Preparing Products for Export A Basic Guide to Exporting Chapter 5. Servicing For more information on this topic, go to Chapter 6 Transporting Goods Internationally in Breaking Into the Trade Game . Selecting and preparing a product for export requires not only product knowledge but also knowledge of the unique characteristics of each market being targeted. Before the sale can occur, however, the company may need to modify a particular product to satisfy buyer tastes or needs in foreign markets. The extent to which the company will modify products sold in export markets is a key policy issue to be addressed by management.
Some exporters believe the domestic product can be exported without significant changes.
Others seek to consciously develop uniform products that are acceptable in all export markets. If the company manufactures more than one product or offers many models of a single product, it should start with the one best suited to the targeted market. Ideally, the firm chooses one or two products that fit the market without major design or engineering modifications. The company may also need to modify its product to facilitate shipment or to compensate for possible differences in engineering or design standards. Foreign government product regulations are common in international trade and are expected to expand in the future.