carries the commercial invoice, the packing list with marks and numbers matching the container, the certificate of origin and the bill of lading naming the Syrian consignee exactly as registered. Where the commodity sits on a licensed or restricted list, the importer holds a prior import approval from the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, together with the bank record covering the transfer, before customs registers the declaration. Our Damascus office files the declaration.

More detail is on our customs clearance in Syria page. HS Code, duty, tax and customs-clearance information must be verified with the official customs authorities and the appointed customs broker before shipment.

Origins we serve for food cargo

We plan food and agricultural cargo to Syria from the UAE, including Dubai and Jebel Ali, and from Egypt, Turkey, Europe, India, China, and the United States and Canada. Each origin has its own export formalities and gateway options; the lane pages set them out: UAE to Syria, Egypt to Syria, Turkey to Syria, Europe to Syria, China to Syria, India to the UAE and Syria and USA and Canada to Syria and the UAE.