diff --git a/app/Ninja/Import/BaseTransformer.php b/app/Ninja/Import/BaseTransformer.php
index 3400d5dade23..528c5fc2bc2c 100644
--- a/app/Ninja/Import/BaseTransformer.php
+++ b/app/Ninja/Import/BaseTransformer.php
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class BaseTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
      */
     protected function getClientId($name)
     {
-        $name = strtolower($name);
+        $name = strtolower(trim($name));
         return isset($this->maps[ENTITY_CLIENT][$name]) ? $this->maps[ENTITY_CLIENT][$name] : null;
     }
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class BaseTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
      */
     protected function getProductId($name)
     {
-        $name = strtolower($name);
+        $name = strtolower(trim($name));
         return isset($this->maps[ENTITY_PRODUCT][$name]) ? $this->maps[ENTITY_PRODUCT][$name] : null;
     }
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class BaseTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
      */
     protected function getCountryId($name)
     {
-        $name = strtolower($name);
+        $name = strtolower(trim($name));
         return isset($this->maps['countries'][$name]) ? $this->maps['countries'][$name] : null;
     }
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class BaseTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
      */
     protected function getCountryIdBy2($name)
     {
-        $name = strtolower($name);
+        $name = strtolower(trim($name));
         return isset($this->maps['countries2'][$name]) ? $this->maps['countries2'][$name] : null;
     }
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class BaseTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
      */
     public function getVendorId($name)
     {
-        $name = strtolower($name);
+        $name = strtolower(trim($name));
         return isset($this->maps[ENTITY_VENDOR][$name]) ? $this->maps[ENTITY_VENDOR][$name] : null;
     }
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ class BaseTransformer extends TransformerAbstract
      */
     public function getExpenseCategoryId($name)
     {
-        $name = strtolower($name);
+        $name = strtolower(trim($name));
         return isset($this->maps[ENTITY_EXPENSE_CATEGORY][$name]) ? $this->maps[ENTITY_EXPENSE_CATEGORY][$name] : null;
     }
 
diff --git a/app/Services/ImportService.php b/app/Services/ImportService.php
index 8d9214acf59d..09305a91b45e 100644
--- a/app/Services/ImportService.php
+++ b/app/Services/ImportService.php
@@ -286,6 +286,8 @@ class ImportService
      */
     private function transformRow($source, $entityType, $row)
     {
+        // TODO skip import if row is blank
+
         $transformer = $this->getTransformer($source, $entityType, $this->maps);
 
         // Create expesnse category
@@ -297,10 +299,9 @@ class ImportService
                     $this->addExpenseCategoryToMaps($category);
                 }
             }
-            if ( ! empty($row->vendor)) {
-                $vendorId = $transformer->getVendorId($row->vendor);
-                if ( ! $vendorId) {
-                    $vendor = $this->vendorRepo->save(['name' => $row->vendor, 'vendor_contact' => []]);
+            if ( ! empty($row->vendor) && ($vendorName = trim($row->vendor))) {
+                if ( ! $transformer->getVendorId($vendorName)) {
+                    $vendor = $this->vendorRepo->save(['name' => $vendorName, 'vendor_contact' => []]);
                     $this->addVendorToMaps($vendor);
                 }
             }