DocumentationNorth America · FMCG wholesale & export
FMCG Wholesale Supply & Export to North America
Branded European and international FMCG supplied to importers, distributors and speciality retail channels in North American markets.
- B2B only
- Wholesale quantities
- Mixed shipments
- International export
- France-based operation
North America is the region where the obligations sitting with the importer weigh most heavily on whether a shipment works. The United States, Canada and Mexico are three separate regulatory regimes, and treating them as one market is the fastest way to a problem — a product cleared for one is not thereby cleared for the others.
Commercially the demand is real and specific: importers and speciality distributors supplying international grocery, ethnic retail and speciality channels, where imported provenance is the point rather than an incidental. What makes an enquiry productive here is knowing early which entity is the importer of record and what they are already set up to handle.
Destination requirements
Destination requirements sit largely with the importer
Requirements for these markets can be substantial, and they attach to the importer rather than to the overseas seller. For food entering the United States, what applies may include facility registration, advance notice of shipments, labelling in the required format, and importer obligations for verifying foreign suppliers. What exactly applies depends on the product category and the circumstances of the import.
We make no compliance claims. We do not represent that any product or production facility holds FDA registration or approval, and we do not claim conformity with Canadian or Mexican requirements. What we can do is supply the product documentation we hold so that an importer, working with their own customs broker and regulatory advisers, can assess eligibility.
- US food imports involve importer obligations with no direct European equivalent
- Facility registration and advance notice requirements may apply depending on the product
- Canadian consumer products carry bilingual English and French labelling obligations
- Mexico applies its own standards framework and Spanish-language labelling requirements
- Eligibility depends on product, origin, facility, labelling and applicable destination rules
Who we serve
Professional buyers in North America
Descriptions reflect how each buyer type typically operates in this region.
Importers
The central buyer type here, because import obligations rest on them rather than on the overseas supplier.
Distributors
Supplying international grocery, ethnic and speciality retail networks.
Speciality retail groups
Multi-store operators sourcing imported ranges centrally.
Wholesalers
Buying container or pallet quantities for onward sale into trade.
Trading companies
Sourcing internationally, often across several origins at once.
Foodservice suppliers
Sourcing imported lines for restaurant and catering channels.
Product range
FMCG categories for North America
Six core categories, all of which can be combined into a single consolidated shipment.
Regional breakdown
Three markets, three regimes
These are not one regulatory area and should not be planned as one. Requirements, labelling and importer obligations differ in each.
United States
The largest opportunity and the most demanding inbound requirements. Food imports involve obligations on the importer that have no direct European equivalent, including responsibilities for verifying foreign suppliers. Buyers here are usually established importers who already hold the necessary registrations and processes.
United States
Canada
A separate regime with its own requirements, and bilingual English and French labelling obligations for consumer products. The French requirement can make European-origin products administratively simpler than they would otherwise be, though it does not remove the need to meet Canadian rules.
Canada
Mexico
Distinct again, with its own standards framework and labelling requirements including Spanish-language information. Enquiries accepted where the destination requirements can be met by the importer.
Mexico
Markets listed are examples of destinations where buyer enquiries are accepted. They do not indicate a local presence, and they are not a coverage guarantee.
Product origin
Where the goods actually come from
K.Distribution is based in France. Product origin varies by SKU and may include France, other European markets, Vietnam, Thailand and other sourcing markets. Company location is not product origin, and we never infer one from the other.
Where origin is confirmed for a product it is recorded against that product. Where it is not confirmed, we say so rather than guess — a wrong origin declaration causes far more difficulty at the border than an honest gap.
Company location ≠ product origin
We ship from France to North America. That says nothing about where any individual product was manufactured, and destination duty treatment usually depends on the latter.
K.Distribution10 rue Eugène Hénaff
93000 Bobigny
France
Consolidation
Mixed FMCG shipments
Products from several brands and categories combined into one planned load, so assortment breadth does not require a shipment per supplier.
- Multiple brands in one shipment
- Multiple categories in one shipment
- Mixed pallets and mixed containers
- Full container loads where volume justifies it
- Quoted to your destination on an agreed Incoterm
Logistics
Sea freight and palletised loads
Movements go by sea in palletised containers, with the transatlantic routing from European ports well served. Pallet-level consignments are possible for smaller orders, though freight per carton rises sharply below container volumes.
Quotations are prepared to a named destination port on an agreed Incoterm. Because import responsibilities sit substantially with the buyer in these markets, the Incoterm matters more than usual — it determines who handles clearance and who carries the obligations that come with it.
- Palletised 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube loads
- Mixed containers across brands and categories
- Freight quoted to a named discharge port
- Incoterm agreed explicitly, since it allocates import responsibilities
Order formats
Ways an order can ship
Minimum quantities are set per product and confirmed at quotation — they vary by line and packaging format, so there is no single catalogue figure.
- Mixed palletsSeveral products consolidated onto one pallet — the usual starting format.
- Full palletsA single product filling a complete pallet, for lines with proven turnover.
- Mixed containersA planned multi-brand assortment in a 20ft, 40ft or 40HC.
- Full container loadsComplete loads, single-SKU or consolidated across the catalogue.
Why us
Why buyers supplying North America work with K.Distribution
Documentation for assessment
We supply what we hold so your broker and advisers can assess eligibility properly.
No compliance claims
We do not claim registrations or approvals we cannot evidence, which is worth more than a reassuring answer.
Origin recorded per SKU
Relevant to duty treatment and to supplier-verification obligations.
Consolidated assortment
Multiple brands and categories in one planned container.
K.Distribution is an independent wholesaler and exporter. We are not an authorised, official or exclusive distributor of the brands we supply, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by their owners. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Buyer resources
Guides relevant to this market
Chosen for what actually matters when supplying this region.
- Documentation
ExportIncoterms for FMCG Buyers
What EXW, FCA, FOB, CFR, CIF and DAP actually change about cost, risk and who arranges what.3 min readRead guide
Product SourcingHow Product Origin Works in FMCG Wholesale
Supplier location is not product origin. How origin is determined per SKU and why it matters.3 min readRead guide
LogisticsMixed Pallet, Full Pallet or Container: Choosing an Order Format
The three order formats, what each is good for, and how freight cost per carton changes between them.4 min readRead guide
Questions
Supplying North America: common questions
- Can all products be shipped to the USA?
- No. Eligibility depends on the product, its origin, the manufacturing facility, the labelling and the applicable US requirements. Some products in the catalogue would need work before they could be imported, and some would not be suitable at all. We will tell you what documentation we hold for the lines you are interested in so your broker can assess it — we will not tell you a product is eligible when that is not ours to determine.
- Do your products have FDA approval?
- We make no such claim. FDA-related obligations, including facility registration and prior notice where they apply, attach to specific facilities and specific imports rather than being a property a supplier can assert across a catalogue. We supply the documentation we hold; assessment is for the importer and their advisers.
- Are Canadian requirements the same as US requirements?
- No. Canada is a separate regime with its own rules, including bilingual English and French labelling obligations for consumer products. A product prepared for the US market is not thereby suitable for Canada, and the reverse is equally true.
- Who is responsible for customs clearance?
- That follows from the Incoterm agreed. Under most terms used for these movements, import clearance, duties and destination compliance rest with the buyer as importer of record. Because the obligations here are substantial, it is worth settling the Incoterm explicitly rather than assuming it.
Product availability, packaging, origin, documentation and destination eligibility can vary by SKU and market. Final requirements are confirmed during quotation and order review.
Source International FMCG for North American Distribution
Send us your product list, quantities and destination. We will confirm availability and supply the product documentation we hold.
K.Distribution supplies from Bobigny, France. North America markets are destinations we quote and ship to, not locations where we hold stock.