Rules for seafood imports

Ministry of Agriculture issues decision regulating import of frozen and refrigerated seafood

The Ministry of Agriculture issued a decision regulating the importation of refrigerated and frozen seafood products.
The decision does not include the import of manufactured seafood products.

According to the decision, any company willing to import frozen and refrigerated fish and seafood should file an application to the Directorate of Wildlife at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The decision allows the indirect import of the mentioned products (through a third party). It states that the shipments must be accompanied with a sanitary certificate from the country of origin that shows the production and expiry dates, as well as the temperature required for preserving the product. The decision also requires the imports of seafood to have a certificate specifying that the shipment is destined to Lebanon.

According to the decision, the imported items must be transported into the country in refrigerated containers, equipped with a temperature measurement system. Refrigerated seafood must be kept at a temperature between 2°C and - 2°C. Frozen seafood is to be kept at a temperature of -18°C (or below).

All shipments should be tested before entering the market.