Ceylon Valley Inc. · certified organic · Sri Lanka
Your brand on the bark.
We are a Canadian importer. We help people launch their own Ceylon cinnamon and spice brand — sourced from certified organic processors in Sri Lanka, packed at origin in your pouch and your artwork, and brought through the border properly. Nothing to pay up front.
Start here
If you have never imported anything, read this first
Almost everything written for people in your position is written by exporters, and it is written to make importing sound simple. It is not difficult, exactly. It is unforgiving. The organic claim can be lost by packing in the wrong building. A shipment into the United States needs an importer who, by law, cannot be your supplier. A first order placed on the wrong Incoterm can cost more to land than the goods cost to buy.
We went through all of it once already, for our own brand, Wholesome North — GS1 barcodes, trademark, food licence, organic chain of custody, Amazon listings, the lot. This site is the version we wish someone had written for us.
The offer
Three ways to work with us
Most people start at the first and move along as they grow. You are not committing to a path by asking.
Bulk supply
Certified organic quills, cut, ground, whole cloves and pepper, in sacks or bulk cartons. You handle your own packing.
Packed in your brand
The same spice, but finished at origin in your pouch, your sizes and your artwork, arriving retail ready. This is what most new brands want.
The whole launch
Company setup, barcodes, label compliance, organic certification, the customs broker, freight and the first listing. Coordinated end to end.
Why at origin
Packing in Canada would cost you the organic claim
Under the USDA organic regulations, repackaging or relabelling organic product makes you a handler, and a handler needs their own certification. Bring bulk organic cinnamon into Canada, pour it into your own pouches, and you have broken the chain of custody unless you hold a certificate yourself.
Packing inside the certified processor's facility in Sri Lanka avoids the problem entirely. The certification travels with the sealed pack, and what lands at your warehouse is already finished, already compliant and already retail ready.
It is the single most useful thing we learned building our own brand, and it is why every option above is packed at origin.
What it costs
One rate, and nothing until your goods land
There is nothing to pay up front. No retainer, no consulting fee, no charge for the sampling stage, and nothing at all until your shipment has landed and you have accepted it. If a project does not go ahead, you owe us nothing and you keep the quotes.
The rate is agreed in writing before anything is ordered and it does not move if the shipment turns complicated. We do not mark up freight. We do not add a handling charge at the end. We do not take a rebate from a processor that you never see. That is the entire structure, and it is deliberately boring.
How we are paid, plainly
We earn one agreed rate on what you order. It is set before you commit and it is written on your quote, because you should not have to wonder about it.
And if you reach the point where you would rather deal with the processor directly, say so and we will introduce you properly. Most founders have no wish to run a supply chain. A few do, and that is a perfectly good outcome.
The obvious question
Should you just go direct?
Sometimes, yes — and we would rather say so than talk you out of it.
If you already know which grade you want, you have someone who can act as importer of record, and you could carry a dispute with a supplier on the other side of the world, then buying direct from an exporter will be cheaper. They will quote you happily and many of them are good at their work.
What you get from us is the part that does not travel: a company in your own country, on your side of the contract, that has done this before and can be held responsible here. If that is worth nothing to you, go direct with our blessing.
Minimums
What a first order actually looks like
“Low minimum” is a phrase every exporter uses, so here are numbers instead.
| Stage | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Samples | A few hundred grams | With the certificate of analysis for the lot they came from. Costs you the courier and nothing else. |
| First run | 300–500 kg finished | Roughly 3,000–5,000 pouches at 100 g, or 1,200–2,000 at 250 g. Ships as part of a container. |
| Full container | 10–18 tonnes | Depends on the spice and how densely it packs. |
These are indicative. The processor's quote governs, and the practical minimum moves with pack size, artwork and whether the run is certified organic.
Specification
Grade is the first decision you will make
Ceylon cinnamon is graded by the diameter of the rolled quill. Thinner means more layers, a paler colour and a sweeter, more delicate flavour — and a higher price. It is the single decision that most changes what your product looks like on a shelf.
Plain about this
What we do, and what licensed partners do
Anyone who tells you they personally issue organic certificates or clear your customs is either simplifying or misleading you. Here is the honest split.
We do
- Find and vet the processor, and hold them to spec
- Negotiate price, terms and Incoterms on your behalf
- Manage artwork, pack format and label compliance
- Prepare the organic system plan and run the application
- Coordinate the broker, the freight and the paperwork
- Act as importer of record into Canada where appropriate
Licensed partners do
- Issue organic certification (USDA / COR accredited agents)
- Clear customs (licensed CBSA and CBP brokers)
- Act as your US FSVP importer where a US entity is required
- Carry the ocean freight and insurance
The company
Ceylon Valley Inc.
A Canadian company in Ajax, Ontario, importing certified organic spices from Sri Lanka. Our own consumer brand, Wholesome North, sells Ceylon cinnamon and cloves in Canada. Everything we offer other brands is something we built for ourselves first.
Reach us at info@ceylonvalley.ca, or send the details of what you are trying to do.
Questions
Common questions
Can you supply organic Ceylon cinnamon in bulk?
Yes. We supply certified organic true Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) as quills, cut and ground, plus whole cloves and black pepper, from certified organic processors in Sri Lanka. Every batch carries its own certificate of analysis rather than being blended from a pooled lot.
Can you pack spices under my own brand?
Yes. Packing is done at origin by the certified organic processor, in your pouch, your sizes and your artwork, so the product arrives finished and retail ready. Packing at origin also keeps the organic chain of custody unbroken.
What does it cost to work with you?
One rate, agreed in writing before anything is ordered, and nothing payable up front. There is no retainer, no consulting fee and no charge for the sampling stage. We do not mark up freight and we do not take an undisclosed rebate from a processor. If a project does not go ahead you owe us nothing.
What is the minimum order?
Samples are a few hundred grams and cost you only the courier. A first private-label run is usually 300 to 500 kg of finished product, which is roughly 3,000 to 5,000 pouches at 100 g, shipped as part of a container. A full container is typically 10 to 18 tonnes depending on the spice and the pack format. The processor's quote governs the exact minimum.
Should I just buy direct from an exporter instead?
Sometimes yes, and we will say so. If you already know which grade you want, you have someone who can act as importer of record, and you can carry a dispute with a supplier on the other side of the world, going direct will be cheaper. What we provide is the part that does not travel: a company in your own country, on your side of the contract, that can be held responsible locally.
Do you handle organic certification and customs clearance?
We coordinate them and we are direct about the distinction. Organic certification is granted by USDA or COR accredited certifying agents, not by us; we prepare the organic system plan and manage the application. Customs clearance requires a licensed broker, so we work with licensed CBSA and CBP brokers rather than acting as one.
Can you sell into the United States?
Yes, with coordination. Food entering the United States needs an FSVP importer who is the US owner or consignee at the time of entry, plus FDA food facility registration and prior notice for each shipment. A foreign exporter cannot fill that role for you. We coordinate it with a US based FSVP agent rather than acting as your US agent ourselves.
What is the difference between Ceylon cinnamon and cassia?
They are different species. Ceylon cinnamon is Cinnamomum verum, hand rolled from ten or more paper thin layers of inner bark. Cassia is a different tree and forms one thick curl. Cassia also carries coumarin at roughly one percent by weight, where Ceylon carries only trace amounts.
Start
Tell us where you are stuck
You do not need a plan, a company or a budget to write to us. Most people who get in touch are at the stage of “I think I want to sell cinnamon and I do not know what to do next.” That is a fine place to start.