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Despite the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine's retail, food processing, and food service sectors are functioning. The retail industry is working to maintain an assortment of imported products.

With a gross domestic product of $548.6 billion and projected growth of 3.7 percent in 2025, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks as the second-largest economy in the Arab world, with substantial consumer spending driven by high per capita income.

The Saudi Arabian General Authority of Ports (Mawani), in coordination with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, announced its intention to require the use of pallets for all containerized cargo shipments to the Kingdom's ports.

In a budget bill passed on June 13, 2025, the semi-autonomous Zanzibar government raised the excise duty on imported frozen chicken from approximately USD $0.12 per kilogram to approximately USD $0.39 per kilogram, with a double aim to protect the domestic poultry industry and generate USD $2.75 million in revenue.

Zanzibar presents strong potential for U.S. food and beverage exports, driven by tourism, urbanization, and demand for quality products. With over 80 percent of food imported, key opportunities include beverages, wheat, poultry, oil, confectioneries, and rice.

The major export certificates required by Saudi Arabia’s regulatory and import control agencies are included in this Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) - Certificates Report.

This report is an annual update on the food import standards and enforcement mechanisms in Jordan.

In April 2025, Ukraine eliminated all exceptions to the enforcement of food safety regulations for commercial imports which were put in place at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.

No new bilateral certificates were negotiated from the second half of 2024 through the first half of 2025. The Export Certificate Matrix includes only bilaterally negotiated certificates.

Despite recent economic headwinds, Egypt’s food ingredient market is experiencing modest growth driven by increasing demand for processed and packaged foods.

Morocco’s wheat and barley for MY2025/26 was significantly supported by late rainfall during March-April, alleviating the adverse effects of earlier drought conditions.

This report is an annual update on the food imports certificates in Jordan. For assistance on trade policy and port issues in Jordan, U.S. exporters are encouraged to contact FAS Amman at AgAmman@usda.gov.