How Saudi beauty brands can expand into the USA
Updated
Saudi beauty brands can sell in the USA without the kind of premarket registration SFDA requires: most cosmetics need no FDA approval. What they do need is MoCRA registration and listing, a U.S.-compliant English label, careful claims, dangerous goods handling for perfumes, and a current duty figure, since there is no U.S. free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi and Gulf beauty brands are often strongest in categories the U.S. market is actively buying: Circana reports that U.S. mass fragrance sales rose 15% in 2025 (Circana, February 2026) and another 15% in the first half of 2026, when prestige fragrance grew 6% and prestige skincare 9% (Circana, August 2026). Oud, musk, amber and rose-based fragrances, hair oils and rich body care have a clear identity that stands out on a crowded American shelf.
The work is in translating a Saudi-ready range into a U.S.-ready one. This guide covers what is specific to Saudi and GCC brands. For the full U.S. framework, read FDA cosmetics requirements for foreign brands.
From SFDA registration to the U.S. model
In Saudi Arabia, cosmetics "shall not be imported or traded within the Kingdom unless it is registered in SFDA", under the Cosmetics Regulations approved in 2015 (SFDA). Brands are used to a gate: register, get listed, then sell.
The U.S. works the other way. FDA does not approve cosmetics or their ingredients before sale, except color additives. Instead, the brand carries the responsibility: the product must be safe, properly labeled and not misbranded, and FDA can act at the border or in the market if it is not. MoCRA added registration and listing duties, but they are filings, not approvals. That is why "FDA approved", "FDA registered product" and "FDA certified" are myths to keep off your packs and sell sheets.
SFDA and FDA side by side
| Topic | Saudi Arabia (SFDA) | United States (FDA) |
|---|---|---|
| Before sale | Product registration and listing required before import or trade | No premarket approval for cosmetics, except color additives |
| Filings | Listing through SFDA's electronic system (listing guidelines revised in September 2024 for the GHAD system) | MoCRA facility registration and product listing, free, usually through Cosmetics Direct |
| Who is responsible | As set by SFDA's regulations and bylaws | The manufacturer, packer or distributor named on the label; foreign facilities name a U.S. agent |
| Safety | Per SFDA technical rules and restricted lists | Records showing adequate substantiation of safety; serious adverse events reported within 15 business days |
| Label language | Per SFDA technical rules | English required; if Arabic is used, all mandatory information must also appear in Arabic |
For U.S. labels, the practical checklist is identity, net quantity in both U.S. customary and metric units, ingredients in descending order with colors last, the name and place of business ("Distributed by" if not the maker), a U.S. adverse event contact and country of origin in English. The point about Arabic matters for bilingual packs: if Arabic directions or claims stay visible, the required information must be in Arabic too. MoCRA's details are in our MoCRA compliance guide.
Fragrance, oud and bakhoor
Fragrance is often the heart of a Saudi range, and it brings three specific issues.
Shipping
Perfumes with flammable solvents are classified UN1266, "Perfumery products with flammable solvents", a Class 3 flammable liquid. By air they must be shipped under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, which place classification on the shipper. Pure perfume oils without flammable solvents may be classified differently, so do not assume either way: give your forwarder a safety data sheet for each product. For a first U.S. shipment, ocean freight is often simpler for fragrance, though it needs an Importer Security Filing before loading. Customs steps are in how to import cosmetics into the USA.
California VOC limits
California's Air Resources Board limits volatile organic compounds in personal fragrance products. For products made from 2023 through 2030 the limits are 70% (aerosols), 70% (non-aerosols with up to 7% fragrance) and 75% (non-aerosols with more than 7% fragrance); stricter limits apply to products made from 2031 (17 CCR §94509). Most fine fragrances are non-aerosol with high fragrance content, but body mists and aerosol sprays need checking. The other California rules are in California beauty market entry.
Bakhoor and home fragrance
The U.S. defines a cosmetic as something applied to the human body. Bakhoor, incense and room sprays generally fall outside that definition, so they are not cosmetics under FDA rules, though other rules may apply. They may also be classified under a dutiable tariff heading: room fragrance preparations fall under subheadings 3307.41 (2.4% general rate) and 3307.49 (6%), so confirm the code with your broker. Keep them separate from your cosmetics in planning, classification and paperwork.
Brightening and whitening products
If your range includes brightening or whitening creams, treat them with care. In the U.S., claims to lighten skin or reduce melanin make a product a drug, and FDA states that "there are no FDA-approved or otherwise legally marketed OTC skin lightening products" (FDA). Hydroquinone creams cannot be sold over the counter, and FDA watches imports for mercury-containing skin creams. A product that only claims a more radiant-looking complexion can be a cosmetic, but the formula and every claim, including social posts, must match. For many brands the right decision is to leave these products out of the first U.S. launch.
The same intended-use rule covers SPF (a U.S. OTC drug), hair growth claims and acne treatment claims. Keep your first products to clear cosmetic claims.
Halal positioning in the U.S.
Halal certification for cosmetics in the U.S. is handled by private certifiers; there is no single national halal standard, and FDA has no halal requirement for cosmetics. That makes it a positioning choice, not a compliance step. It can matter to Muslim shoppers and to some specialty retailers, and it says something about ingredient sourcing that other shoppers may also value. Two cautions: every halal, "alcohol-free" or "natural" claim must be true and supportable, because the FTC treats deceptive claims as deceptive whatever the topic, and "natural" has no federal cosmetic definition. If you hold a certificate, name the certifying body. Turkish brands weigh the same halal and natural claims; see how Turkish cosmetics brands can enter the U.S. market.
Duties and the 2026 tariff picture
Saudi Arabia is not one of the U.S. free trade agreement partners. Most perfumes, makeup, skincare and hair products under HTSUS headings 3303 to 3305 carry a 0% general (MFN) duty before any additional tariffs. Shaving, deodorant and bath products under heading 3307 generally carry MFN duties of about 2.4% to 6%.
Since July 24, 2026, Section 301 tariffs of 10% or 12.5% apply to goods from 60 economies, including Saudi Arabia, subject to exemptions listed by USTR. For Saudi Arabia the rate is a flat 12.5% added to the MFN rate. Rates and exemptions can change, so ask your broker for a total figure for each 10-digit code. The $800 de minimis exemption is suspended indefinitely, so even sample shipments need a customs entry and may owe duties.
Who buys Gulf beauty in the U.S.
A Saudi brand's first U.S. customers are rarely department stores. More often they are fragrance and gift boutiques, specialty retailers that serve Middle Eastern, South Asian and African shoppers who already know oud and attar, beauty supply stores for hair oils and body care, and salons and barbershops for haircare and grooming. Southern California is a strong place to start because of its diverse consumers and dense salon and retail scene, and because product arriving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is already close to the buyers.
Retail buyers will ask for testers, margins and sell-through. Fragrance in particular is sold by smell, so plan sampling from the start; our guide to beauty product sampling covers formats and tracking.
A practical first step
Many Gulf brands enter new markets through a local agent or distributor. In the U.S. that typically means a distributor's margin and minimum orders before any American sales data exists. The alternative, building your own presence, means a U.S. entity and office, a local sales hire, a warehouse lease and trade show budgets before the first reorder.
Abanro's Beauty & Personal Care program is a three-month test in Southern California: $3,950 with one SKU included, $1,900 per additional SKU (including its first pallet). We introduce your products to up to 25 selected salons, barbershops, beauty supply stores, boutiques or specialty retailers matched to what you sell, use part of the inventory for targeted sampling and offer part for real retail sale and shelf placement with participating retailers. An initial regulatory readiness screening, storage of the included pallets, handling, pickup, a dashboard and monthly reports are included. Specialist regulatory work, lab testing, FDA registration or listing where it applies, customs clearance and duties are quoted separately and approved by you first. Commission is 25% only on sales Abanro generates during the three months, before sales tax; your inventory stays yours.
We are based in Orange County. Abanro handles the customs clearance process for you as part of the same shipment. Abanro does not file with FDA for you unless quoted as a separate specialist service, and it can act as importer of record in eligible cases.
Before the first shipment, settle four points: which products are clearly cosmetics, how each fragrance will be classified for transport, whether your labels meet U.S. rules in English (and Arabic, if it stays), and what your broker says the total duty will be. Then let three months of real U.S. orders decide what comes next.