Richard Corson
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January 3, 2022
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Export Markets
In my previous article on political risk, I explained that emerging markets present a greater likelihood of peril due to political and economic instability, the latter often caused by political decisions. Still, many emerging markets offer significant opportunities and deserve serious consideration.
David Noah
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December 20, 2021
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Export Markets
As the world’s largest trading nation, with more than $5.6 trillion in exports and imports of goods and services in 2019, the United States is a cornerstone of the global economy. Currently, the U.S. has trade relations with more than 200 countries, territories and regional associations around the globe.
In this article, we’ll share the top U.S. exports based on recent numbers and explain how exporters can pursue exporting to these markets.
Sandra L. Renner
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December 1, 2021
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Export Markets,
Export Basics
Targeting high-potential export markets is one of the most arduous and, at the same time, most impactful processes a company can undertake.
Ask company executives how they chose their export markets and, in many cases, the response will be that the market basically chose them. This can be a natural evolution whereby the company is contacted by someone who wants to buy their product or serve as a distributor in a particular market. Over the years, a company can end up with representation in a significant number of countries based on opportunity rather than strategy.
Alberto Rodriguez-Baez
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October 27, 2021
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Export Markets,
Export Basics
After a candidate has reviewed the International Distribution Prospectus (IDP)—learn how to create one in my previous article— selecting the right candidate to become one of your international distributors is still a few steps away.
Richard Corson
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October 20, 2021
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Export Markets,
Export Basics
Political risk is a topic often overlooked entirely or just given a cursory glance by many small- and medium-sized companies. As firms work every day to meet payroll, compete and grow, analyzing political risk might appear better suited for a discussion in a business school class, rather than a component to add to a company’s international strategy. This is short-sighted.
Richard Corson
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July 26, 2021
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Export Markets
During my nearly 30-year career with the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service, both as an International Trade Specialist and as the director of a U.S. Export Assistance Center, I spoke many times with exporters who told me that their buyer in China owed them money and their multiple attempts to reach them were unsuccessful. I always asked the exporter if they had conducted due diligence on the buyer and, invariably, the answer was no. The exporter never stood a chance.
Had the exporter conducted due diligence, the company might have concluded that the buyer was not legitimate, which would have prevented the problem in the first place. (To be fair, this can happen anywhere; however, in my experience, China was the preeminent player). Due diligence is not a guarantee, but it can certainly mitigate risks.
Alberto Rodriguez-Baez
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July 19, 2021
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Export Markets,
Export Basics
In my previous article, I described why it's critical to not only select the right distributors, but also to keep them for the long run (see the Fit/Tenure Matrix) and develop them into highly productive distributors.
Choosing international distributors without a thorough selection process is less than ideal and to be avoided at all costs: selecting the wrong distributor is a tremendous setback for the exporter and the distributor alike.
In my experience as an exporter and as a trade consultant, I have realized that this situation can be avoided by implementing a solid screening and selection process that is used for every candidate, every time.
Richard Corson
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June 14, 2021
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Export Markets,
Export Basics
The unfathomable amount of information available online about anything and everything can overwhelm us. International market research is no exception; most of the vast amount of information we collect to guide our international business decisions is obtained from online sources. Knowledge of where to find reliable, accurate, current data and statistics, and how best to use the websites, is crucial to making good decisions.
So, how do you begin?
David Noah
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January 6, 2021
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Export Markets
Looking to break into the world’s fastest-growing economy? Then look toward India. That’s right—within the next decade, India will outrank China as the most populous country in the world. So what does the growth of this nation mean for its economy and for exporters who may want to enter it?
David Noah
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December 2, 2020
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Export Markets
The United States’ relationship with Japan is an interesting and complex one. Japan’s culture, large middle class, aging population and turbulent economic history blend to create an environment that makes exporting to Japan both promising and, in some cases, difficult.