Tiếng Việt
Frozen bonito is one of the highly looking for seafood products in the international seafood market, especially in the United States market. Today, Southern Fresh Foods would like to guide you through the necessary procedures and requirements for exporting frozen bonito to the United States. To export a shipment of frozen bonito to the US, you need to go through the following steps:
1. Preparation for Sales Contract
What preparations does a seafood business need before exporting frozen bonito?
To ensure a smooth export process, one of the things your seafood business needs to understand is the HS code for the seafood product you intend to export. Based on the HS code, you can determine whether the product is subject to export restrictions. You can also refer to the export commodity list in Article 2, Clause 31 of Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BTC dated February 12, 2015, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
If frozen bonito is listed in the prohibited export item list, individuals and entities will not be able to export or go through customs procedures for exporting to the US. Currently, frozen bonito is allowed for export, so businesses can still sign contracts and export as usual.
Businesses need to register a digital signature for customs declaration:
In addition to knowing the HS code of the product, you also need to register a digital signature for customs declaration for your business. A digital signature for customs declaration is the legally equivalent information to a company’s seal and signature, attached to the electronic customs declaration form. You need to register the digital signature for customs declaration before submitting the export declaration.
Businesses need to register with the FDA for several reasons when exporting frozen bonito to the United States:
The FDA or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is the regulatory authority responsible for ensuring the safety of food, drugs, medical devices and other products in the United States. For seafood products like frozen bonito, compliance with FDA regulations is mandatory.
The FDA plays a critical role in safeguarding public health by establishing and enforcing strict regulations related to food safety. This includes monitoring and inspecting imported seafood products to ensure them meet U.S. safety standards. Registration with the FDA helps ensure that the frozen bonito you export complies with these standards.
To export seafood products into the United States including frozen bonito, businesses are required to obtain FDA certification. This certification serves as a clearance for imported goods and demonstrates that they meet the FDA’s safety and quality requirements.
The FDA’s regulations also include traceability requirements, which are crucial for tracking and identifying the source of seafood products. This helps in responding to food safety issues and recalls promptly. Registering with the FDA allows your business to establish traceability for your frozen bonito exports.
Without FDA registration and compliance, your frozen bonito shipments may be refused entry into the U.S. market. Having FDA certification is a prerequisite for exporting seafood products to the United States, and failure to meet this requirement can result in your shipments being rejected.
In summary, registering with the FDA is a mandatory step for businesses looking to export frozen bonito to the United States. It ensures that your products meet U.S. food safety standards, allows for proper import clearance, establishes traceability and enables access to the U.S. market for your seafood products. Failure to comply with FDA regulations can lead to significant obstacles in exporting your frozen tuna to the U.S. market.
Sale Contract for Goods:
To reach the stage of signing the business contract, the enterprise has prepared many steps, including finalizing the price of the order and drafting the purchase and sale contract. The sale contract should fully reflect the following contents:
Information of the buyer and the seller: including the company name, address, legal representative, contact phone number,…
Product name: should display the full name of the goods, scientific name, whether this order is for whole fish or fillet or cut segments, whether this fish is caught in the wild or farm-raised.
Example: the product name for frozen bonito as follows:
Frozen Bonito WR (Wild Caught)
Scientific Name: Auxis thazard
Size : 2/4, 4/6.
Packaging specifications for goods, which are typically frozen from the whole fish and packed in vacuum packs before being placed in carton boxes.
+ Price
+ Packaging
+ Payment terms: T/T or L/C, etc.
+ Terms of delivery: FOB, CNF, etc.
+ Transit time.
2. Preparation goods process:
Once the contract has been finalized, the purchasing team will check the inventory or search for products that meet the specified size and export standards as per the contract. Here is the process for preparing frozen bonito fish for export:
+ Source the products that meet the size and export standards specified in the contract.
+ Collect the bonito fish.
+ Process and freeze the goods.
+ Package the goods according to the customer’s requirements.
+ Check the quantity of the goods as per the contract.
3. Preparations for transporting frozen Bonito Fish to the US:
To arrange Suitable Transportation:
Once you have a completed order schedule, you will have an estimated date for container loading. At this point, you can contact ocean freight companies such as Wanhai, Cosco, CMA, ONE, etc., to make a reservation on a vessel. This process is called booking. These shipping companies have routes departing from major ports in Vietnam to both the West and East coasts of the United States.
The required temperature for frozen bonito fish is -18 degrees Celsius and temperature control must be maintained throughout the transportation process.
Necessary documentation for exporting bonito fish to the United States:
These documents are prepared by the exporter when exporting frozen bonito fish. The documentation is done simultaneously with the process of loading the goods into the container.
• Commercial invoice
• Bill of lading
• Commercial contract
• Packing list
• Certificate of origin
• Inspection certificate
• Importer Security Filing (ISF) documents
• HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) documentation
4. Loading and tracking the Cargo:
According to the container loading schedule on the booking order, you will bring an empty container to the loading warehouse. You need to ensure that the container reaches the required temperature of -18 degrees Celsius before proceeding with the cargo loading. During the loading process, the container’s temperature must be maintained at the required level. After loading the goods into the container, you will seal it and transport the container to the port of loading as per the booking order.
When the vessel begins its journey, you should monitor the cargo’s journey using the websites of the shipping companies. Typically, shipping from Vietnam to the United States takes around 20-30 days. You should regularly track and trace the shipping company’s website for updates on the cargo’s arrival schedule for your customer.
If you are looking for a source of frozen bonito fish for export to the United States, please consider choosing Southern Fresh Foods. With many years of experience in the frozen seafood industry and exports to the United States, we are confident in providing high-quality frozen bonito fish, competitive prices and a production and export process that complies with FDA standards.
Contact For The Best-Priced Seafood Exports
- Address: Lot III-22, 19/5A St., Tan Binh Industrial Park, Tay Thanh Ward, Tan Phu Dist., HCMC
- Tel: +84 28 3816 5488
- Hotline: +84 94 868 0404
- Email: salesfreshfood@sacofoods.vn
