ROLE OF

EXPORT PROMOTION
AGENCIES IN
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Presentation by
R. ASOKAN
Jt. Director
FEDERATION OF INDIAN EXPORT ORGANISATIONS

Southern Region

Sourcing Names and Addresses of

Importers
Sources are:

(a)who are visiting India for their

purchases,
(b)the
exporters
come
across
the
importers
during
their
export
promotional tours abroad and
(c)followed by letters of importers
showing interest in importing goods
from India
(d)Buying House Agents
(e)important Websites available in the
Internet

Role Of Export Promotion

Organisations
The Government of India have established a
number of institutions and organisations and
Corporations for promoting exports from
India. Export Promotion Organisations and
Institutions can broadly be classified into the
following categories:

Government Departments
Export
Promotion
Councils
/
Commodity
Boards
Service Institutions
Inspection Agencies
Export Corporations.

Service Institutions
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
India Trade Promotion Organisation
(ITPO)
Director General of Foreign Trade
Indian Council of Arbitration
Indian Institute of Packaging
Export Import Bank (EXIM Bank)
Export Inspection Council (EIC)
Textiles Committee

Survey of Target Markets

Information on prospective markets is vital,
both for new as well as established exporters
interested in enhancing their exports. The
following key details regarding the potential
markets are essential to exporters
Size of the market
Growth prospects
Market preferences
Demand supply gap
Current suppliers.
Such preliminary market information will help
exporters in identifying potential markets for
their products.

Trade Enquiries
After gaining an understanding of the
market for their products, the next
requirement of exporters is to identify
trade enquiries.
Though there are a
number of sources providing such
information, there is need for a single
source
to
monitor
all
business
opportunities
and
trade
enquiries
emanating
globally.
In
addition,
exporters are also interested in posting
their
trade
offers
to
prospective
partners abroad.

Product Development and Fashion

Trends
This is a key requirement for exporters keen on
benchmarking their products with the best available
globally. In industries like leather and apparel, this
information is critical for the local exporters to plan
their raw material procurement, well in advance of
the season, to suit the future requirements of the
market.

Customer preferences in electronics industry also

reported to be fast changing and exporters would
need to fine-tune their product features to stay in
business.

This information may not be critical to small

exporters who are mostly job order dependent,
wherein the overseas buyer dictates the product
specifications and features.

Credit Appraisal of Trading Partners

Traditionally, overseas trading partners
are either identified through personal
visits abroad or through agents and
brokers.
With the evolution of the
Internet as a medium for identifying
trade
opportunities,
it
becomes
increasingly important to examine the
credit-worthiness of the identified buyer
before exporting the products. This step
is very essential for Indian exporters to
safeguard themselves from unreliable
trading partners abroad.

Regulations/Tariffs relating to Imports and

Exports

Globally, countries are forced to

modify their trade policies to suit
the dynamically changing business
scenario. Exporters feel the need
for a single source providing
country-wise updated import and
export policies.
This would also
help them in identifying markets in
countries with favourable import
policies.

Current Sources
Publications
Bodies.

of

Industry

Associations

and

Mailers and Bulletins from Export Promotion

Councils & FIEO
Online Data Sources
-- The Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
makes available its online database.
ASSOCHAM, CII, FIEO have also established a
databank for the benefit of its members.
Overseas Trade Journals
Industry Specific Pages
Port Based
Imports

Information

on

Exports

and

Trade and Business Enquiries

Some of the reputed sources for
global trade enquiries include

Import-Export Bulletin Board

(IEBB) / STAT-USA
Reuters Network for Tenders
World
Trade
Center
(WTC)
Network

Country Profiles and Import Export

Policies
With the emergence of the global market, it is
essential for Indian exporters to know about a
countrys political climate and future of its
economy before deciding g on any long-term
business relationships. Sites providing reliable
information on countries include:
Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU)
Price Waterhouse
I-TRADE (IT)
These
sites
are
well
updated
and
comprehensive. Sites like EIU also provide a
rating on risks associated with trading with a
country
based
on
its
current
economic
performance and is likely future.

Latest Traded Prices of Certain

Commodities

Latest traded price information in

important global markets is important
for exporters of leather and agricultural
products.
International Trade Center
(ITC), Geneva, regularly monitors trade
prices and forwards the same to
subscribers through email.

Credit Appraisal
Credit appraisal is a key requirement for
medium and small-scale exporters, for which
the internationally recognized sources are:

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

TRW

TRW is an important source for information on

small and medium sized companies.

POPULAR CREDIT RATNG AGENCIES WORLDWIDE

Alexander and Hamilton International custom credit reporting

http://www.alhamco.com/english/credit_reporting.html
http://www.alhamco.com/english/credit_reporting.html
Canadian Credit Reporting Ltd. Canadian-based, investigative credit reporting agency, operating out of Toronto
http://www.canadiancredit.com
http://www.canadiancredit.com /
China Credit Information Service Credit reporting for Taiwanese companies
http://www.credit.com.tw/english.cfm
http://www.credit.com.tw/english.cfm
http://www.cofacerating.com
http://www.cofacerating.com / A global credit rating system, rating the security of the trade debt of any company.
"Trade debt" means any debt up to 6 months, in the 1,000-100,000 euros (or USD) range, which is the range of most
of e-commerce transactions,
http://www.cofacerating.com
http://www.cofacerating.com /
Credit Exchange Company that offers various credit and collection services specific to the transportation industry
http://www.creditexchange.com
http://www.creditexchange.com /
Credit FYI Credit reports for small US businesses with sales less than $5 million
http://www.creditfyi.com
http://www.creditfyi.com /
Credit Information Reports from Business Credit Management UK Complete UK companies credit reporting service
http://www.creditman.co.uk
http://www.creditman.co.uk /
Credit Management Information & Support Links to most credit reporting agencies and other credit management Web
sites
http://www.creditworthy.com
http://www.creditworthy.com /
Credit Report Latin America & World Credit reports from Latin America and other countries
http://www.crla.com
http://www.crla.com /
Credit Risk Monitor Online Internet based financial information and news service that follows almost 400 U.S. publicly
held retail chains and wholesalers
http://www.creditriskmonitor.com
http://www.creditriskmonitor.com /
Disclosure Provider of financial intelligence delivered via online and CD-ROM-based research tools. Subscribers have
access to a full range of proprietary and third-party company information.
http://www.disclosure.com
http://www.disclosure.com /
Duff & Phelps Credit Rating International credit reports
http://www.bradynet.com/e31.html
Dun & Bradstreet Information Services Dun & Bradstreet Information Services is the world's leading provider of
business to business information and decision-support services. DBIS gathers and manages information on more than
40 million businesses worldwide and markets its products in more than 120 countries.
http://www.dunandbradstreet.com
http://www.dunandbradstreet.com /
Equifax Worldwide business and consumer credit reports
http://www.equifax.com
http://www.equifax.com /
Experian TRW Information Systems & Services (IS&S) is a leading provider of consumer and business credit, direct
marketing and real estate information services and high-volume transaction-processing systems
http://www.experian.com
http://www.experian.com /

POPULAR CREDIT RATNG AGENCIES WORLDWIDE

F&D Reports Credit solutions to manufacturers, wholesalers/distributors, and retailers of food,

pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, apparel and other products.
http://www.fdreports.com
http://www.fdreports.com /
FCIB International Credit and Country Report International independent credit reports
http://www.fcibglobal.com
http://www.fcibglobal.com /
Global Credit Reports Listings and links to local credit reporting agencies worldwide
http://www.intl-credit.com /
Graydon Credit Management Services Global credit reports and credit information management
services
http://www.graydon.co.uk
http://www.graydon.co.uk /
Infospectrum Provider of credit reports and commercial research to the international business world.
http://www.infospectrum.net/
J.I. International Worldwide credit reports
http://www.jiintl.com/
Kreller International Services Worldwide credit reports
http://www.kreller.com/
MRC Consultancy Services Ltd. Company reports for the marine, energy, industrial, commodities and
transportation markets.
http://www.mrcinfo.com/
Owens On-Line Online credit information service with over 8.5 million company files
http://www.owens.com/
SCRL Group Credit information about all companies in France
http://www.scrl.com/
TCM India Credit reports for India and worldwide
http://www.tcmindia.com/
UK Data Ltd Online credit reports on every UK business
http://www.ukdata.com/
Veritas Global credit reports and country risk reports.
http://www.veritas-usa.com/
Whitehall Consultants International company credit reports, country risk reports, or debt collection
services
http://www.whitehallusa.com/

International Laws
Web sites like the International
Trade Law Monitor (ITL) provide
region and country specific trade
related laws, useful to exporters
trying to access the legal impacts of
entering new markets and to
identify friendly markets.

Import and Export Statistics

Databases like Datastar and Dialog
provide details of exports and imports
from major ports in the USA and Europe.
New exporters facing the requirement of
pricing their products often find it useful
to know the price quoted by fellow
exporters in the industry.

A common problem in the use of this

information
by
some
exporters
to
undercut
prices
and
gain
unfair
competitive advantage.

Trade Market Surveys

Survey of market potential for
products in markets is an essential
requirement
for
exporters
exploring
possibilities
in
new
markets and country. While sites
like Datastar and Dialog offer
preliminary reports on the market
potential for products, sites like ITRADE offer to undertake custom
market research on behalf of

Other Useful Sources

Most of the traditional sources of trade related
information are now available on the web,
which is fast emerging as a convenient means
of distributing information. There are industry
specific sites like Apparelnet (for apparel
industry), which focus on the industrys
requirements. Other sites like Asian Sources
On-line focus on the requirements of a region.
The advantage of such sources is their in-depth
coverage of a sector or region.

While sponsored sites providing general

information offer access free of charge, sites
offering reliable information often charge

Sector-Based Portals for Market

Research
For different sector, there are very useful
portal websites that offer comprehensive
information, or function as a gateway to other
sources on the Internet. They should be the
starting point for the data mining efforts.
These portal sites characteristically offer
industry news, information about product
development,
business
directories
and,
sometimes, a buyers and sellers platform.
Usually, they also provide information about
existing new or upcoming regulations. Some
examples of interesting portals are:

www.autonewseurope.com (car parts)

www.devicelink.com (medical devices)
www.fis.com (seafood)
www.fruitnet.com (fruits)
www.flowerweb.com (flowers)
www.organics.com (organic products)
www.freshinfo.com (fresh food)
www.foodnavigator.com (processed food)
www.herbs.org (herbs and spices)
www.leathernet.com (leather)
www.organic-europe.net
(organic products)
Information
about portal websites
can often be obtained

from traditional printed media, like the trade press, or

from other online sources, like the CBI websites link plaza
or the International Trade Centre (ITC) tool P-maps (
www.p-maps.org).

Generic Market Information Portals

CBI and ITC provide generic market

information portals, covering a large
number of product groups and a wide
range of themes. Particular reference
is made to the statistical tool of ITCs Pmaps (Tradingmap) and CBIs market
information database and link plaza.
Use of CBIs databases is free of
charge. Subscription to ITCs p-maps
differs. For details browse www.cbi.nl
; www.p-maps.org

Search Engines
To know information about a portal site,
reference may be made to the trade magazines
for Internet links and use one of the
international search engines.
Google (
www.google.com) is currently the most popular
search engine. Keep in mind that while using
the search engine, it is best to use the
advanced search option in order to filter the
results and to keep them manageable. The
methodology is Input is output. A general
question will lead to general results.
It is
better to formulate the search as accurately as
possible.

Country Information
Many sources on the Internet provide
macro-economic country data. Country
Reports (www.countryreports.org), for
instance, is a database with country
information covering practically any
country in the world and offering
relevant and fairly up-to-date macro
data. Other country information can be
obtained from Eurostat, the datashop of
the
European
Union
(
www.europa.eu.int)/index_en.htm)
and
the
Organisation
for
Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Market Size, Trade Statistics

Information
about
market
size,
segments
and
developments is included in the market reports
downloadable from the CBI website.
These kind of
information are also available in articles and reports on
portal sites or on websites of industry associations. The
link plaza on the CBIs website includes links to sectorbased portal sites and industry associations.
Trade
statistics are also available (though not free of charge)
through Eurostat. For agricultural products, Faostat,
the statistical database of the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations provides a
very useful source for trade as well as production
statistics.
Search filters include product, market,
volume and value as well as multipleyears selection.
The Faostat database is free of charge (http://
www.fao.org/waicent/portal/statistics.en.asp).

Standards and Legislation

Information about safety & health, social and
environmental issues, as well as other
legislation and product standards, is available
through the CBIs market information and
Access guide database or from the European
Commissions
database,
Eur-lex
(
www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex).

Some of the main sources of information for the

food
industry
on
food
sAfety
are
www.codexalimentarius.net
and
htpp://foodnet.fie.ca (one can download the full
HACCP manual).

Import Duties

The European Commission has

also published a database with
all import duties on the
Internet. To search by product
and country of origin browse.
www.europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_cus
toms/index_en.htm

Market Players
Information about market players, importers,
wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers as
well as competitors is available from market
reports. Online business directories and trade
fair catalogues are also helpful in this respect
(often available online at the website of the
tradefair organizer), Business directories can
be found on sector-based portals. There are
also generic business directories. The most
important generic online directories are
Europages (www.europages.com) and Kompass (
www.kompass.com). Business directories offer
multiple search filters, like product group,
market, company type or company size.

Prices
Some interesting sources for price information are

www.public-ledger/com - (Commodities).
the subscription fee.

www.todaymarket.com
free trial for 7 days.

Check the site for

The today market website offers a

Subcriptin is US$ 25 per month.

www.fintrac.com/gain/prices - This is the website of the

Global Agribusiness Information Network.
It provides
information about wholesale fruits, vegetables, herbs and
flower prices free of charge for various markets in the United
States, Latin America, Europe and Japan. Depending on the
market selection, the information can be one to seven days
old.

www.p-maps.org - The ITCs p-maps contain Market News

Services with wholesale import prices for selected commodities.
Subscription prices vary.

Distribution Channels
Information on distribution channels can be obtained
from market reports (like the CBIs) and from the
industry associations.

Trade Fairs

Information about trade fairs all over the world can

be obtained free of charge from the following
databases.
www.tsnn.com
and
www.exhibitions-world.com.

For more details about

Kindly
FIEO
Kindly contact
contact
FIEO
FIEO Southern
Southern Region
Region Office
Office
th
Spencer
Spencer Plaza,
Plaza, Unit
Unit No.706,
No.706, 7
7th
Floor
Floor
769,
769, Anna
Anna Salai,
Salai, Chennai
Chennai 600002
600002
Phone:
Phone: 044
044 28497766
28497766 // 2849
2849 7755
7755
Fax:
Fax: 044
044 2849
2849 6666
6666
Email:
Email: fieosr@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in
fieosr@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in