Grid · International Trade & Export
Selecting an export market
The export market selection grid compares the markets under consideration on uniform criteria. It comes into play before resources are committed. Each market is thus scored from 1 to 5 on ten criteria of attractiveness and feasibility. The ranking then rests on the total score, weighted where appropriate by the importance of each criterion.
Criteria of the export market selection grid
- Identification: in particular country or area, product or service, sources consulted and date.
- Attractiveness: in particular size and growth of demand, prices and margins, intensity of competition.
- Market access: in particular applicable duties, tariff preferences, non-tariff barriers.
- Feasibility: in particular logistics, country and payment risk, cultural proximity, available network.
- Fit of the current offering, without major adaptation.
- Conclusion: score out of 50, prerequisites, entry mode and decision.
- Finally, notes on preferential origin and on minimum thresholds per criterion.
When to use the export market selection grid
The grid serves first when an export plan is drawn up. It also serves before a prospecting mission or a trade fair. It moreover applies to an approach from an importer or to a choice between several countries.
Completed once per market, it therefore makes comparisons traceable. It also documents the decision. It is intended in particular for managers of exporting SMEs, sales departments and export support organisations. Furthermore, the export market selection grid is preferably completed as a team, on the basis of dated and cited sources.
Key facts
| Format | PDF, 2 pages |
|---|---|
| Languages | French, English, Spanish, Arabic |
| Version | October 2026 |
| Department | International Trade & Export |
| Scope | method applicable to any market |
Limitations
The grid provides no market data. The scores indeed rest on the sources consulted by the company; their date is therefore to be recorded.
Further reading: EU AI Regulation and Moroccan exporters; trade statistics from the International Trade Centre (Trade Map).
- Prepared by ASKonsult
- Languages: French, English, Spanish, Arabic
- Version: octobre 2026
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Going further Consultation on export market selection and entry mode
General information document; it constitutes neither legal advice nor an opinion on a particular situation. References to legal texts should be checked against the version in force on the date of use.
Consulting firm not registered with the Bar; no representation before the courts and no act reserved to the regulated legal professions.