What Are The Main Opportunities For Exporting To The USA

The United States is the world’s largest importing country. US importers are always looking for new products to import and resale. Americans are hungry consumers of a wide variety of goods. In 2007 US $1.967 trillion worth of goods were imported into the US. The largest import trading partners are (2007 import figures) China ($321 Billion), Canada ($313 Billion), Mexico ($210 Billion), Japan ($145 Billion), and Germany ($94 Billion). Most countries of the world are doing some type of international trade with the USA. Exports from countries both large and small are welcomed.

What are can export to the USA depends on 1) what you can produce or acquire, 2) your ability to get the products to the US and through US Customs, and 3) what US importers want to buy.

What You Can Produce Or Acquire

The first step is having a product that US importers want at a price that US importers are willing to pay. There is a tremendous amount of competition among exporters around the world to sell to US importers and buyers.

Leather goods, leather hides and saddlery, luggage, musical instruments, paper and paper products, sporting goods, artificial flowers, jewelry, gems, pearls and gemstones, optics and optical goods, plastics and plastic products, household appliances, artificial fur, glass and glass products, utensils, ceramic tiles, art, machine tools, rubber and rubber products, brushes, base metals, hand tools, cork, lighting fixtures, stone and stone products, umbrellas, wallpaper, and cutlery.

Products That Are Difficult To Export To The USA

Alcoholic beverages, paints and related products, motor vehicles, meat and meat products, radioactive materials, explosives and fireworks, prepared foods, drugs, textiles and textile products, toys, guns, arms and related products, aircraft and aerospace products, fertilizers, dairy products, live animals, poultry, poultry products and eggs.

Giftware

The US is a big gift giving country. Americans give gifts to their friends at birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. They get gifts when they get married, buy a house, have a baby, and then get divorced. There are several days in the year that are designed for gift giving: Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Secretary’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day April Fool’s Day. Giftware has excellent potential. The Guide to Successful Marketing and Selling to US Importers has more information on specific products that show great potential in the US market.

Home Textiles

The housing market is huge in the US. Couples getting married and getting their first house. Couples moving up to a big house. Older couples moving to a smaller house. And each time this happens they need new home textiles for that new house. Curtains, rugs, bed linen, pillows, table linens – the list is long. Home textiles are a great product for exporting to the USA.

Ethnic Food

Much of the population in the US is immigrant, or their parents or grandparents were immigrants. They long for the food of their native country. There is good potential for success in exporting ethnic food to the US and marketing it to the people who are from the region the food comes from.

Sports Equipment and Clothing

The USA is sports crazed. Gyms and recreation centers can be found in almost every city in the country. A typical Saturday or Sunday morning will have people out walking, jogging, biking, walking their dog, skiing (snow and water), rollerblading, playing baseball, soccer, or American football, hiking, or just enjoying the outdoors. Inside the gyms people are lifting weights, using exercise machines, practicing yoga or Pilates, playing basketball or racquetball, or just sitting in the hot tub.

What do all these people have in common? They are need clothing and equipment. Sports apparel and equipment is one of the fast growing sectors in the US and has excellent opportunities for exporting to the USA.

The USA is the largest importing country in the world. The key is to find just that right product.