Level 11
Export
Understand the route to foreign markets and where the rules are found
Selling to another country can open bigger and steadier markets, but it asks for more: stricter quality and safety rules, paperwork, longer journeys and payment risks. The rules differ by product, by your country and by the country you sell to. This level does not list those rules. It shows you how to find them from the right source and how to prepare step by step.
Producers, processors, cooperatives and young entrepreneurs who already sell reliably at home and are asking whether and how to sell abroad.
How this level is written
The lessons are practical teaching suggestions written by AfricAgric. The reading list is background reading, not the source of every sentence. Examples with numbers are invented and say so. Use the level as a way to think, then check facts and rules for your own place.
What you will learn
- Judge honestly whether you and your product are ready to export.
- Find the requirements of a target market from the authorities and tools that publish them.
- Understand, in general terms, the documents, shipping steps and people involved.
- Recognise payment and fraud risks and agree safe terms.
- Plan a small, low-risk first step instead of a leap.
No rules are listed here
Tariffs, food safety rules, labels, certificates and permits change and differ between countries and products. This level does not state any of them. Always confirm requirements with the official authority in your country, the authority in the importing country and your buyer before you commit.
Where this level fits
Levels 4 to 8 gave you a product that is safe, packed, stored, moved and sold. Level 9 helped you agree deals and Level 10 helped you plan money. Export takes all of these to a higher standard.
Parts of this level
- Part 1Is export right for you?Check your readiness first. Many businesses do better by strengthening local and regional sales before exporting.
- Part 2Finding the requirements of a marketThe importing country sets the rules. Learn what kinds of requirements exist and who publishes them.
- Part 3Documents, shipping and the people who helpExport involves paperwork and several helpers. Know the roles and who is responsible for what.
- Part 4Getting paid and staying safeLong distances raise the risk of non-payment, delay and fraud. Agree safe terms and start small.
- WorkbookAll exercises from this level in one place, with space to think and a printable layout.
- QuizCheck what you learned. Answers and short explanations are hidden until you choose to show them.
Not advice
This level is educational. It is not legal, financial, regulatory, nutritional or medical advice. Rules, fees and programmes change, so check every requirement with the authority named before you act.
Background reading
- Market Access Map — International Trade Centre (ITC)
- Codex Alimentarius (international food standards) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO)
- Legal Guide on Contract Farming — UNIDROIT, FAO and IFAD, 2015
- Developing Sustainable Food Value Chains: Guiding Principles — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2014