At Centra Foods, we work with manufacturers and distributors throughout the US and Canada for their bulk and wholesale olive oil. As a result, we get contacted by experienced and amateur exporters alike who are looking to bring olive oil from the US to a different country for distribution.
After working on projects large and small for these exporters, we’ve learned a few things. Here is a bit of advice that will help you in the sourcing and exporting process. Please note, Centra Foods does not offer any exporting services.
Source directly from the country of origin
Centra Foods has supply networks around the world for quality, competitively-priced olive oil. We import this bulk product into the US, package it into smaller containers like totes and drums and ship it across the country.
If you follow the shipping path that this olive oil has already taken, you can see that packaging it back into a full container, and shipping it out of a US port again is not the most efficient way to go about bringing olive oil into your country of choice. It may be best to research the country of origin and plan a direct delivery.
This advice is null and void if you’re looking for a product that says, “Packaged in the USA” or an olive oil that is a produced here in the states.
Purchase a full container, not just a few pallets
Purchasing a few pallets may seem like the only viable option for small distributors who are looking to break into a new market in their country. However, take a moment to follow your oil as it travels throughout the world: 1) oil travels from the Mediterranean to the US, 2) it is packed and shipped by the pallet to your port of choice 3) you load those few pallets on a container and ship the item to your country, 4) you unload and re-bottle or distribute from there.
Even with exporters that have the best intentions, we have found that adding in these transportation costs for just a few pallets makes the item price too high. Exporting olive oil seems to only be competitive when you’re shipping full containers at a time.
Note: Centra Foods does not offer any exporting services.
Topics: Industry Trends
