Belgium
USA trade laneBelgium is one of the world's largest exporters of frozen potato products, and its processors — concentrated in West Flanders and Hainaut — also produce frozen vegetables at scale. US foodservice distributors, private-label retail programs and restaurant groups buy Belgian fries, potato specialties and frozen vegetables, and Belgium and the Netherlands together supply most of the EU frozen fries entering the US.
Frozen food is a temperature product first: a shipment that warms and refreezes is damaged even if it looks fine, and FDA's food rules apply to every container. AGF moves frozen cargo from Belgium through WCA partner agents there — AGF has no office in Belgium — in reefer containers from Antwerp, with the entry filed by our licensed customs brokers and delivery to a partner cold store or your distribution center.
Last reviewed:
Shipping Frozen Fries & Vegetables from Belgium to USA
Frozen fries and vegetables ship in 40ft high-cube reefer containers set to −18°C (0°F) or colder. A reefer holds temperature; it does not freeze warm cargo, so product must be loaded already at temperature and stuffed quickly, on pallets stowed so cold air can circulate around the load. Antwerp to the US East Coast takes roughly 10–14 days on the water and 22–28 days to the West Coast.
The weak points are the transfers: gate-in at Antwerp, the plug-in at the US terminal and the drayage to the cold store, where the reefer runs on a genset. A temperature recorder in the container provides the evidence if a claim is needed, and booking the cold-store delivery appointment before the vessel arrives keeps the container from sitting on terminal power charges.
- 40ft reefer at −18°C (0°F) or colder, with product loaded at temperature
- Temperature recorders from stuffing to delivery
- Genset drayage and pre-booked cold-store appointments in the US
- Weight and pallet count planned to US road limits
What Drives the Cost
- Reefer rates and seasonal availability of reefer equipment
- Genset drayage, cold-store handling and storage at destination
- Duty — base rates on frozen potato and vegetable lines topped up to 10% in total under the Section 301 measure on EU goods; confirmed at quoting
- Payload versus US road weight limits
- Terminal delays, where reefer plug-in and demurrage charges add up quickly
- FDA examinations, during which the container stays plugged in and accruing charges
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004.10 | Potatoes prepared or preserved, frozen — French fries, wedges, hash browns and potato specialties | Fries are par-fried, which moves them out of Chapter 7 and into 2004.10. The core line for this trade. |
| 0710 | Vegetables, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling, frozen — peas, beans, spinach, Brussels sprouts, mixtures | Plain frozen vegetables stay in Chapter 7; mixtures have their own subheading. |
| 2004.90 | Other vegetables prepared or preserved, frozen — vegetables in sauce, fried or seasoned | Adding sauce or seasoning, or frying, moves a product from 0710 to 2004.90, which can change the duty. |
Regulations and Compliance
FDA registration, Prior Notice and FSVP
The Belgian plant must be registered with FDA as a food facility — registrations are renewed in the October–December window of even-numbered years, including 2026 — and every shipment needs Prior Notice before arrival. The US importer must run a Foreign Supplier Verification Program covering each food and supplier.
Listeria and supplier verification
Frozen vegetables have been linked to Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks, and FDA expects an importer's supplier verification to address the risk — the supplier's food-safety plan, environmental monitoring and testing. A plant with a poor record can be placed on an FDA import alert that holds every shipment.
Labeling for retail and foodservice
Retail packs need US-format labeling — nutrition facts, ingredient list, allergen declaration and net quantity in US and metric units. Foodservice cases still need accurate ingredient and allergen information, which matters for coated and seasoned fries and for products cooked in shared fryers.
APHIS conditions for vegetables
Commercially frozen vegetables are generally admissible, but APHIS sets conditions for some products, published in its Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements (FAVIR) database. We check each product before the first shipment.
Trade measures
No US antidumping or countervailing duty order covers frozen potato products from Belgium at the time of review. The US potato industry has publicly called for tariffs on EU frozen fries, so the position is checked again at quoting, together with the Section 301 measure that has topped most EU goods up to 10% in total since 24 July 2026.
Door-to-Door Import Service
We confirm the plant's FDA registration, the importer's FSVP and the HS lines before booking. Our partner agents in Belgium arrange the reefer to the plant or cold store, stuffing at temperature and the export formalities, and the container sails from Antwerp with a temperature recorder running.
Prior Notice is filed before arrival, our licensed customs brokers file the entry, and the container moves on a genset to a partner cold store or your distribution center on a pre-booked appointment — or is unloaded into cold storage for drawdown deliveries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are frozen fries shipped from Belgium to the USA?
What temperature should a reefer be for frozen food?
Do frozen vegetables need FDA Prior Notice?
What duties apply to frozen fries from Belgium?
Frozen Fries & Vegetables is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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