Frequently asked questions about Union Trade.

Union Trade sources food and ingredients, represents food and beverage brands, and negotiates the deals that put them in front of buyers in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. In practice that means finding and qualifying suppliers, building distributor and retail routes, preparing products for import and labeling rules, and negotiating price structures, trade terms and contracts.

Union Trade is the US-registered trading and distribution arm of Functional Brands Group. Functional Brands Group, based in London, works on strategy, brand building, marketing and capital. Union Trade carries out the trade itself: sourcing, brokerage, negotiation, distribution and market entry. Eugene Nikolaev is Union Trade's founder and managing director, and the group's leadership brings more than 20 years of food and FMCG experience.

Both, and in each deal we say at the outset whose side we are on. Buyers — importers, distributors, wholesalers, packers, manufacturers, retailers and foodservice — use us to find and qualify supply. Producers and brands use us to enter or grow in new markets, and we represent them to buyers. Brand builders work with us and Functional Brands Group on new products and private label.

Eight: nuts, seeds and dried fruit; honey and natural sweeteners; grains, pulses and seed oils; functional ingredients, superfoods and botanicals; tea and coffee; confectionery and snacks; functional food and beverage; and specialty and world foods. We handle bulk ingredients for manufacturers and finished, retail-ready brands for distributors and retailers. If your product sits outside these, ask and we will tell you plainly whether it fits.

The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. We help producers export into these markets, and we help buyers in them source products from other origins. Each market has its own rules on import, labeling and claims, and its own route to retail: national and regional distributors and brokers in the US, grocery chains and wholesalers in the UK, and importers and retail groups across the EU.

Send us the product, specification, volume, destination and timing through the request-a-quote form. We confirm the brief with you, map suitable origins and producers, and check specifications, certificates and test results before anyone is shortlisted. You then receive a shortlist, samples on request and a landed-cost view, and we negotiate price, Incoterms and payment terms with the supplier you choose.

It depends on the category. For bulk ingredients we generally work in container and pallet quantities, because that is how freight and supply contracts are structured. For finished brands we work with retail-ready ranges that a distributor or chain can list and reorder. If your volume is smaller, tell us anyway. We will say honestly whether we are the right partner for it.

We act as your agent with distributors, brokers and retailers in the markets we agree on. First we review your range, documents, labels and price structure for each target market. Then we agree channels, territory and scope in writing, prepare buyer materials such as a category case and sell sheets, present the range to qualified buyers, follow up, and negotiate listings and trade terms on your behalf.

It depends on the scope. Defined pieces of work, such as a market-entry plan or a sourcing search, are usually quoted as a project. Ongoing representation and sales management run on a monthly retainer, a commission on sales, or a mix of the two. We agree on the model and send a quote after a first call, once we understand the product, the markets and the volumes involved.

Yes. We help you work out which US requirements apply to your product and prepare for them: FDA food facility registration, with a US agent for foreign facilities; the importer's Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) obligations; prior notice for each shipment; and US labeling, such as Nutrition Facts and allergen statements. Customs entries are filed by licensed customs brokers, and formal regulatory advice comes from qualified consultants. This is practical support, not legal advice.

Yes, together with Functional Brands Group's strategy team. We search for and qualify co-manufacturers and co-packers, brief formulations, develop packaging, and help you check labels and claims against US, UK and EU rules before anything is printed. This works for retailers and distributors building an own-label range, and for founders launching a new brand without a factory of their own.

Yes. For sourcing requests we arrange samples from shortlisted suppliers, together with documents such as specification sheets and, where the supplier provides them, certificates of analysis. For the brands we represent, we send samples to qualified buyers as part of a listing discussion. How sample costs and shipping are covered is agreed before anything is sent.

Yes, with the brands we represent, and we set up buyer meetings before the show rather than waiting for visitors to walk up. We also run pre-show outreach programs for brands that want meetings at a specific event. In October 2026 we are at SIAL Paris with the Basilur team: Hall 5B, Booth J052, 17–21 October. Use the contact form to request a meeting.

Within two working days, whether your inquiry comes through the contact form or by email. If it is urgent, email eugene@union-trade.net and say so in the subject line. Our first reply confirms what we have understood, asks any questions that affect feasibility or cost, and suggests a time for a first call.

Union Trade LLC is a Wyoming limited liability company, established in 2024. Our registered office is 2120 Carey Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001, USA, which is our registered agent's address. We serve buyers and brands in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, and meet them by video call, at trade shows and in person by arrangement. Functional Brands Group, of which Union Trade is part, is based in London.