Market Assessment Checklist

**Country
Name:\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

Use the notes column to track specific details.

A score of 1 to 5 in each "Score" column will assist with comparing
potential markets.

+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| ## Criteria              | **Notes**                           | **S |
|                          |                                     | cor |
|                          |                                     | e** |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| ***Demographics/Basic    |                                     |     |
| Country                  |                                     |     |
| Characteristics***       |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Population: Size, Growth |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Population: %Urban/Rural |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Population: % women, %   |                                     |     |
| under 18                 |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Climate/Geography        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Distance from U.S.: Ease |                                     |     |
| to Visit Market          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| #                        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| # Politics               |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Political                |                                     |     |
| System/Ideology          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Political Stability      |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Laws/Attitudes Regarding |                                     |     |
| International            |                                     |     |
| Trade/Imports            |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Economic                 |                                     |     |
| Pla                      |                                     |     |
| ns/Stability/Development |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Quality and Stability of |                                     |     |
| Relationship with U.S.   |                                     |     |
| Government               |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| # Economy                |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Growth: GDP, per capita  |                                     |     |
| income                   |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Dependency on/Role of    |                                     |     |
| Foreign Trade            |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Currency: Stability,     |                                     |     |
| Controls, Availability   |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Personal Expenditure:    |                                     |     |
| Disposable Income,       |                                     |     |
| Spending Patterns        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Banking: Finance,        |                                     |     |
| International Payments   |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| # Society                |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Changing Demographics    |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Literacy/Education       |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Family Size/Composition  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| \% Employed and %        |                                     |     |
| Females Employed         |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Cul                      |                                     |     |
| tural/Societal/Religious |                                     |     |
| Values                   |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Language                 |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| # Market                 |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Tariffs/Quotas           |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Non-tariff Barriers      |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Preferential Trade       |                                     |     |
| Agreements/WTO           |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Import Regulations       |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Documentation and        |                                     |     |
| Certification            |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Patent, Trademark,       |                                     |     |
| Antitrust and            |                                     |     |
| Advertising Laws         |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Cultural Business        |                                     |     |
| Practices                |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| # Product                |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Quantity/Value/Trends of |                                     |     |
| Import of Product        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Customer Need/Desire to  |                                     |     |
| Purchase                 |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Customer Acceptance of   |                                     |     |
| Product                  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Local Competition        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Competition from Imports |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Consumer Acceptance of   |                                     |     |
| Imports                  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Product Formula,         |                                     |     |
| Contents, Reformulation  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Measuring Systems        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Packaging                |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Labeling                 |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Pricing                  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| # Shipping               |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Options/Availability     |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Shipping Rates           |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| #                        |                                     |     |
| Channels of Distribution |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Import Channels          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Distribution Channels    |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Need in-country agent?   |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Infrastructure:          |                                     |     |
| Communication            |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Infrastructure:          |                                     |     |
| Transportation, Storage  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Media: Product           |                                     |     |
| Advertising              |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Marketing Tie-Ins        |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Other Sectors: HRI,      |                                     |     |
| Wholesale, Ingredients\* |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
|                          |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| ***Marketing             |                                     |     |
| Opportunities***         |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| USDA-FAS In-Country      |                                     |     |
| Office                   |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| State/Regional Trade     |                                     |     |
| Group/Industry Office or |                                     |     |
| Support                  |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Trade Shows, Missions    |                                     |     |
| and Events               |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| USDA-FAS Promotion       |                                     |     |
| Opportunities (Foreign   |                                     |     |
| Buyers List, Trade       |                                     |     |
| Leads, Buyer Alerts)     |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+
| Local Industry/Importer  |                                     |     |
| Organizations            |                                     |     |
+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+-----+

\* Worksheet largely assumes retail products. Products that target the
ingredient, wholesale or hotel/restaurant/institution (HRI) industries
would have additional considerations such as local manufacturing
capacity, tourism, etc.