Shipping Packaged Groceries from Houston to Montreal via Ocean Freight

Moisture-sensitive snacks demands waterproof protection such as laminated liners inside sturdy outer cartons. Most shippers recommend adding Desiccant packs and using clear handling labels on all Packaged groceries shipments, especially when moving through humid or coastal routes.

You may ship dry food and bottled drinks together if every unit is securely packed and beverages are placed at the bottom of the carton. We recommend using separate inner boxes for Bottled drinks so that any leak does not damage surrounding packaged groceries.

Most international shipments of processed food will require itemized invoices listing full product descriptions, HS codes, and values. Depending on the destination and type of beverages, you could be asked for Health certificates and origin documentation, especially for Bottled drinks.

For processed food with medium fragility and mixed dry food and bottled drinks, most shippers choose all-risks freight insurance that includes damage from moisture and breakage. Be sure to Declare the full value of your beverages and Document packaging standards, as insurers may assess packaging quality when processing claims.

Most shelf-stable food and standard beverages are shipped in standard dry vans as long as you keep them within labeled storage temperatures. We recommend checking manufacturer guidelines on heat sensitivity, especially for Chocolate snacks, and planning transit to minimize exposure to very hot or very cold environments.

Packaged food must be stored in a temperature-controlled environment to prevent spoilage during ocean transport. It is crucial to ensure that the cargo is properly secured and protected from moisture and contamination, as well as to comply with any specific packaging requirements for food safety.

The shipment requires a commercial invoice, a bill of lading, and a certificate of origin. Additionally, import permits may be necessary depending on the type of packaged food being shipped, and compliance with Canada’s food safety regulations must be ensured.

You can use SAMMIE to generate exportable reports as PDF or Excel summaries for finance, operations, or client updates directly from the portal.

The Actionable Shipment Intelligence feature surface trends, spot delays, and enable you to run exportable reports, while the system learns from every shipment to improve the next one.

The platform improves your client service by allowing you to quickly and efficiently update your customers on their shipments and providing the visibility and data needed to meet the customer service your clients expect.