How to Use Trade Map to Find Your First Export Market

If you make or source a product and you're wondering whether it could sell abroad, the first question is always the same: which country?

Most people answer that with a guess. A cousin lives in Canada, a friend sold tea in Germany once, someone on Facebook said the Middle East is booming. Guessing is expensive. You build a brand, a website and an ad budget around a market, and only then find out it was the wrong one.

There's a free tool that takes a lot of the guessing out: Trade Map, run by the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. In this guide I'll walk you through how a complete beginner can use it to shortlist export markets, and then what to do next so buyers in that market can actually find and trust you online.

What Trade Map is (and what it isn't)

Trade Map is a database of official import and export statistics. Countries report what they buy and sell, product by product, and Trade Map puts it all in one place with tables, charts and maps.

With it you can see things like:

• Which countries import the most of your product
• Whether those imports are growing or shrinking
• Which countries already supply them (your competition)
• The average price per unit they're paying
• How much your own country already sells to each market

What it isn't: a list of ready-made buyers, or a guarantee of demand. It shows trade flows between countries. It won't tell you that a particular shop in Manchester wants your product. It tells you where the money is already moving, so you can focus your effort there.

You'll need to register to see the detailed data. Registration is free, so set that up first at trademap.org.

Step 1: Find your product's HS code

Everything in Trade Map is organised by HS code (Harmonised System code), the international numbering system customs offices use for products. You need the right code before anything else makes sense.

• The first 2 digits are the chapter (for example, 09 is coffee, tea and spices)
• 4 digits narrow it down (0902 is tea)
• 6 digits are the most detailed level that's the same in every country

You can search by product name inside Trade Map, but I'd also check the code on an official tariff tool, such as the UK's Online Trade Tariff or your own country's customs website. If you're not sure, ask your freight forwarder or customs agent. Using the wrong code means every number you look at afterwards is about the wrong product.

A few examples of products people often ask me about:

Product	Example HS heading
Tea	0902
Cinnamon	0906
Coconuts, including desiccated	0801
Rubber gloves	4015
Handmade wooden decor	Chapter 44 (check the exact item)

Always confirm the exact code for your specific product. These are only starting points.

Step 2: See which countries import your product

Once you're logged in, choose your product code and set the view to imports, with the world as the partner. You'll get a list of importing countries ranked by how much they bought.

Look at these columns first:

• Value imported in the latest year. This tells you the size of the market.
• Growth over the last few years. A smaller market growing quickly can be a better bet than a huge one that's flat.
• Share of world imports. This shows how important the market is globally.

At this stage, write down 8 to 10 countries that look interesting. Don't fall in love with the top one. The biggest importer is usually the most competitive.

Step 3: Check who you'd be competing with

Now switch to exporters for the same product. This shows which countries supply the world, and you can also look at who supplies each of your shortlisted markets.

Ask yourself:

• Is one country dominating supply to that market? That can mean strong relationships and low prices you'll struggle to beat.
• Is the supply spread across many countries? That usually means buyers are open to new suppliers.
• Is your own country already in the list? If it is, there may be existing trade routes, logistics and buyers who know your origin.

Step 4: Look at the unit value (the price signal)

Trade Map shows a unit value, which is the import value divided by the quantity. It's a rough average price per kilo, per tonne or per item.

It's not a retail price, but it's very useful for comparison. If one market pays a much higher unit value than another for the same code, it often means that market buys higher-quality or more premium versions. That matters for your brand: a premium market needs premium packaging, photography and a website to match.

Step 5: Check what your country already sells there

Set your own country as the exporter and one of your shortlisted markets as the partner. This bilateral view shows how much of your product already goes from your country to theirs.

• If it's zero or tiny while the market imports a lot from elsewhere, there may be a gap.
• If it's already strong, there's proof that buyers there accept your origin, and you'll want a clear reason why they should choose you over existing suppliers.

Step 6: Download and score your shortlist

Most tables can be exported to Excel. Put your shortlisted countries in one sheet and give each a simple score out of 5 for:

1. Market size
2. Growth
3. Competition (5 = easy, 1 = very crowded)
4. Unit value (does it suit your pricing?)
5. Practicalities: shipping, regulations, language, any connections you have there

Add up the scores and pick your top two or three. That's your focus. Trying to export to ten countries at once is the same mistake as trying to be on every social media platform at once: you spread yourself too thin.

The limits to keep in mind

Trade Map is a starting point, not the whole answer.

• Data lags. The latest full year may not be available for every country yet, and some countries report late. Some figures are "mirror" data, estimated from what partner countries report.
• 6-digit codes are broad. One code can cover very different products and quality levels.
• Rules matter. Food, cosmetics, and anything plant-based often need certification, labelling and import checks. Always check the target country's requirements before you commit.

Use the data to decide where to look closer, then speak to trade bodies, your local export support organisation and potential buyers.

Next step: build a digital presence for that market

This is the part most new exporters skip, and it's where I come in.

When a buyer in your target country hears about you, the first thing they do is search for you. If they find a weak Facebook page, a website that doesn't load on mobile, or nothing at all, you've lost them before the first email. Trade data tells you where to sell. Your digital presence decides whether buyers there trust you enough to reply.

Once you've chosen a market, here's what needs to line up:

1. Branding that fits the market

Your positioning should match what Trade Map told you. A high unit value market expects premium cues: clear origin story, quality certifications, strong photography, clean packaging. A price-driven market wants reliability, volume and fast quotes. Same product, different story.

2. A website built for buyers, not just for you

For export, your website is your sales office abroad. It should:

• Load quickly on mobile, anywhere in the world
• Say clearly what you supply, your minimum order, certifications and lead times
• Have a simple enquiry or quote form, plus WhatsApp and email
• Use the units, currency and spelling your target market uses
• Include product spec sheets buyers can download

3. Being findable in that country

Buyers search on Google with phrases like "Ceylon cinnamon supplier" or "bulk desiccated coconut wholesale". SEO for export means targeting those phrases, with pages written for that country's buyers. For B2B products, a properly set up LinkedIn company page and personal profile matter too.

4. Marketing that targets the right buyers

Small, focused campaigns to the market you picked: LinkedIn for trade buyers, Google Ads for high-intent supplier searches, and Meta ads if you're selling direct to consumers. Start small, track enquiries, and scale only what works.

How I can help

I'm Dinesh, and I help small businesses, including many Sri Lankan and UK Sri Lankan businesses, build the digital side of their growth: branding, website design, SEO and digital marketing.

If you've used Trade Map and picked a market, or you'd like help working through the data, here's where to start:

• Get a free SEO audit of your current website. You'll get a detailed report within 48 hours showing what's holding it back.
• Book a digital marketing plan tailored to your export market, covering branding, website, SEO and campaigns, so you know exactly what to build and in what order.

Pick the market with data. Win the buyer with a brand they trust. Get in touch through justdinesh.com and let's build it together.