US Toolkit

The United States is the largest economic power in the world, with a widely diverse consumer base that offers excellent opportunities to foreign exporters.  Niche products such as handicrafts and goods that are produced according to environmentally friendly practices are increasingly popular to U.S. consumers.  It is a market that is waiting to be tapped.

However, exporting to the United States is not without its challenges.  The paperwork and bureaucracy involved in getting goods into the U.S. can be formidable, and the customs regime complicated.  Furthermore, the U.S. heavily promotes its own exports, in part to improve its large trade deficit and as part of a long-standing policy to protect U.S. jobs.  The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, and the increased security precautions since have led to a variety of new policies and safeguards on imports.  And there are industries that the U.S. government has actively worked to protect, especially textiles.

That said, a foreign exporter with a solid product or service, a sound business and export plan, and ideally a U.S. partner or buyer, should succeed in introducing its goods into the United States.

The pdf document below provides advice for the small foreign exporter.  The target audience is a small producer of environmentally friendly products that is seeking to export its goods to the U.S., preferably via a pre-identified U.S. buyer.

Section I, Preparing to Export to the U.S., offers suggestions on identifying U.S. buyers and outlines some of the essentials that a foreign firm should consider before embarking on the path to exporting to the U.S.  A special self-test, "Are you ready to export?" is included in this section.

Section II, Making the Deal, lists the key steps in the sales process, including the steps in setting up and finalizing the deal.

Section III, Arranging the Shipment, deals with the marking, packaging, and labeling of goods to ensure that they are not delayed in U.S. Customs.

Section IV, Importing into the U.S., details the U.S. Customs procedures, various other regulatory issues related to getting goods into the U.S., and addresses such issues as customs brokers.

Section V, Getting Paid, explains the different methods for exporters to the U.S. to collect their payments.

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