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<pre>Spyros,

Here's what I've experienced in my small importing business....

>details of documenting and certifying Extra Virgin

The words 'extra virgin' don't appear in the FDA regulations, and in fact
the only regulations you need to worry about are the ones about labeling
(mentioned in another posting). Rules for products labeled organic go into
effect in October2002.


>freight costs to the port, shipping costs, and U.S. Customs
>regulations and tariffs

Use the services of a customs broker for all of this. Mine arranges for the
oil to be transferred to the shipping point in Italy, packing and loading
into airfreight containers, shipping fees, and customs and FDA inspections.
When the oil is ready to be picked up, I pay him. It may not be the
cheapest way, but it frees me from doing each of these things separately.


>and the possibilities for potential United
>States buyers.


Consumers need information about your oil, and they also need to taste it.
I try to hold tastings as often as I can, and I put as much information on
the label as I can about where the oil comes from and why it's different
from the 25 other olive oils on the shelf. One of the oils I import is
already bottled and labeled, so I developed a neck-hanger (sort of
mini-brochure to hang from the bottle neck) with more information.

Good luck

Jim



Real Good Food

Spirited and opinionated writing about
real good food...who serves it, how to
make it, where to buy it, and why to eat it.

www.realgoodfood.com
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