Egyptian part-loads reach Jordan most practically by reefer truck, crossing the Gulf of Aqaba on the Nuweiba to Aqaba ferry, and Iraq either by the same trucks continuing overland from Jordan or by sea into Umm Qasr. For a buyer taking a few pallets of several products, the overland route is usually the better fit, because a mixed reefer trailer is easier to fill and share than a 40 ft container, and it lands closer to Amman and Baghdad.
Route one: reefer truck through Nuweiba and Aqaba
A refrigerated trailer loads at the packhouse in the Delta or on the desert road, drives to Nuweiba in Sinai, crosses by ferry to Aqaba and continues to Amman. Door to door the run is typically three to five days, with the ferry schedule and the border inspection deciding which end of that range you get. A standard 13.6 m trailer takes 26 standard or 33 Euro pallets, so a buyer needing six to ten pallets can share with another consignee or with other products from the same supplier.
For Iraq, the same truck can continue from Jordan across the Karama and Trebil crossing towards Baghdad. Allow extra days for the second border, and confirm in advance that the transport company is licensed for the through-route, because transloading at the border adds handling and temperature risk.
Route two: sea freight into Aqaba or Umm Qasr
Reefer containers from Sokhna or Damietta to Aqaba make sense when the volume is closer to a full box. Umm Qasr is normally served via a transhipment port in the Gulf, which makes the transit longer and less predictable than the overland route. For a part-load, sea freight into Iraq usually works only as groupage with a forwarder who already runs a regular consolidated box.
Permits and seasonal restriction lists
Both markets use import permits for fresh produce, and both publish lists of products that may not be imported during the local harvest to protect domestic growers. The lists change during the year, sometimes at short notice. Before confirming an order, the buyer should check that each line on the part-load is currently permitted and that the permit is issued in the importer’s name. A mixed load with one restricted product can be held at the border in its entirety. Documents from the Egyptian side are the phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, commercial invoice and packing list, with any legalisation the destination asks for arranged before loading.
What travels well on this route
From October the practical mix is Navel and early mandarin, pomegranate while it lasts, sweet potato, potato, onion and garlic. Strawberry and green bean join from December for buyers with fast sell-through. Storage crops and citrus share a truck easily. Strawberry needs a colder set point than sweet potato, so the mix has to be planned around compatible temperatures. Our guide to Egyptian part-loads into the GCC covers the Gulf side if you also serve customers there.
Payment on a first order
New buyers in both markets usually pay a deposit with the order and the balance against copy documents before the truck crosses. Our note on payment terms on a first part-load sets out what is realistic to negotiate.
If you are buying for Amman, Irbid, Baghdad or Erbil and want a same-day quotation on a mixed part-load, message the Peivana desk on WhatsApp at +20 10 9911 1918 with the products, pallet count and delivery city.