Shipping Food from Le Havre to Chicago via Ocean Freight

Moisture-sensitive Dry food Requires waterproof protection such as Foil pouches inside sturdy outer cartons. We recommend adding silica gel and using moisture-warning labels on all Packaged groceries shipments, especially when moving through humid or coastal routes.

You Can ship Snacks and beverages together if every unit is Individually protected and Liquids are placed at the bottom of the carton. Our logistics team recommends using cell partitions for Bottled drinks so that any leak does not Soak surrounding packaged groceries.

Most international shipments of Ambient food Require itemized invoices listing full product descriptions, HS codes, and values. Depending on the destination and type of Food, you May also need manufacturer declarations and certificates of origin, especially for Bottled drinks.

For Packaged food with medium fragility and mixed Snacks and beverages, most shippers choose All-risk cargo insurance that includes Leakage, breakage, and contamination. Be sure to accurately declare values of your snacks and Document packaging standards, as insurers may Review packaging quality when processing claims.

Most Ambient food and standard Bottled drinks are shipped in Ambient conditions as long as you Avoid extreme heat and freezing. Our team recommends checking manufacturer guidelines on temperature limits, especially for Chocolate snacks, and Routing shipments to minimize exposure to very hot or very cold environments.

Packaged food must be properly sealed and stored in temperature-controlled containers to prevent spoilage during transit. It is important to ensure that the packaging is robust enough to withstand the conditions of ocean freight, including humidity and potential exposure to seawater.

Shipments of packaged food must comply with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, including prior notice submission for imported food products. Additionally, all food products must be labeled according to U.S. standards, and importers must ensure that the products meet health and safety requirements.

With DNA, you get live map tracking with milestone updates and 24/7 access via SAMMIE, while other forwarders often provide only basic carrier links and manual updates that can be delayed or incomplete.

Customers report that SAMMIE makes managing shipments simple, puts accurate real-time location, status, and ETAs at their fingertips, and significantly reduces the time and effort required to manage many shipments.

We offer international freight forwarding by ocean, air, and land, along with customs brokerage, warehouse support, and access to our AI-powered SAMMIE visibility platform.