With Dubai’s multicultural population and reputation as a culinary destination, the tea and spices trading sector thrives as it caters to individuals’ and businesses’ diverse tastes and preferences.
Tea and Spices Trading in Dubai refers to the business activity involving the buying, selling, and distributing of tea and various spices. You can get into wholesale and retail operations, catering to the demands of consumers, hotels, restaurants, and other food-related businesses.
4630.10 Wholesale of Coffee, Tea, Cocoa and Spices
Apply for a business license under Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco and choose business activity Wholesale of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices with activity code 4630.10.
Wholesale of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices refers to the business activity of buying and selling these products in bulk quantities to other businesses, retailers, and distributors. This trade involves procuring a wide variety of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices from different sources and supplying them to meet the demand of customers in the market.
Wholesale of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices involves maintaining stock and inventory, ensuring proper storage conditions, and delivering the products to retailers, specialty stores, cafes, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the food and beverage industry.
Inclusions
As a wholesale trader of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices in the Meydan Free Zone, you can sell a wide range of products in large quantities. For instance, you can wholesale trade various fruits, vegetables, and dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and eggs. Additionally, you are authorized to trade in edible oils and fats, including butter, lard, and olive oil, as well as meat and meat products such as beef, chicken, and mutton.
Moreover, this license allows you to include other products in your wholesale business, such as fishery products, chocolate, sugar confectionery like candy, cake, and ice cream, and bakery products like bread, pastries, and cakes. You are also authorized to wholesale beverages like soda, juice, energy drinks, coffee, tea, cocoa, and various spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper.
Furthermore, with this trade license, you can purchase wine in bulk and bottle it without altering its taste or quality. Additionally, you can offer wholesale feed for pet animals, including pet food for dogs, cats, and birds.
Exclusions:
This activity explicitly prohibits the production of bakery products through on-site baking. It strictly disallows manufacturing bread and rolls, fresh pastry, cakes, pies, tarts, rusks, biscuits, and other “dry” bakery products, as well as preserved pastry goods, cakes, snack products (such as cookies, crackers, and pretzels), both sweet and savory, and the creation of tortillas or frozen bakery items, such as pancakes, waffles, and rolls. The bottom line is that you can only sell these products, not manufacture, produce, or bake them.
4721.86 Spices Trading
Apply for your business license under Retail sale of food in specialized stores and choose business activity Spices Trading with activity code 4721.86.
With your Spices Trading business license from Meydan Free Zone, you can resell a wide variety of dried, packed, or preserved spices. These spices can be sold in raw form or after undergoing processes such as roasting, grinding, blending, or packaging.
For example, you can offer your customers popular spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. Furthermore, your license allows you to trade specialty or exotic spices, including saffron, paprika, star anise, fenugreek, and sumac. You can cater to different customer segments, such as restaurants, hotels, specialty stores, supermarkets, and individual consumers who appreciate the flavors and benefits of quality spices.
4721.89 Tea Trading
Apply for your business license under Retail sale of food in specialized stores and choose business activity Tea Trading with activity code 4721.89.
With your Tea Trading business license from Meydan Free Zone, you can resell tea in bulk quantities and consumer packs, catering to the needs of various customers and businesses.
In bulk tea trading, you can supply tea items in large quantities to wholesalers, retailers, hotels, restaurants, and cafes. You can include different tea varieties, such as black, green, oolong, white, and herbal infusions. For instance, you can offer premium-grade loose-leaf teas sourced from renowned tea-growing regions like Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon, and China.
Alternatively, with your Tea Trading license, you can also package tea in consumer packs for retail sale. You can include tea bags, tea sachets, or tins containing pre-packaged tea blends or single-origin teas. For example, you can offer a range of flavored teas like Earl Grey, Jasmine, and Chamomile or specialty blends like Masala Chai or Moroccan Mint. You can also include sourcing and reselling exclusive tea varieties, organic or fair-trade teas, or specialty blends from tea experts.
Third-Party Approval – Post License
After obtaining your Wholesale of Coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices license (4630.10) or your Spices Trading (4721.86) or Tea Trading (4721.89) license, you must apply for the necessary permit, and additional approval from the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality. The Food Control Department, operating under the Dubai Municipality, is responsible for ensuring adherence to food safety regulations and implementing best practices in food-related businesses in Dubai.
As a Wholesaler of coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices, it is mandatory to register your business with the Dubai Municipality to comply with these regulations. To streamline your business’s operations, we can assist in obtaining the required approvals from the Food Safety Department of Dubai Municipality.
Additionally, if your shop deals with imported food and beverages, acquiring an import license from the Dubai Customs Authorities is necessary. This license ensures compliance with customs regulations for importing food products into Dubai.
Terms & Guidelines
- List your company in the Food Import and Re-Export System (FIRS) in the DM. This will allow you to request food imports, and you can effortlessly check the status of your import from its inspection to release.
- You must acquire a food label approval for all imported food to confirm that your food labeling meets the government standard.
- For the importing items, you should also obtain a FIT analysis.
- It is also advised that you register all food items in the FIRS before importing them.
ESR & UBO
Neither UBO nor ESR regulations apply to the Wholesale of Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, and Spices Trading in Dubai. This exemption provides some administrative relief as you can focus on conducting your wholesale trading activities without the additional burden of complying with UBO or ESR requirements. However, it is essential to stay updated with any regulatory changes or amendments that may affect your specific license and ensure compliance with other applicable laws and regulations relevant to your business operations.
UBO stands for Ultimate Beneficial Ownership, which refers to identifying and reporting the individuals who ultimately own or control a business entity, while ESR stands for Economic Substance Regulations, which requires businesses to demonstrate genuine economic activity and substance within the jurisdiction where they operate.
AML
The Wholesale of Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, and Spices trading activities in Dubai are exempt from Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations. AML regulations are implemented to prevent and detect money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. However, these specific trading activities related to coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices are not subjected to these regulations.
