Researching export markets
Researching export markets online
Conducting thorough online research can help you pull together valuable information which can be crucial to your export planning. It will help inform your decision making in a timely and cost-effective way.
Researching potential overseas markets online can help you:
- assess market potential
- find customers
- analyse your competition
- assess market barriers and risks
- find the best routes to market
Read more about the things you should consider when trading with the EU and when trading with GB and countries outside the EU.
Business risk reports
Read the Overseas Business Risk reports for information on political instability, terrorism, crime, corruption, human rights issues and intellectual property risks.
EU Market Access Database
You can check the EU Market Access Database to research a country's duty rates and licensing rules.
Check whether EU wide technical rules or national rules apply if you're sending goods within the EU. If technical rules or national rules apply, you can get advice from the product contact point for that country.
Invest NI Business Information Centre
The Invest NI Business Information Centre provides free access to market research, company databases, and other business information to help local companies develop their markets, identify export opportunities and find new customers.
The Centre is located at Invest NI's office in Belfast. The wide range of business information includes:
- trade and business journal collection
- details of trade fairs
- worldwide country profiles
- tenders information
- guidance on import/export procedures and business agreements
To access this information, call the Invest NI helpline on Tel 0800 181 4422.
Tenders Alert Service
The Invest NI Tenders Alert Service allows you to identify local, UK and European contract opportunities from a wide range of public sector organisations via a daily email alert service. It also has information about selling to the government - it has compiled a NI Councils Procurement fact sheet giving contacts for buyers and brief data on how they buy goods and services.