INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW
How to Start Exporting and Find International Buyers
To export from the United States, you classify your product, confirm it is legal to ship to that buyer and country, file the required export data, and document everything. Finding international buyers is the commercial half; staying on the right side of U.S. export law is the half that keeps a growth opportunity from becoming an enforcement file. This guide walks both, in the order an exporter actually does them.
The compliance work is not optional and not someone else’s job. Under U.S. law the exporter — not the freight forwarder, not the buyer — is responsible for getting the classification, screening, and filings right.
Step 1: Classify Your Product
Every export starts with a number. The Schedule B number is the 10-digit code the U.S. Census Bureau uses to classify your product for export reporting; it drives your trade statistics and your export filing. Most commercial exports may instead report the 10-digit HTS number, but you need one or the other. See our guides to Schedule B numbers and classifying goods for export.
A separate question is whether your item is controlled. The Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) tells you whether the product needs a license under the Export Administration Regulations. Anything with a possible military or sensitive use deserves a close look — see classifying dual-use goods.
Step 2: Screen the Buyer and the Country
Before you ship — ideally before you sign — confirm that it is legal to sell to this buyer in this country for this use. U.S. export law restricts transactions by party, destination, and end use.
The free Consolidated Screening List (CSL) combines the restricted-party lists maintained by Commerce, State, and Treasury into one searchable database:
| List | Maintained by | What it flags |
|---|---|---|
| Denied Persons List, Entity List, Unverified List, Military End-User List | Bureau of Industry and Security (Commerce) | Parties barred from, or restricted in, EAR transactions |
| Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) | Office of Foreign Assets Control (Treasury) | Sanctioned individuals, entities, and blocked persons |
| Statutorily Debarred Parties | Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (State) | Parties barred from defense-related exports |
Screen the buyer, the end user, the freight forwarder, and any intermediary. A hit — or even an Unverified List match — is a red flag you resolve before the goods move, not after.
Step 3: Find Buyers in Vetted Channels
Once you know what you can ship and to whom, the search for buyers becomes lower-risk. The most reliable channels also tend to be the most compliant:
- U.S. Commercial Service (part of the International Trade Administration) runs trade missions, matchmaking, and the Gold Key Service, which arranges vetted appointments with pre-screened foreign buyers.
- Industry trade shows and associations put you in front of distributors who already import in your category.
- Foreign distributors and agents give you local market knowledge — but they become part of your compliance chain, so screen them too.
- B2B marketplaces widen reach quickly; pair them with disciplined party screening, since you control less of the counterparty vetting.
Step 4: Paper the Deal Properly
International sales live or die on the contract. Three terms matter most:
- Incoterms — the agreed delivery term (EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP, and so on) fixes exactly where your responsibility for cost, risk, and customs ends and the buyer’s begins. Choose deliberately; “DDP” can quietly make you the importer of record abroad.
- Payment security — letters of credit, documentary collections, or trade credit insurance protect you when you cannot easily sue a buyer three time zones away.
- Governing law and dispute resolution — specify which law applies and where disputes are decided. International arbitration is often more enforceable across borders than a domestic court judgment.
Step 5: File Your Export Data
For most shipments valued over $2,500 per Schedule B number (to destinations other than Canada), or any shipment that requires an export license, you must file Electronic Export Information (EEI) through the Automated Export System under the Foreign Trade Regulations. Filing deadlines vary by transport mode. Our guide to export documentation and shipping covers the paperwork in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to export?
It depends on the item, the destination, the end user, and the end use. Most low-tech consumer goods ship without a license, but you must confirm the ECCN and screen the parties before assuming “no license required.”
Who is responsible for export compliance — me or my freight forwarder?
The exporter is legally responsible, even if you delegate filing to a forwarder. You can authorize an agent to file, but the duty to classify correctly and screen the parties stays with you.
What is the easiest way to find vetted foreign buyers?
The U.S. Commercial Service’s matchmaking and Gold Key programs connect you with pre-screened buyers in target markets, which lowers both commercial and compliance risk.
When do I have to file EEI in the Automated Export System?
Generally when goods under a single Schedule B number exceed $2,500 in value (except to Canada) or when an export license is required.
Exporting rewards the prepared. Reidel Law Firm helps U.S. exporters classify products, screen counterparties, and document deals on flat-fee terms. Get an export compliance memo.
