Direct import means containers, brokers and FDA prior notice. Here is the shorter path to a stocked candy wall, and what it actually costs per pound.
The two ways to source Swedish candy
Option one is direct import: you find a Swedish manufacturer or exporter, book a container or a shared LCL slot, appoint a customs broker, file FDA prior notice, handle labelling compliance and wait four to eight weeks. It works at scale, and it is genuinely cheaper per pound once you are moving several pallets a month.
Option two is buying from a US-based importer that has already done all of that. You pay a per-pound price that includes the freight, duty and clearance, and you order one case at a time with a domestic lead time.
What direct import actually costs
Add it up and a realistic first-container landed cost sits between $4.50 and $7.00 per pound — before your own labour, before demurrage risk, and before the working capital tied up for two months.
| Cost line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Goods FOB Sweden | $3.00–4.50 / lb |
| Ocean freight + drayage | $0.60–1.40 / lb |
| Duty and clearance | $0.30–0.80 / lb |
| Broker and FDA filing | $150–400 per entry |
| Warehousing and shrink | $0.20–0.50 / lb |
The buy-domestic math
At a flat $6 per pound with a one-case minimum, buying from US stock lands inside the same range with none of the capital lock-up. The break-even point where direct import genuinely wins is usually somewhere north of two pallets a month of a stable SKU list.
What to stock first
- Sour first — it is the largest share of every imported candy wall
- One recognisable brand anchor, usually BUBS
- One foam and one licorice for differentiation
- One cola shape for broad appeal
- Skip long-tail flavours until you have four weeks of sell-through data
Flat $6 / lb on every Swedish candy
US stock, one-case minimum, 3–5 business day delivery, price-match guaranteed.
See the wholesale catalog