Food, Beverage & Agriculture Capabilities
Fresh produce, frozen foods, beverages, grains, and other agricultural commodities don’t have the luxury of waiting around. Perishable products have shelf lives, bulk commodities require specialized transportation, and food and beverage imports can involve detailed FDA, USDA, and customs requirements. Shapiro provides freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and supply chain solutions designed to keep food, beverage, and agricultural products moving safely and efficiently.
- Reefer & Cold-Chain Shipping – Perishable and temperature-sensitive products require more than standard freight transportation. We coordinate refrigerated ocean, truck, and other transportation solutions designed to maintain appropriate conditions throughout the supply chain.
- Bulk Commodity Transportation – Agricultural commodities can move in significant volumes and require careful planning around equipment, loading, transportation, and delivery. We help coordinate freight solutions based on your commodity, shipment volume, origin, destination, and timing.
- Time-Sensitive & Perishable Freight – When shelf life is measured in days rather than weeks, every step matters. Our team helps coordinate transportation and customs clearance to minimize unnecessary delays and keep perishable products moving toward their final destination.
- End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility – With Shapiro 360°, you can monitor shipments, track milestones, receive exception notifications, and gain greater visibility across your supply chain. Better visibility helps food and agricultural businesses respond quickly when delays or disruptions occur.
Food, Beverage & Agriculture Tariffs,
HTS Codes & Customs Compliance
Importing food, beverages, and agricultural products requires careful attention to classification, documentation, country of origin, and government agency requirements. Depending on the commodity, imports may be subject to FDA, USDA, or other Partner Government Agency requirements, making accurate customs processing essential to keeping shipments moving.
Our customs brokerage and trade compliance team helps food, beverage, and agricultural importers navigate:
- Food & Beverage HTS Classification – Properly classify food products, beverages, agricultural commodities, and related products based on their composition, characteristics, and intended use.
- FDA & USDA Requirements – Coordinate applicable Partner Government Agency requirements and import documentation for products subject to FDA, USDA, and other regulatory oversight.
- Agricultural Import Requirements – Help importers navigate documentation and compliance considerations that can apply to agricultural commodities and other regulated products.
- Tariffs & Duty Management – Monitor applicable tariffs and trade measures while identifying opportunities to optimize landed costs through strategies such as First Sale, duty drawback, and applicable trade programs.
- Country of Origin & Documentation – Help ensure commercial invoices, packing lists, country-of-origin information, and other import documentation are accurate and complete.
The result? Fewer surprises at the border, better control over landed costs, and a supply chain built around the unique requirements of your products.
From Farm to Distribution Center
Food, beverage, and agriculture supply chains don’t have much room for error. A delayed shipment can reduce shelf life. A temperature excursion can compromise a perishable product. And a customs hold can leave time-sensitive cargo sitting when it should be moving.
That’s why Shapiro brings freight forwarding, customs brokerage, trade compliance, domestic transportation, and supply chain visibility together under one roof. We help coordinate the logistics behind your products from origin through final delivery.
Whether you’re importing fresh produce in a refrigerated container, moving frozen foods to a distribution center, transporting bulk agricultural commodities, or shipping beverages across international trade lanes, we’ll help build a logistics strategy around your cargo’s temperature requirements, volume, timing, and destination.
And with Shapiro 360°, you’ll have greater visibility into your shipments, helping your team monitor milestones, identify potential delays, and keep your supply chain moving.
Looking for help with imports into the U.S.?
Check out our Services page to see which of our services can help you get your products into the U.S.