How to start exporting: 9 steps to your first export
What you need before your first export, nine steps from choosing a market to collecting payment, and the mistakes first-time exporters make most often.
Alper AzakoğluForeign trade consultant
3 min read
Updated:
The two halves of exporting
Exporting has two halves. The first is paperwork, customs and logistics: rule-based and learned with a good customs broker and forwarder. The second is finding the right country and, in it, the buyers who really purchase your product. The second half is what makes a first export hard.
Before you start
- A registered business: One that can issue export invoices; ask your accountant about export rules and VAT.
- Your product’s HS code: Every step depends on it: what is an HS code.
- A customs broker and a forwarder: Meet them before the first order; they file the declaration and move the goods.
- An export price and capacity: Know your cost including export packing, labels and documents, and how much you can ship each month.
Nine steps to the first export
- Choose the target market. Pick countries with large, growing imports you can enter: how to choose a target export market.
- Find the buyers. Identify the companies importing your product today: how to find buyers abroad.
- Make contact and quote. Start with a short introduction and prices; when interest is serious, send a proforma invoice.
- Agree delivery and payment. Write the delivery term with Incoterms 2020 and secure payment with an advance, documents against payment or a letter of credit.
- Prepare the product. Check the labels, packaging, documents and standards the buyer’s country requires before production.
- Plan the shipment. Get a freight quote and fix the loading date.
- Clear export customs. Your broker files the export declaration with the commercial invoice, packing list and any origin document.
- Send the documents and collect payment. Send documents through your bank or directly, depending on the payment method, and follow up collection.
- Keep records. Keep export documents for tax and audit; they also prove the export for VAT purposes.
Common first-export mistakes
- Emailing everyone: Mass emails without a chosen country mostly go unanswered.
- Shipping without secured payment: Open account terms with an unknown buyer leave all the risk with you.
- A vague delivery term: Writing “FOB” without the port leads to arguments about freight and risk.
- Documents that do not match: Proforma, invoice, packing list and bill of lading must carry the same details.
- Learning the buyer’s rules too late: Missing labels, certificates or registrations hold goods at customs.
Let us make your first export together
From market and buyer research to first contact, quotes, contracts and shipment, we work as your export department.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need before my first export?
A registered business that can issue export invoices, your product’s HS code, a customs broker, and a price that includes export packing and documents. Some products also need export licences or certificates; check your own country’s rules.
Where do first-time exporters go wrong most often?
A wrong HS code, a vague delivery term, a sale without secured payment, and documents that do not match. The steps in this guide are ordered to prevent these.
Should I start with one country or several?
With 3–5 countries chosen from import data. One country is fragile; twenty spreads your effort too thin.
How long does a first export take?
From choosing a market to the first shipment, often several months. Finding and convincing the buyer usually takes longer than the paperwork.
Sources
- International Trade Centre (ITC), Trade Map: trademap.org
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Incoterms® 2020: iccwbo.org
Author
Alper Azakoğlu
For 30 years he has worked as foreign trade consultant and foreign trade manager for manufacturers in industrial zones across Türkiye. He writes these guides from his own work in the field.