Dubai Customs has taken measures to ensure the fast flow of food imports to meet the needs of consumers during the peak consumption season in Ramadan. Dates, rice, sugar, juice, oils, meat, vegetables and fruits are some of the increasingly demanded food products during the holy month.
Dubai’s foodstuff foreign trade has recorded a clear rise in 2014, amounting to Dh89 billion compared to Dh79 billion in 2013 with a growth rate of 13.3 per cent. Imports went up to Dh58 billion, exports to Dh13.4 billion and re-exports to Dh17.7 billion.
Sugar topped Dubai`s food imports in 2014 with Dh4 billion, followed by milk with Dh2.8 billion, then rice Dh2.7 billion.
At the exports level, sugar ranked first at Dh1.5 billion, followed by chocolate at Dh1.3 billion and then milk at Dh831.5 million.
Nuts topped the list of re-exports at Dh1.4 billion, followed by food ingredients at Dh655 million.
H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai customs, said: “The foodstuff sector is an essential commercial sector which Dubai Customs keenly targets to expedite imports in order to satisfy consumption needs, especially during the month of Ramadan, in such a way that will enhance government efforts to curb price increase and ensure that consumers receive their food needs at reasonable prices.”
“To that end, Dubai Customs has joined hands with foodstuff safety agencies to facilitate the smooth and timely flow of food commodities to local markets, at best health conditions and in quantities that meet the increased demand,” Musabih added.