Shipping Ambient Food from Oakland to Vancouver via Ocean Freight

Moisture-sensitive shelf-stable food demands waterproof protection such as Foil pouches inside sturdy outer cartons. Our team suggests adding Desiccant packs and using clear handling labels on all processed food shipments, especially when moving through humid or coastal routes.

You are allowed to ship dry food and bottled drinks together if every unit is Individually protected and bottled drinks are placed at the bottom of the carton. We recommend using separate inner boxes for liquid items so that any leak does not contaminate surrounding packaged groceries.

Most international shipments of packaged groceries will require itemized invoices listing full product descriptions, HS codes, and values. Depending on the destination and type of Food, you might also need Health certificates and origin documentation, especially for animal-derived ingredients.

For shelf-stable food with medium fragility and mixed dry food and bottled drinks, most shippers choose All-risk cargo insurance that includes spoilage and contamination. Be sure to Declare the full value of your beverages and record how goods are packed, as insurers may evaluate packaging quality when processing claims.

Most processed food and standard beverages are shipped in Ambient conditions as long as you protect from temperature extremes. We recommend checking manufacturer guidelines on heat sensitivity, especially for sensitive beverages, and scheduling moves to minimize exposure to very hot or very cold environments.

Shipments of packaged food from the United States to Canada require a commercial invoice, a bill of lading, and may need a Food Import Notification (FIN) for certain products. Additionally, compliance with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations is necessary.

Packaged food should be properly sealed and stored in climate-controlled containers to prevent spoilage during ocean transport. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the packaging is robust enough to withstand the marine environment and potential humidity exposure during transit.

Shippers have shared 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.

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

Our advantage comes from smarter tech, faster answers, and people who care, combining our AI-powered SAMMIE platform with real humans who know your freight and act as a trusted partner.