The decision to export the products or services of your small business requires study and research of overseas markets. In order to be a successful exporter, you need to identify which international markets would be the most beneficial and the most profitable for your products or services. To make this determination, you need to acquire information on the demand for your products and services in different markets of the world, general economic conditions in those markets, conditions that affect your segment of the market, growth potential, economic trends and perspectives, competition, practices in the different markets, and the laws, rules, and regulations that govern imports in general and your products and services in particular. It could be that you have direct knowledge of some overseas market, from having visited or lived in another country. In this case you may already have contacts in that country, or know how to get the information you need directly from that country. Another way of obtaining direct information is through interviews, surveys, or other contacts with representatives, distributors, and potential buyers in your target country. This form of research has the advantage of being specifically adapted to your products and services and your target market. You can also do preliminary research by studying the resources that are available to the general public. This information can help you focus on certain potential markets for your products or services. You could start your research of potential target markets by studying resources on the Internet. The U.S. federal government, state governments, foreign governments, chambers of commerce, trade and export associations offer many resources that are either free or available at a low cost, are easily accessible, and serve to simplify and orient your research of overseas markets. In general, your preliminary research could include a study of general information on the regions of the world or countries that interest you, taking advantage of advisory services available through government and other programs, analyzing economic and commercial statistics, and keeping up-to-date on world news and events that affect international markets. General Information by Country There are various websites that have general information and background, and demographic, social, political, economic, and commercial statistics by country, including the following: The World Trade Organization (www.wto.org): For information on each member country, click on the link "151 members" on the home page, or use the A-Z List. The World Bank (www.worldbank.org) has an index by country, with news, publications and reports, data and statistics, development topics, projects and programs for each country. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (www.oecd.org) has information on its member countries, including statistical profiles and information on a variety of topics related to economics and development, industries, markets, and commerce. The International Monetary Fund has various interesting reports, such as "World Economic Outlook" on its website at www.imf.org. On the website of the Interamerican Development Bank at www.iadb.org you can find information on Central and South American countries. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's "World Fact Book" at www.cia.gov/library/publications has profiles by country with information on geography, demography, government, economy, communications, and transportation. In the website of the U.S. State Department at www.state.gov/countries you can search for information by country in the A - Z Country List, under Countries. And the Library of Congress has Country Studies in its website at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/list.html Sources of Information from the U.S. Federal Government The U.S. federal government has a great deal of information on other countries, including demographic and sociological data, information on countries' political and legal institutions, tax systems, regulations on foreign commerce, and imports. There are sources of trade information by industry sector, by products, and by regions and countries, in addition to information on the various federal government programs designed to help exporters. U.S. Commerce Department The International Trade Administration of the Commerce Department has various types of news and reports, and links to other sources of information on overseas markets in its website at www.ita.doc.gov. In its website oriented toward exports at www.export.gov you can find information on export development and the federal programs that assist exporters, look for online reports by country and by industry, watch videos on export markets, find data on countries, and obtain details on customized Market Research Services. The U.S. Commercial Service is a division of the International Trade Administration that helps U.S. companies compete more effectively in the global market. This Service has trade specialists who can be consulted by e-mail or personally in the offices they maintain, along with the Export Assistance Centers, in the principal cities of the United States and in many countries around the world. The specialists are organized by industry and can offer information on overseas markets, the services provided by agents and distributors, perspectives relating to trade, and can advise exporters on the business opportunities that exist, barriers to trade, and the prospects for foreign trade. The best way to access the information and services is through the Export Assistance Centers. You can find more information on their website at www.export.gov/comm_svc/eac.html. The U.S. Commercial Service's website at www.buyusa.gov has information by country, assistance for exporters of U.S. products, Country Commercial Guides, and guides for doing business, by country or region. In the websites of the commercial sections of U.S. embassies and consulates overseas, there are links to this Commercial Service website, as mentioned below. U.S. Export-Import Bank The website of the U.S. Export-Import Bank at www.exim.gov has financial information related to exports. There is a small business page where you can fund an interactive guide, and a page for U.S. exporters, which provides information on countries' political and economic risk, and on the export credit insurance program that protects the exporter when the buyer overseas cannot pay due to political or commercial reasons. The Bank offers more flexibility in managing accounts receivable overseas, a greater capacity for offering competitive payment terms to buyers abroad, and provides support for prudently entering markets abroad that have a higher risk. U.S. Department of Agriculture The Foreign Agriculture Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture can help with regard to exports of agricultural products. This Service has offices in U.S. embassies and consulates around the world and offers information on specific markets for products in different countries. It also has specialists by sector in the United States, to monitor foreign markets for specific products. You can visit the Service's website at www.fas.usda.gov and in the section "U.S. Exporter Assistance" you will find information on basic aspects of exporting, commercial partners and contacts, market research, export programs, financing, shipping requirements and documentation, prices, quotes and negotiations. National Trade Data Bank The National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) is a Web subscription service to an extensive library of documents on the promotion of exports and international economic information. You can do searches by markets, barriers in terms of duties and others, importers, logistics, and products. There are market research reports, Country Commercial Guides, contacts abroad, trade statistics, trade policies and practices, the legal aspects of exporting, and various publications. This service, at www.stat-usa.gov, has a subscription cost in order to access the data base. Other Sources of Information Other sources of information on overseas markets and exports can be found in state economic development offices, the commercial attachés of foreign embassies, and trade and export associations. State Economic Development Offices The majority of the state economic and commercial development offices have specialists in international trade who can provide you with information and advice on exporting. Many of the states have offices in overseas markets, and many of the port authorities have extended their services to offer export training programs and overseas market research assistance. You can find the websites of these offices by doing a search on the Internet using the key words "Economic Development Office" and the name of the state. Once in the site you can look for information regarding their resources, programs and related advice under a category such as "export" or "international trade" or by doing a search of the site with those key words. Commercial Attachés of Foreign Embassies The Trade section of the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates in different countries may have news, reports, and links related to commerce between the U.S. and the respective country. For a directory of the U.S. embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions around the world, you can see the U.S. Department of State website at http://usembassy.state.gov/. You can also find information on trade with a country in the website of that country's embassy or consulate in the U.S. There are directories you can find with an Internet search, such as www.embassyworld.com. These sites have links to the website of the U.S. Commercial Service, under the Department of Commerce, at www.buyusa.gov. Among the information available you can find the following: Industry Sector Analyses: These reports evaluate some commercial or industrial market within a country, and present information on the size of the market, demand, competitive analysis, criteria for entering the market, as well as contacts in the industry and marketing opportunities. Country Commercial Guides: These guides are prepared annually by the U.S. embassies in countries abroad. They serve as a planning tool that analyzes the economic and business climate in the country, emphasizing trade statistics and marketing and development in the country. Guide for doing business in the country: This provides very useful orientation regarding various practical aspects, including regulations, political and legal institutions, tax and duty systems, banking, and others. Exporters Associations In the website of the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) at www.aaei.org, there is a useful list of frequent questions that explain the practical aspects of exporting. The Association offers advocacy, communication, and training programs for exporters, and the website has links to various resources where you can find additional information. In its website at www.sbea.org the Small Business Exporters Association provides its members with access to data bases of contacts in foreign commerce, exporting finance programs, and freight discounts. It also has links to other resources with information on trends in global commerce from the World Trade Organization, international trade barriers, country information, and statistics on the exports of small and mid-sized companies in the U.S. Trade Associations There are several categories of international trade associations, including chambers of commerce with bilateral interests, associations that focus on international logistics, those that support international commerce, and others that support exporters and professional associations. The objective of the Federation of International Trade Associations in the U.S. is to encourage commerce, strengthening the role of local, regional, and national associations. In its website at www.fita.org you can find more information on its activities and members. Finding Assistance There are opportunities to obtain assistance through governmental programs and others specifically oriented toward small exporters in the U.S. U.S. Export Assistance Centers The website of the U.S. Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov) has a section on International Trade. In this section there is an index of the U.S. Export Assistance Centers. These centers, located in several of the principal cities in the U.S., provide various international trade services to small companies in their localities. Through these centers you can obtain personalized advice from professionals from the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Commerce Department, the Export-Import Bank, and from other public and private organizations. When possible, these centers are located in convenient locations, along with partners from the public and private sectors, and they concentrate on helping companies that are ready to export in all aspects of carrying out exports and trade financing. When yours is a start-up company, these centers can make recommendations regarding programs on how to start exporting. They have specialists who offer a variety of programs for entering the market, including industry and country profiles, assistance in finding distributors abroad, identifying the duties that apply and the regulatory requirements, assistance with financing, and other inquiries. District Export Councils The District Export Councils (www.us-dec.com) constitute another useful resource, sponsored by the International Trade Administration. Affiliated with the U.S. Export Assistance Centers, these Councils are located around the U.S. and offer the advice of around 1,800 executives with experience in international commerce, who come from banks, manufacturing companies, legal firms, trade associations, state and local agencies, consulting companies, and educational institutions. They work voluntarily to sponsor and participate in various activities for the promotion of trade, and provide specialized advice to small and mid-sized companies interested in exporting.
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