September 26, 2018 – The federal governments Market Access Secretariat released a notice Tuesday addressing questions from Canaan Transports customers who have shipments‎ en route to Saudi Arabia and have concerns regarding whether shipments will be cleared upon arrival.

The Secretariat said:

For shipments that are en route to Saudi Arabia, please ask your Saudi importer or local agents to contact the Imported Food Section of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as soon as possible with proper documents, as the SFDA may agree to look into requests on case by case basis.

Exporters are strongly encouraged to work closely with Saudi importers prior to shipping to identify commercial risk. It is recommended that exporters secure payments before shipping, complete all export documents, and ensure that Saudi importers are able to get the shipment released.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada continues to monitor the situation and work closely with Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

If you have experienced any issues exporting to Saudi Arabia, or if you have received a notification from a Saudi contact affecting your shipments, please reach out to the Trade Commissioner Service within the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh at RYADHTD, and copy the Market Access Secretariat, at MAS-SAM. Canaan Transport will inform customers of any further advisories or instructions as they evolve.