How to Import Dates
In this article, we will guide you through the entire process of importing dates, regardless of your destination country. This comprehensive guide will provide you with all the necessary information and tips based on our years of experience in the date import industry.
Let’s break down the process step by step:
Market Research
As an importer, it’s crucial to thoroughly research your target market. Your choice of market will significantly impact your success. Here are some tips for conducting market research:
- Needs and demand: Carefully analyze your target market’s needs and demand. What types of dates are in high demand? What quality are consumers looking for? What products do your competitors offer?
- Purchasing power: Consider your customers’ purchasing power. Is your market seeking premium, high-priced products or more budget-friendly options?
- Competitor analysis: Identify your local competitors and analyze their products and services.
Building Relationships with Distributors and Sellers
Once you’ve identified your target market, establishing effective relationships with distributors and sellers is crucial. Here are some ways to find potential partners:
- Attending food exhibitions: Participating in food and agricultural exhibitions (domestic or international) allows you to meet with various producers and distributors.
- Attending specialized events: Specialized events such as conferences and seminars related to the date industry are also excellent opportunities for networking.
- Seeking assistance from your country’s chamber of commerce: Your country’s chamber of commerce can provide valuable information about the market and import regulations.
After these steps, you’ll be ready to start the import process. Let’s get started.
Finding a Date Supplier
As mentioned earlier, once you’ve secured your market and identified potential distributors, you’ll need to find a reliable dates supplier.
Finding a suitable date supplier comes with its own set of challenges and considerations. One of the most important factors is ensuring that your supplier is based in a major date-producing country.
Who are the biggest date producers and exporters?
To maximize your profits from date imports, it’s recommended to source your products from the largest producers and exporters. These countries, being the primary producers, offer fresher products, more competitive prices, and lower costs.
Note: It’s been observed that some suppliers are based in countries that don’t produce dates themselves. They purchase products from producing countries and sell them to importers at higher prices under their own brand. That’s why we emphasize sourcing from a country that both produces and exports.
According to one of our recent articles that introduced the top 10 dates exporting countries, and based on ITC data, the three largest countries in date production and export in 2022 are:
- Saudi Arabia
- Israel
- Iran
To discover the remaining 7 countries, you can read our article on the biggest date exporters mentioned above.
Why find a supplier company?
Before discussing how to find a date supplier, let’s address why you need one. Most producers typically don’t involve themselves in export or commercial activities; they focus solely on production. Suppliers, on the other hand, contract with farmers in cultivated lands. They also handle customer relations, logistics, transportation, packaging, quality control, and other services, making the purchasing process easier for the customer.
How to find a date supplier?
Now that you know the major date-producing countries, you need to find a reliable supplier in these countries. Tari Trading, as an Iranian date supplier, recommends that your supplier should have:
- Quality control of products through testing
- Mandatory health certificates as per your country’s regulations
- Insurance services
- Good logistics and transportation services
Important points to know about date import transportation:
ortant points to know about date import transportation:
- Product storage: Products like dates should be transported in refrigerated containers (ref containers) and stored at a temperature of 4-5 degrees Celsius.
- Dates Packaging: Date packaging varies based on the type of date. They are typically packed in 250g, 400g, 500g, 600g, 700g, 1kg, 2kg, 5kg, and 10kg packages. For example, dates like Mazafati Date are usually packed in 600g and 700g cartons.
How are date containers loaded?
The minimum order for dates is a 40-foot container. There are two loading methods: with wooden pallets and FCL (Full Container Load). What’s the difference? In the pallet method, 22 wooden pallets are placed in the container, and the date cartons are stacked on these pallets. In the FCL method, all date cartons are directly placed in the container.
What is the weight of a 40-foot date container?
The total weight of containers ranges from 25 to 28 tons. It’s worth noting that FCL containers have a higher net weight.
Post-loading stage:
After loading at the port of origin and shipping the cargo to your country, your supplier should provide you with a loading bill to confirm the shipment. You’ll need this bill for customs clearance in your country.
Post-customs clearance stage:
This is where you, as a trader and supplier for your country, can make a name for yourself. It’s your skill to effectively distribute the product through your established network in your country or target market.