Get export-ready

Selling abroad adds a layer most owners have never dealt with — rules about what you can ship, how it's labeled and classified, and how a foreign sale actually works. None of it is beyond you, but you want a plan before you take a big overseas order, not after. Getting export-ready is mostly about lining up free expert help and doing your homework first.

Do this

1. Make an export plan: which product, which country first, and how you'll deliver and support it.
2. Learn the rules for your product: export classification, any licenses, labeling, and the destination country's requirements.
3. Line up the logistics: how it ships, who handles customs (a freight forwarder), and what it truly costs landed.
4. Get free expert help early — the U.S. Commercial Service and your SBDC's export experts guide you step by step.

Export-readiness checklist

• A simple export plan: product, first target country, how you'll deliver + support
• Your product's rules checked: classification, any export license, labeling
• Destination country's import rules and standards understood
• Shipping + customs sorted (a freight forwarder can handle the hard parts)
• True landed cost known (product + shipping + duties + insurance)
• Free guidance lined up: U.S. Commercial Service (trade.gov) + your SBDC