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How to find importers in Canada (and check that they are reliable)
Today we have access to official databases, directories, chambers of commerce, international trade shows and a huge amount of information online. You might think that finding importers in Canada should be simple. It isn't: you need to plan and structure your outreach for it to be truly effective.
The problem: too much information, too little clarity
The amount of information is overwhelming and you don't know where to start. You search online for “[your product] importers” and get pages that mix importers, exporters and suppliers. All jumbled together. You need to filter.
Option 1: a recommendation from a fellow exporter
The easiest route is for an exporter partner or friend to recommend the importers they work with. It's valid, but is it reliable? You won't know until the first shipment, and that's when the doubts appear:
- Will they pay on time?
- Will they be reliable?
- Will they give you terms similar to your friend's?
These are doubts you can't resolve in advance.
Option 2: international trade shows
You visit a trade show and build good rapport over the three days. Then comes the follow-up… and they stop answering the phone. Foreign trade is intense and importers have other priorities: the suppliers they already know and prefer.
So, what should you do?
Before approaching an importer, define the role they will play at destination: distribution and sales, Importer of Record or broker. And most importantly: confirm their solvency.
It's not just about finding importers. You need a strategy to validate and approach them to make your export a success. Not sure which arrangement suits you? Read do you need a company in Canada to sell?
Stop wasting time on contacts that go nowhere
Request the guide to validating importers in Canada and build solid business relationships from the first contact.
Guides to exporting to Canada
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