Sourcing & Wholesale
Syrian Olive Oil in Canada: The Latakia Coast
Syrian olive oil in Canada is a genuinely under-supplied category — searches for it turn up limited Canadian sourcing — and our line is Lio Premium Virgin Olive Oil, first-pressed from olives grown along Syria's Latakia coast, imported by the case in glass bottles from 250 ml up to 750 ml. That's a genuine gap for a buyer who has been substituting a generic Mediterranean blend for want of a named Syrian source.
This page covers where the oil comes from, the formats we carry, and how it pairs with the rest of Lio's Latakia-coast range, including the green olives pressed from the same growing region.
The Latakia coast tradition
Lio was founded in 2000 in Latakia, Syria, by Bilal Ibrahim under Metro Trading Company, and has grown to more than 80 canned-food and beverage items exported to over twenty countries. Its factories are ISO 22000 certified, and the products — olive oil included — are made without preservatives or colorings. The olive oil itself is described on its own listing as premium virgin, first pressed, from Syrian olives.
That combination — a named coast, a named company, first-pressed rather than a blended or refined grade — is worth knowing for a buyer used to generic "Mediterranean" olive oil labelling that doesn't name an origin at all.
Formats: from a gifting bottle to a foodservice bottle
The 250 ml bottle in particular suits corporate gifting and gift-basket programs looking for a smaller, presentable format rather than a full kitchen-size bottle.
| Format | Case | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| 250 ml glass | x12 | Gift retail and small-format gifting |
| 500 ml glass | x12 | Kitchen and household-size retail |
| 750 ml glass | x12 | Foodservice and higher-turnover retail |
Pairing oil with olives from the same coast
Lio Green Olives Salkini is pressed from the same Syrian growing region and pairs naturally with the oil on a gift shelf, a deli counter or a mezze program — one origin story, two products, ordered together on one inquiry rather than sourced from separate suppliers. See green olives in brine, bulk for the olive side of that pairing in more depth.
For a retailer building a gift-basket program specifically, the 250 ml oil bottle alongside a smaller jar of the Salkini olives makes a coherent, single-origin pairing that tells a real story on the shelf card rather than a generic "imported from the Mediterranean" label most competing gift sets carry.
Storage and handling once opened
Keep the bottle sealed, away from direct light and heat, and use it within a reasonable window once opened — olive oil degrades gradually with exposure to air, light and warmth rather than spoiling outright, so quality (not safety) is the main thing storage protects. A dark cupboard away from the stove is a better home for an opened bottle than a shelf in direct sunlight or next to a heat source.
Importing Syrian olive oil the compliant way
Importers bringing food into Canada need a Safe Food for Canadians licence and a preventive control plan before a shipment reaches the border (inspection.canada.ca). A business buying from a licensed Canadian distributor like Levant Direct doesn't need to hold that licence itself — the distributor already does. This is general guidance rather than legal advice; confirm specifics with CFIA if your situation is unusual.
Ordering across Canada
The oil is shelf-stable and quoted to buyers nationwide, not just the GTA, with delivery specifics confirmed on your quotation. It's a natural addition to a wider Syrian pantry order alongside olives, tomato paste and coffee from the same supplier houses — see how inquiry-based ordering works.
A first order testing this line doesn't need to cover the full Lio range — a case of the 500 ml bottle alongside a jar of the Salkini olives is a reasonable starting point for a retailer or kitchen sampling the Latakia-coast line before committing to a standing reorder.
Related questions
Where does this olive oil come from?
The Latakia coast of Syria, imported through Lio, a Syrian food brand founded in 2000.
What sizes are available?
250 ml, 500 ml and 750 ml glass bottles, each boxed 12 to a case.
Is it cold-pressed or virgin grade?
The product is described on its own listing as premium virgin, first pressed, from Syrian olives. We pass along the manufacturer's stated grading rather than adding further claims of our own.
Do I need my own import licence to buy it?
No — buying from a licensed Canadian distributor means you're placing a domestic wholesale order rather than managing an import file yourself. Confirm specifics with CFIA if your situation is unusual; this isn't legal advice.