Florida Export Guide 2016

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10 2016 Florida Export Guide Florida.Think.Global
Global business is essential for Florida’s economy,
with exports of nearly $54 billion in 2015,
including everything from advanced high-tech
machinery to home-grown agricultural products
consumed around the world.
Whether you are an experienced exporter or a new-to-export
company, these 10 steps will help you reach your export goals.
1. Assess Export Readiness
Conduct a thorough self-assessment of your goals, current
capacity and export-readiness.
An excellent resource for more information on this topic
is the federal government’s Export Readiness Guide.
2. Finding Export Assistance
Identify resources to help you succeed in your international
expansion.
The Export.gov portal provides a comprehensive roadmap
to federal resources and export tools for U.S. companies.
For more personal attention, Enterprise Florida provides
export counseling at six offices throughout the state.
3. Export Primer
Understand the technical language of exporting and inter-
national business.
“A Basic Guide to Exporting” is a comprehensive resource
for companies that are new to export, new to market, and/
or are looking to expand into new markets.
4. Market Research
Research overseas markets to determine demand for your
product or service.
The federal government maintains an online library
of more than 100,000 industry- and country-specific
market reports from trade specialists working overseas.
These reports are among the most accessible market
research options for exporters. Trade association reports,
trade development information from other countries, and
numerous online trade portals are additional sources for
market research.
5. Finding Trade Data
Do your homework.The Enterprise Florida Data Center
provides numerous trade reports, covering Florida’s top trad-
ing partners, top export destinations and commodities, state-
origin exports, and more.
6. Complying with Local Laws
Become aware of laws, regulations and procedures for your
product or service in specific overseas markets.
A widely available and useful legal resource for exporters is
the Export Legal Assistance Network (ELAN). Established
by the Federal Bar Association, with assistance from the U.S.
Department of Commerce and the U.S. Small Business
Administration’s International Trade Program, lawyers partici-
pating in the ELAN program provide an initial legal consulta-
tion free-of-charge to companies just beginning to export.
7. Trade Shows and Trade Missions
Trade shows and trade missions provide a way for U.S. compa-
nies to explore markets, test demand, and meet potential partners.
The federal government maintains an online calendar detail-
ing upcoming events and trade shows. Companies in specific
industry sectors can find events in their market sector.
Enterprise Florida also leads a number of high-level trade
shows and trade missions each year to Europe, Asia, the
Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
8. Finding Partners
Identify partners who can help develop your export strategy,
manage your market entry, and handle in-country representa-
tion. “A Basic Guide to Exporting” devotes an entire chapter
to “Finding Qualified Buyers.”
9. Cultural Differences
Understand the differences in culture and customs for your
markets in advance.
The “Doing Business In” guides, produced by the federal gov-
ernment, provide an excellent overview of market conditions,
purchasing power, consumer trends, distribution channels, navi-
gating entry constraints, best sectors, key contacts, and more.
10. Getting Paid
Maximize your profits by understanding export costs, the skill
of payment negotiations and how to get paid on time.
“The Trade Finance Guide: AQuick Reference for U.S.
Exporters” is designed to help U.S. companies, especially small
and medium-sized enterprises, learn the basics of trade finance so
that they can turn their export opportunities into actual sales and
achieve the ultimate goal of getting paid — especially on time —
for those sales.Concise, two-page chapters offer the basics of nu-
merous financing techniques, from open accounts and forfaiting
to government-assisted foreign-buyer financing and insurance.
10 Best Practices for Florida Exporters