Trading processes between California and Saudi Arabia

Do you need to import some goods from the USA to KSA? What are the trading processes between California and Saudi Arabia and how to do it successfully? You can ship almost everything, household goods, vehicles, motorhomes, RVs, equipment, cargo, freight, etc.

When Americans moving to Asia there are so many things to keep in mind, as well as when doing business with Arabs. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a population of about 34.27 million and the fun fact is, that it is the largest country in the world without a single river – it is all desert.

The economy in KSA is very strong because they are the leading producer of oil and natural gas in the world, which is black gold. They hold 17% of the world’s petroleum. If you want to expand or to move your business from California to Saudi Arabia, it is good to know that US FDI in Saudi Arabia reached $11.37 billion in 2018 – Saudi Arabia is California’s 29th largest export destination. In 2019, California exported about $765 million to Saudi Arabia – which is a large amount of money. When moving your business out of LA, the first step is to choose the right location and to explore the market there.

Types of trading processes between California and Saudi Arabia

What are your options when it comes to overseas shipping and how you will transport goods from California to KSA?

• Ocean freight – the pros of shipping goods via ocean is that it is an affordable option and also, you can ship heavy and large items. Here, you have two options to choose from LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load). LCL allows shippers not to pay for an entire container, and to share it with other shippers. If you have to ship a lot of items, enough for one full container, then choose FCL.
• Air freight – the advantage of shipping via air is time. It is the fastest way to transport goods overseas. If you want one of the fastest trading processes between California and Saudi Arabia, this is it. This may be a more expensive option and you cannot ship bulky items, but sometimes it is a better option.

No matter what options you will choose, it is important to choose a reliable and reputable shipping company. The Kingdom offers a variety of options when it comes to logistic services.

Cost of shipping from CA to KSA and time

The price of trading processes between California and Saudi Arabia is also a factor to consider. When you are importing and/or exporting from CA to KSA, you should create a budget and know how much money you can spend on this. Engage people familiar with regulations and look for the best offer for shipping. Not only a company must be reliable, but also, the price should be reasonable too.

What if you are moving from California to Saudi Arabia – how to transport your items there?

What if you need to move to Saudi Arabia from the United States? How to move all your items safely? One of the best and easiest choice is to hire a reliable company that has a lot of experience with international relocations.

Where to find one of those companies? The first step is to research online and visit some of the websites such as fourwinds-ksa.com. Moving overseas is not easy and simple, and that is why you need experts by your side.

The costs will depend on different factors, not only one. No matter if you are shipping via air or sea. Freight forwarders consider these factors when preparing your shipping quote:

• Type of your freight
• LCL, FLC, or shipping via air
• Weight and size of your items
• Port of origin and arrival
• Type of services

If your items weight less than than 100 kg, then the costs won’t differ much. For weight more than 100kg, you should better choose ocean freight, because air freight will be an expensive choice.

If you will ship cargo by sea, your goods will arrive to Saudi Arabia after 40 days (approximately). Most of the items will arrive to Jeddah, Riyadh or Dammam. If you are in hurry, air freight is a perfect choice, because you will wait only about 5 days. You can ship from Los Angeles to Dammam, Riyadh or Jeddah, or from San Francisco to Dammam.

Restricted imports

KSA has somewhat different rules when it comes to importing and exporting. Some items that may be normal to you, are forbidden in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries in the Gulf. You must be careful when importing goods from the USA to KSA. Even if you are preparing for moving from LA to Riyadh, keep in mind these details.

Some of the items you can’t import to KSA from California are:

• Animals and animal products, unless it has a Halal certificate and all the products must be labeled properly. For example, pork meat cannot be imported at all.
• Chemicals must be labeled too.
• Alcohol is forbidden in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. Not only you cannot import it, but also, it is illegal to consume it.
• GMO food.
• Some of the plants and plant products.

Before you decide to do business with KSA or to move there or to ship items there, you better research trading processes between California and Saudi Arabia and what items are illegal. Some items may be normal to you, but illegal in Muslim countries.