Frequently asked questions about food export and working with us

We work with food producers of all sizes — from family-run artisan producers making their first international shipment to established manufacturers expanding into new regions. Our services are fully scalable: we can manage a single container trial shipment or an ongoing multi-country distribution programme. We tailor the scope and intensity of our support to match your capacity and ambition.

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We coordinate customs clearance both at the EU export point and at the destination country's port of entry. We work with a network of licensed customs agents in our key markets who handle the import declaration, duty payment, and port release process on your behalf. This end-to-end customs management is one of the main reasons clients choose to work with us — destination customs is often where delays and costs occur, and our local relationships minimize both.

→ See how our logistics service works

Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) are standardised codes that define who bears cost and risk at each stage of an international shipment. The most common for food exporters are: FOB (Free On Board — seller delivers to port, buyer handles freight and import), CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight — seller covers shipping and insurance to buyer's port), and DDP (Delivered Duty Paid — seller handles everything to buyer's door). For new exporters, FOB or CIF are the most balanced starting points. We advise the right Incoterm for each trade relationship and destination market.

→ Read our full Incoterms guide

Most African and Middle Eastern import markets require a minimum of 50–75% of the product's total shelf life remaining at the time of arrival at the destination port. In practical terms, this means a product with a 12-month shelf life should have at least 6–9 months remaining when it arrives. We factor transit time and port clearance duration into our shipment planning to ensure your products always meet the minimum shelf life requirement at destination.

→ Learn how we plan shipments around shelf life

We can guide you through the halal certification process and connect you with accredited certification bodies recognised in your target market. Certification must be obtained from an authority recognised by the importing country's halal regulatory body — and these vary between Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nigeria, Egypt, and other markets. We know which certifications are accepted where, which saves significant time and cost. Contact us with your product and destination market for specific guidance.

→ Ask us about halal certification for your product

Yes. We handle food exports with a range of certifications including organic (EU Organic, USDA, etc.), Fair Trade, non-GMO, and various national quality marks. Specialty certifications can be a strong commercial advantage in premium African and Middle Eastern retail markets, where demand for certified quality products is growing. We advise on which certifications carry the most market value in your target region and how to present them compliantly on export documentation.

→ Learn about our compliance services

Getting started is simple. Contact us via our contact form, email, or WhatsApp with a brief description of your product, your target market, and your approximate volumes. We will arrange a free initial consultation — by video call, phone, or in person if you are near Hamburg or Cairo — to understand your situation fully and explain how we can help. There is no obligation and no cost for this first conversation.

→ Contact us to book your free consultation

Both options are available. Many clients use our full end-to-end service — trade solutions, logistics, and quality control together. Others engage us for a specific need: for example, a producer who already has a buyer may only need our logistics and compliance services. We are flexible and build each engagement around what you actually need. We will be transparent about where our involvement adds the most value and where you may not need us.

→ See our three core services

Three things set us apart. First, we are genuinely specialized in food — not a general freight forwarder that also handles food. Every service we offer is built around the specific requirements of food trade. Second, we have real roots in the markets we serve — our Cairo office and founding team give us authentic relationships and cultural understanding in African and Middle Eastern markets that most European trade companies simply do not have. Third, we are founder-led and personally accountable — you will always deal directly with the people who own and run this business, not a junior account manager. That personal commitment is at the heart of everything we do.

→ Meet our team and read our story

We have two offices: our head office in Hamburg, Germany (20249) and a regional office in Cairo, Egypt. Our team works in English, German, and Arabic — which gives us a practical communication advantage when coordinating between European producers and African or Middle Eastern buyers. We are comfortable conducting business in any of these languages and can prepare documentation in the format required by your destination market.

→ Learn more about our team and locations