Exporting to the United States – A Team Canada Inc Publication

2.6 Selecting your market

The selection of your market or markets is among the most crucial decisions of your export initiative. At this point, you'll need to undertake non-documentary research such as person-to-person contacts, specialist advice and on-the-ground investigation to confirm that you are, in fact, making the right choice.

To help achieve this, consider:

• Talking to trade officials at the Canadian Embassy and consulates in the U.S. to find out about recent developments in the local market and to obtain information on local business conditions. Trade Commissioners work with companies that have researched and selected their target market. They offer, at no cost, market prospect assessment, key contact searches, visit information, face-to-face briefings and troubleshooting.
• Contacting potential U.S. buyers, partners, agents and distributors.
• Talking to the Chambers of Commerce in the prospective markets.
• Visiting the particular region of the U.S. in which you're interested.
• Visiting the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service Web site and registering with the Virtual Trade Commissioner, if you haven't already done so.

The above list isn't exhaustive; for more information about government services and programs, visit Team Canada Inc's Web site at exportsource.ca or contact a TCI export information officer at 1 888 811-1119.