How to import olive oil to the us? Country produces and FDA regulation

There is no doubt that the unique flavor that olive oil brings to food has made it an essential ingredient in many cooking recipes. A long time ago, skilled chefs in the United States used to import olive oil, whether a virgin or pure, to prepare their delicacies. Regardless of the methods of use and far from chefs and consumers, wholesalers and suppliers from Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, and many other regions of the world are constantly trying to overcome many obstacles to the import olive oil.

Which country produces the best olive oil in the world?

The number of olive trees in the world is estimated at more than 750 million olive trees spread all over the world, and 95% of them are located in the Mediterranean region, and Southern Europe is considered the region that has the largest number of olive oil producers, then the Arab Maghreb. In Spain, there are 230 million olive trees in an area of 2 million hectares, or 27% of the area planted with olive trees in the world.

Spain tops the list of the top 10 olive oil producing countries in the world for the 2019 - 2020 seasons. Spain contributes 35% of the world's olive oil production, followed by Italy, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, and Portugal.

It is difficult to determine precisely which country produces the best olive oil in the world, given the large number of producers and the different types of oil required in the market, but it can be said that imported olive oil of the Mediterranean is the best.

FDA olive oil import regulations

Imported olive oil is classified into several categories depending on the end use. If considered edible or for culinary use, the imported shipment must comply with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules. In order to ship to the United States, documents confirming the country of origin, Prior Notice of Imported Food, Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) and food facility registration are required. The US Food and Drug Administration FDA are responsible for ensuring safety, sanitation and labeling.

The first step in the process is to use customs brokers, who are the only people under the law to act as agents for imported goods. They will organize the payment of fees, make the necessary declarations and represent you in various cases. When entry is made using CBP, you or your customs broker will need to include a harmonized tariff that includes labels that help the FDA determine if specific data is required. If the HTSUS code indicates that a product is regulated by the FDA, the submission must contain the information required at that time.

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