Import & compliance
What's the difference between a food importer and a food distributor?
A food importer is the business that legally brings the product into Canada — holding the Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence, filing the customs entry, and carrying the preventive control plan and traceability records that go with it (CFIA — importing food). A distributor is the business that buys stock — often from an importer, sometimes by importing it directly itself — and resells it on to restaurants, grocers and other buyers, handling local inventory, delivery and account relationships. Plenty of companies, including many in the Levantine and Middle Eastern food trade, do both at once: import directly and distribute what they bring in.
This is general guidance on the roles, not legal advice — confirm specific licensing questions with CFIA directly.
What each role is actually responsible for
The importer's responsibility is defined by the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: holding the licence, maintaining a written preventive control plan showing how the food's safety is verified, and running a traceability system that can trace a product one step back and one step forward (CFIA — preventive control plans for importers). A distributor's responsibility is more commercial than regulatory — sourcing the right products, holding the right inventory levels, quoting fairly, and delivering reliably. A business buying from a distributor that isn't itself the importer should confirm who actually holds the SFC licence on the goods they're buying.
Where Levant Direct sits
Levant Direct works with eight supplier houses across Jordan, Syria, Türkiye and Egypt as an importer that already holds those relationships, and distributes across the GTA from that position — see from Amman, Gaziantep and Cairo: how goods reach the GTA for how that supply chain actually runs. A buyer ordering from us isn't importing anything themselves; they're a domestic customer of an already-licensed importer, which is exactly the reassurance buying from a licensed importer is built around.
Why the distinction matters to a buyer
It matters most when a business is deciding whether it needs its own SFC licence. If you're buying finished, already-imported product from a supplier — importer, distributor, or both at once — you generally don't need your own licence for that purchase; the compliance obligation stays with whoever brought the goods across the border. Do you need a licence to import food into Canada? and buy from a licensed importer, or import yourself? both cover this from different angles, and are worth reading together if you're weighing whether to build your own import operation.
If you're comparing importers, not just the definitions
Understanding the roles is one thing; choosing between actual Canadian importers is another. Food importer in Toronto covers what to look for when selecting one, and what a food broker actually does covers a third role that sometimes gets confused with both.
A quick self-check before your first order
If you're not sure which role a supplier is playing, three questions usually settle it: do they hold the SFC licence and the customs paperwork on the goods (importer), do they hold the inventory and quote you directly (distributor), and do they do both at once, as Levant Direct does? None of these change what a buyer needs to do on their end — confirm the goods are already imported, request a quotation, and order. The distinction mostly matters for your own compliance question, not for how the ordering process itself works.
It's a reasonable question to ask directly rather than assume, especially the first time you're evaluating a new supplier — a straightforward answer is a good sign, and hesitation or vagueness about who actually holds the licence is worth treating as a flag before placing a first order.
Related questions
Is Levant Direct an importer or a distributor?
Both — we work directly with our supplier houses as an importer and distribute across the GTA from that relationship, rather than buying already-imported stock from a third party.
If I buy from a distributor, do I need my own import licence?
Generally no, for a straightforward purchase of already-imported goods — the licence obligation sits with whoever is the importer of record. Confirm your specific situation directly; this isn't legal advice.
Can a company be an importer and a distributor at the same time?
Yes — it's common in this category. A business can hold the SFC licence, bring goods across the border itself, and then distribute that stock directly to buyers.