Rio Import & Export Limited

What Rio Import & Export Limited does

Rio Import & Export Limited is a privately held Canadian seafood trading company headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, that procures and markets frozen seafood products to international buyers. Founded in 1993, the company operates two distinct business lines: an international frozen seafood trading operation spanning species including capelin, herring, mackerel, cod, redfish, Greenland halibut, squid, snow crab, lobster, and additional varieties such as salmon, shrimp, whelk, and sea cucumber, sold in formats ranging from whole round and block frozen to H&G, HGT, fillets, and sections; and a North American fish-for-bait supply operation in which the company self-describes as a leading supplier. Products are procured exclusively from sustainable, well-managed fisheries and processed in HACCP-approved, certifiable facilities, with quality assurance managed by a full-time in-house QC manager.

The business runs on a direct B2B sales model with no intermediaries, supported by in-house logistics and documentation staff who manage cross-border trade execution. The go-to-market is relationship-led, with the company explicitly emphasizing long-term customer and supplier relationships built on mutual trust, and distribution is global in scope for the seafood line and North American for the bait line. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a quote-based model typical of B2B commodity seafood trading, with revenue generated through mark-ups on procured product and per-transaction fees in the bait segment.

The company maintains a limited digital footprint consisting of a Wix-hosted corporate website with product and contact information, plus LinkedIn and Twitter profiles. No funding rounds, acquisitions, partnerships, regulatory actions, or leadership changes are disclosed in the available material. No AI, software platform, or technology stack beyond standard international trade documentation and logistics tooling is referenced.

Name

Rio Import & Export Limited

Legal name

Rio Import and Export Ltd.

Website

https://rio.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rio Import & Export Limited is a privately held Canadian B2B trading company that procures and markets frozen seafood products internationally and supplies fish for bait in North America, operating from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with in-house logistics and HACCP-based quality assurance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartmouth

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Frozen Seafood Products Trading: International trading of frozen seafood products including Capelin, Herring, Mackerel, Cod, Redfish, Greenland Halibut, Squid, Snow Crab, Lobster, and additional species. Products are sold in various forms including whole round, block frozen, fillets, H&G, HGT, and sections. Revenue is generated through the mark-up on procured seafood sold to international buyers.
2. Fish for Bait Supply: Leading supplier of fish for bait use in North America. This is a separate product line from the food business, serving the fishing/bait industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rio Import and Export Ltd. is an international seafood trading company that procures frozen seafood products (Capelin, Herring, Mackerel, Cod, Redfish, Greenland Halibut, Squid, Snow Crab, Lobster, and additional species) from sustainable, well-managed fisheries and sells them globally to wholesale buyers, distributors, and food-service customers. As a separate business line, the company is also a leading North American supplier of fish for bait use to the fishing industry.

Product overview

Rio Import and Export Ltd. is an international seafood trading company with two core business lines: frozen seafood products for food use and fish for bait use. The seafood portfolio includes ten primary frozen products: Capelin, Herring, Mackerel, Cod, Redfish, Greenland Halibut, Squid, Snow Crab, and Lobster, each available in various processing formats (whole round, H&G, HGT, fillets, sections) and packaging configurations. Additional seafood products include greysole, salmon, shrimp, silversides, Pacific mackerel, whelk, and sea cucumber. The company operates with in-house logistics, documentation staff, and a full-time QC manager, procuring from sustainable, well-managed fisheries processed in HACCP-approved facilities. As a separate business line, Rio is also a leading supplier of fish for bait in North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capelin (Mallotus Villosus) Frozen capelin (Mallotus Villosus) sold internationally to seafood buyers and distributors, with two pack variants: 100% female capelin (block frozen 2x4.5/1x15kg) and male capelin (block frozen 1x15kg). Catch season June to August.
• Herring (Clupea Harengus Harengus) Frozen herring sold internationally, available as whole round (block frozen 1x10/1x15kg) and as flaps/fillets (block frozen 1x15kg). Catch season Spring/Fall.
• Mackerel (Scomber Scombrus) Frozen Atlantic mackerel sold internationally, whole round and block frozen in 1x10/1x15kg format. Catch season September to December.
• Cod (Gadus Morhua) Frozen Atlantic cod sold internationally in three formats: head-on gutted (H&G 1x15kg), skinless PBO fillets in shatter pack (4x10lb), and wet salted bulk. Catch season July to October.
• Redfish (Sebastes Marinus) Frozen redfish sold internationally, available as whole round (1x15kg), headed gutted tail-off (HGT 1x15kg), and various heads. Catch season year round.
• Greenland Halibut (Reinhardtius Hippoglossoides) Frozen Greenland halibut sold internationally in multiple formats: head-on gutted (HOG), headed gutted tail-off (HGT), heads/tails, and frames with heads attached. Catch season March to November.
• Squid (Illex Illecebrosus) Frozen shortfin squid sold internationally, available as frozen whole round and handlaid jig/trawl varieties. Catch season July to October.
• Snow Crab (Chionoecetes Opilio) Frozen snow crab sold internationally as cooked sections, raw sections, and broken sections (1x30lb). Catch season April to July.
• Lobster (Homarus Americanus) Frozen American lobster sold internationally, available as cooked sections, raw sections, and broken sections (1x30lb). Catch season April to July.
• Additional Seafood Products Additional frozen seafood species traded internationally, including greysole (Glyptocephalus Cynoglossus), Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar), northern shrimp (Pandalus Borealis), silversides (Menidia Menidia), Pacific mackerel (Scomber Japonicus), whelk (Buccinum Undatum), and sea cucumber (Holothuroidea).
• Fish for Bait Supply of fish products for bait use to fishing industry operators across North America, operated as a separate line from Rio's food seafood trading business. Rio positions itself as a leading supplier of fish for bait use in the region.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Clearwater Seafoods: Canadian shellfish and groundfish marketer with global B2B distribution. Directly comparable as an Atlantic Canada-based frozen seafood trader/marketer with overlapping species (lobster, crab, scallops, cod) and similar export-oriented customer base.
• Ocean Choice International: Newfoundland-based harvester and processor-marketer of frozen groundfish and shellfish with strong international export reach. Highly comparable as a Canadian-origin frozen seafood supplier selling multiple species (cod, redfish, crab, lobster, halibut) into global B2B channels.

Broad incumbents

• Thai Union Group: Global seafood conglomerate (Chicken of the Sea, King Oscar) trading frozen shrimp, tuna, and salmon worldwide. Comparable as an international frozen seafood trader with broad species portfolio and B2B foodservice/retail reach, but at vastly greater scale and with vertical integration.
• Maruha Nichiro: One of the world's largest seafood companies with global procurement and marketing of frozen salmon, crab, pollock, and tuna. Comparable frozen-seafood trading/marketing model with international scope, but vertically integrated into fishing and processing.
• High Liner Foods: Largest North American processor and marketer of value-added frozen seafood. Comparable category (frozen seafood distribution to retail/foodservice) but at much larger scale, broader value-added processing capability, and publicly listed scale.

Regional players

• Oceanex: Atlantic Canada-based shipping and logistics provider serving the seafood export industry. Adjacent comparable — same regional ecosystem (Atlantic Canada seafood exports) but focused on marine transport rather than seafood trading itself.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wix-com

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rio Import & Export Limited