U.S. Food Export to Ireland

Chihade International supplies American food products to importers and foodservice distributors in Ireland, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in Ireland.

Why Ireland

Ireland imports roughly 80% of its animal feed, food and beverage needs, and consumer-oriented product imports ran to $8.93 billion in 2023 with foodservice at $8.98 billion. U.S. agricultural and related exports were in the region of $0.9–1.0 billion in 2024, depending on which government definition you use.

Retail is concentrated, with the top three chains at around 68% and discounters at roughly 24% and growing. English-language labelling and strong U.S. brand familiarity make it one of the more straightforward European markets to enter.

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in Ireland — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• English-language labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is the coordinating authority, contracting official controls to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the HSE and local authority veterinary services. DAFM runs the border control posts for animal products.

One operational detail worth knowing before you plan a route: Ireland’s designated border control posts for food and products of animal origin are Dublin Port, Dublin Airport, Rosslare Europort and Shannon Airport only. Cork is not a designated BCP — routing U.S. food of animal origin through Cork would not be compliant. We plan the routing accordingly.

A word on meat, because it is where most U.S. exporters get this wrong. The restriction is on the treatment, not on American origin. Beef enters legally provided the cattle are certified under the USDA Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) programme, with segregation at slaughter and an EU-approved establishment. Pork must move under the FSIS Pork for the EU (PFEU) programme, since ractopamine is not permitted. Poultry is the genuine problem: the pathogen-reduction treatments used by essentially all U.S. processors are not approved, so U.S. poultry does not form part of our programme here. Beef, dairy, grocery and foodservice lines are unaffected.

Labelling is in English; Irish may be added but is not required. The importer is responsible for ensuring products are checked at a BCP designated for their product type, and the customs declarant must be EU-established.

Dublin Port handles 47% of all Irish port tonnage; Dublin Airport handles roughly 92% of Irish air freight.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in Ireland?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside Ireland. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

Can we clear U.S. food of animal origin through Cork?

No. Ireland’s designated border control posts for products of animal origin are Dublin Port, Dublin Airport, Rosslare Europort and Shannon Airport. Cork is not designated for this, so we route accordingly at the booking stage rather than discovering it at the quayside.

Is labelling simpler here than elsewhere in the EU?

Somewhat — food information must be provided in English, with Irish optional. The rest of the EU framework still applies in full, including the requirement that a label carry the EU importer’s details where the food business operator is not EU-established.

What sells best from the U.S. into Ireland?

Ireland imports around 80% of its food and beverage needs, and consumer-ready American lines — snacks, confectionery, tree nuts, sauces and speciality grocery — consolidate well into a mixed container alongside chilled and frozen product.

How We Work With Partners in Ireland

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in Ireland.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Export documentation, in plain English  ·  Cold chain for food exports  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in Ireland

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.