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| Export Requirements for Kuwait |
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KU-11 (Jun 13, 2005)
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Eligible/Ineligible Products
- Eligible Product
- Meat and meat products - beef, lamb, mutton, and goat*
- Poultry and poultry products
- Ineligible Product
- Pork and pork products
Processing Requirements
- Meat and Poultry
- Pork tissues or lard are not permitted in formulated products.
- Products containing textured vegetable products are permitted in formulated products.
Labeling Requirements
- Storage temperature must be placed with the refrigeration statement on the
boxes to fully clarify the type of product being handled. (Example: "Keep
Frozen - Store At Or Below __ degrees Centigrade; Keep Chilled (Or
Refrigerated) - Store Between __degrees Centigrade and degrees Centigrade")
- Fresh/frozen and canned meat and poultry - In addition to the labeling
features mandatory in the United States, the label of consumer-ready meat and
poultry must bear the following features:
- Country of origin.
- Statement that product has been slaughtered according to Islamic
principles.
- Bilingual - English and Arabic
- The English section of the label should state the name of the product and
the name and address of the manufacturer or the producer. Product names
may deviate from the U.S. standards if approved according to 9 CFR 317.7
or 381.128. For example, chicken from the U.S. is commonly labeled
"American Chicken". Contact FSIS Technical Service Center at (402)
344-5000 for information on approval of export label deviations.
- Metric net weight is required. Lettering and numbers for unit metric
weight must be in Arabic (NOTE: Gross weight is required for commercial
invoices but is not required for product labels.)
- Production (slaughtered or freezing) and expiration dates must be on
individually packaged product. Date format requirements for Kuwait must
conform to the following: Day/Month/Year for products with a shelf life of
six (6) months or less and Month/Year for products with a shelf life of
more than six (6) months. Dating should be in numeric format and bilingual
(English/Arabic).
- The following methods of labeling are alternatives to meeting the
requirements for labeling precut and packaged fresh/frozen meat and poultry:
- Stickers may be used but must not obliterate label terminology and must
be self-destructive on removal. Stick-on labels covering required label
features are not permitted. No sticker carrying the production and/or
expiration date is allowed on any product.
- Inserts may be used but must be accompanied by production and expiration
dates. Inserts must be made of approved materials.
Documentation Requirements
- Certification Requirements
- Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5 - Meat and Poultry Certificate of
Wholesomeness. All FSIS Form 9060-5 certificates must be dated and
have the signature and title of an FSIS veterinarian.
- Islamic Slaughter - In addition to FSIS certification, the
exporter must obtain a Certificate of Islamic Slaughter from a
member of an Islamic Center or Islamic organization. A certificate
of Islamic (Halal) Slaughter is a certificate issued by a member
of a Moslem organization recognized by the importing country to
provide this service; the certificate states that animals were
slaughtered according to Moslem religious requirements. This
certificate must accompany products labeled "Halal." The
certificate must be endorsed by the Arabian-American Chamber of
Commerce and by a Kuwait Diplomatic Mission and must accompany all shipments.
The telephone numbers of the Arabian-American Chambers of Commerce
and Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington are listed below.*
- FSIS Certification.
- On fresh/frozen unprocessed product. Products bearing
Halal label claims must be accompanied by an appropriate
Halal certificate or a written assurance from the exporter
that an appropriate Halal certificate will be supplied to
accompany that shipment before it reaches its destination.
FSIS is not responsible for certifying that products
intended for export to Muslim countries meets appropriate
requirements for religious slaughter. Procedures for export
certification do not include agency oversight of the Halal
process or review of the authenticity of the Halal
certificate.
- Raw materials used in processed products with Halal
label claims must be accompanied by an appropriate Halal
certificate.
- Military Shipments. The Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs
may exempt shipments consigned to the U.S. military from local
import regulations. Without this exemption, product will be
subjected to inspection in accordance with local regulations.
Each shipment consigned to the military should be accompanied by
FSIS Form 9060-5 with a statement in the "Remarks"
section that indicates: "Product for use by U.S. military."
Handling/Storage Requirements
- Product Requiring Special Handling - Kuwait requires that instructions
for consumers concerning storage, preparation and other special handling
requirements accompany all shipments.
- Packaging - All fresh/frozen products are recommended to be visible
through wrapper.
- Product Arrival and Expiration Dates
- All imported packaged products with shelf-life greater than one
year must arrive in Kuwait within six months from the production
date on the label.
- All imported products with shelf-life of one year or less must
arrive within the first half of the shelf-life or within three
months from the production date, whichever is less.
Plants Eligible to Export
All Federally inspected meat or poultry plants are eligible to export to
Kuwait.
Arabian-American Chambers of Commerce
- National U.S. - Arab Chamber of Commerce
1625 Eye Street NW Suite 902
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 331-8010
Fax (202) 331-8297
- U.S. - Arab Chamber of Commerce
135 South LaSalle Street Room 1020
Chicago, Illinois 60603
(312) 782-0320
fax (312) 782-7379
- U.S. - Arab Chamber of Commerce
1231 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94101-7239
(415) 552-8202
(213) 646-1499 branch office in Los Angeles
For assistance in locating the nearest Kuwait Consulate, contact:
The Embassy of the State of Kuwait
2940 Tilden Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 966-0702
KU-11 (Jun 13, 2005)
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