What is the simplest way to operate international trade?

External inquiry-confirmation of product, price, delivery date and payment terms-signing contract-seller's delivery.

According to different payment methods, the payment time is determined.

If the letter of credit is opened to the seller after the contract is signed.

If telegraphic transfer is used, we can discuss whether to pay before or after delivery.

There are also D/P payment methods to choose from.

1. the first step of foreign trade: the right to operate foreign trade-four measures to open the door to foreign trade.

According to national regulations, only enterprises with the right to operate import and export can directly operate import and export business. Enterprises without import and export rights can entrust foreign trade companies to export as agents.

The first move to obtain a foreign trade pass: enterprises can apply to the local foreign trade and economic cooperation commission for import and export rights. Of course, it is good to have import and export rights, and all businesses can be carried out by themselves. Foreign contracts and other bills are issued in their own names, which is very good for corporate image and brand building. Since China joined the WTO, the state has encouraged enterprises to declare the right to operate import and export, and the application procedures have become more and more simple and open. However, there are still considerable requirements for the scale, production capacity and staffing of enterprises. Enterprises that have obtained the right to operate import and export usually need to accept the relatively strict administrative management of government functional institutions.

Enterprises that temporarily fail to meet the requirements for applying for import and export, or are unable to apply due to regional and industrial restrictions, have a second measure: acting as an agent for export. For many small private enterprises, it is more convenient and feasible to export through foreign trade companies. The so-called agent export is to cooperate with foreign trade companies or companies with import and export rights. Negotiate business with foreign businessmen, and then sign contracts with them in the name of foreign trade companies. After the goods are ready according to the contract, the foreign trade company will act as an agent for export matters, such as import and export inspection and quarantine, customs declaration, foreign exchange receipts and payments, etc. The foreign merchant will pay the US dollar payment to the foreign trade company, which will convert it into RMB according to the agreed proportion and pay it to you after deducting the corresponding expenses. In this way, although you are still doing foreign trade in essence, the operation form has become: you sell goods to foreign trade companies on credit in the way of ordinary domestic trade, and foreign trade companies pay after exporting themselves.

The disadvantages of agency export are obvious. First of all, in addition to the same costs and expenses, we have to bear additional export agency fees, which often account for 1%-2% of the total transaction amount. Secondly, you have to provide foreign trade companies with foreign information, transaction prices and other business secrets. There are some risks in paying foreign payment directly to foreign trade companies-although foreign trade companies are strictly managed by the state, the possibility of default and corruption of foreign trade companies acting as export agents is very small, but it is not uncommon for them to delay transferring money to you, because in foreign trade operations, according to the different channels of fund transfer and the procedures of various handling banks, it sometimes takes as long as one month for foreign payment to reach domestic accounts, and it is not easy to check the progress, which provides excuses and convenience for bad export agents to occupy funds. After all, there are many kinds of foreign trade companies that act as export agents. Some of them work for you with agency fees, while others try their best to poach and embezzle money. Moreover, through the export agent, all the bills are written with other people's trade names, which has certain restrictions and influences on their brand expansion in the international market.

But in any case, the way of acting as an export agent avoids the restriction of export rights, and any factory can do foreign trade. Moreover, as long as the export agents are carefully screened and the foreign trade operation process is deeply understood, the risk can be minimized. In fact, in the current foreign trade industry, the smooth cooperation between factories and foreign trade companies still accounts for the majority.

Similarly, in addition to factories, ordinary foreign trade companies and even individuals can engage in foreign trade through export agents. In fact, it is the same as the factory, except for an ordinary domestic procurement link to solve the supply.

There is a third measure for individuals to do foreign trade: linking. The so-called "affiliation" means reaching an agreement with a foreign trade company and becoming a nominal or part-time salesman of this foreign trade company. I run my own business, sign contracts in the name of foreign trade companies, deliver goods, settle the payment for goods, and accrue profits according to the agreed proportion. Hooking is more common in people with certain foreign trade experience and their own purchase and sale channels. Therefore, we choose to join rather than start our own company, mainly with the help of the popularity and commercial credit of large foreign trade companies, in order to obtain preferential treatment and convenience in the purchase and sale process and save office expenses. In this case, related parties can complete foreign trade transactions-sometimes even large transactions-with a computer in their own home without even going to work in the company. This kind of free SOHO (small home office) is very popular with experienced foreign businessmen. However, doing SOHO for foreign trade requires profound foreign trade knowledge and skills, and has a strong ability to control the purchase and sale channels. It is not recommended for foreign trade novices to do it.

If the transaction amount is not large, but you can't simply operate foreign trade through "international express delivery+online payment" like online stores, you can also choose individual industrial and commercial households for foreign trade filing. Since the promulgation of the new Foreign Trade Law in 2004, the restrictions on the export business of individual industrial and commercial households have been liberalized. In theory, individuals can also apply for the right to operate foreign trade. There are no financial restrictions on the application. The specific steps are as follows:

1. registered individual industrial and commercial households in the industrial and commercial bureau.

2. Go to the Foreign Economic and Trade Commission to register individual foreign trade management rights.

3 to the customs for "China Electronic Port" network access procedures.

4. Go to the foreign exchange bureau to handle the "List of Import and Export Units for Payment of Foreign Exchange" or the registration procedures for verification of export proceeds.

5. Open a personal foreign trade settlement account in the bank to handle foreign exchange receipts and payments.

Although it is not difficult for individuals to apply for foreign trade rights, because they are individual industrial and commercial households, they bear unlimited responsibilities in their operations and have greater risks. In addition, personal commercial credit is limited after all. Even if you get foreign trade rights, it is difficult to use various settlement tools based on commercial credit and bank credit in actual operation, so it is only suitable for specific products or small transactions at present.

With four tricks: self-operated import and export rights, export agents, affiliation, and foreign trade filing of individual industrial and commercial households,

The door of foreign trade has added wings to the tiger.

The next question is, facing the infinite global market, what kind of distribution products should we choose to break through the world? What kind of products do international buyers like?

Second, the second step of foreign trade: choose popular distribution products.

When choosing distribution products, we should first avoid three common misunderstandings:

1. The higher the quality, the better.

Absolutely not. Remember that your buyer is also a businessman, not the final consumer. Businessmen are always concerned about profits. If a low-quality product has more profit margin than its similar high-quality products, international wholesalers will be more willing to choose the former and try to promote it. After all, high quality and good price is the basic practice. High-quality products have high profits and large capital occupation, but the market is relatively narrow and the order quantity is small. Most international businessmen will seek a short-term balance between quality and price according to the acceptance of the local market. The market is usually made up of an olive pyramid. In actual foreign trade, medium or low quality is the mainstream. For beginners, there is not much money and the market is not mature, but medium and large commodities are relatively easy choices. It is not too late to consider high-end products from the perspective of competition and market occupation when it is time to find a breakthrough.

The lower the price, the more competitive it is.

Not really. It is an eternal truth in the business world that you get what you pay for. Experienced international buyers will never forget this. When talking business with foreigners, you often hear such bargaining: "The price of a factory is much lower than yours"-don't take this statement too seriously, and don't let it make a mess and sell your products very cheaply. If the lower the price, the more competitive it is, then the customer should turn around and sign a contract with the lower price. Except for technological innovation, the production cost of the same product in the same period will not be much different. If we try our best to reduce costs, the easiest way is to cut corners. As an international buyer, it is difficult to know the bottom line of the manufacturer's cost. In order to prevent risks, the most common thing is to "remove a highest score and remove a lowest score". Competitors outside the middle price are often more valued by buyers.

3. Care about whether the product belongs to sunrise industry.

Many new foreign trade salesmen will care about national affairs. In fact, for beginners, this question doesn't make much sense. First of all, with the progress of science and technology, the integration and transformation between industries are more frequent and easy, and a traditional product may be completely transformed because of some improvements in structure and efficiency; A new product will also be quickly replaced by latecomers. The tastes of the market and consumers are always changing, and the rising or falling is only between the lines, and the boundaries are becoming more and more blurred. In addition, no matter what kind of industry, there will always be several big names in the industry. Even in the sunrise industry, because of its good prospects and high profits, the competition is particularly fierce. It is difficult for outsiders to get involved in the division, and it is more a game with people. And some so-called traditional industries, because of mature technology and stable market, need innovation and enterprising, and it is easier to absorb new troops. Newcomers have more opportunities to hone their studies when they enter the industry.

Get rid of superstitions about high quality, ultra-low price and trendy sunrise industries. You will have a peaceful mind and a wider choice of products. So, how to choose products?

It is a manufacturer in itself, and its existing industry products are of course the first choice. Because you know the process production, you have the conditions to adjust the product control cost yourself, which is a great competitive advantage. However, direct export of existing products is mostly impossible, because there are often differences in quality, appearance and function between domestic sales and export, and domestic best-selling goods may not necessarily meet the habits and preferences of foreign consumers. So, we might as well imitate it from the beginning. Learn from factories with export business in the same industry, spy on the military situation, analyze their products and understand the differences. Pay special attention to those products that are exported in large quantities and ordered by customers many times. Once we have the chance, we may even try to cooperate with the same factory and subcontract some production tasks for them without making money to gain practical experience. Imitation behind others usually doesn't pay off, but it's the first safe step.

If you are a novice salesman employed by a foreign trade company, you will generally be ordered to promote our products. These products are either produced by subsidiaries or brother factories of the company, or by stable cooperative manufacturers of the company. In this case, there is no choice, and there is no need to change it at the beginning, because since the company has a mature business, it means that the products have a market, so we should study product knowledge hard and actively promote sales.

Another situation is that ordinary trading companies want to develop foreign markets. This situation is more complicated, some have promising products and suppliers, while others are completely blank: no products, no customers and no stable suppliers. In this case, we should seriously consider and look for our own advantages, such as industry knowledge, local specialties or superior products, interpersonal relationships and so on. Generally speaking, the focus is on the source of goods-after all, your role is the seller.

There is another special case, that is, individuals engaged in foreign trade. Common situation, first, there is a reliable supply relationship and want to export, this natural product choice does not exist; Second, there are advantages in overseas relations or contacts, such as immigrants and international students. These people are characterized by ignorance of products and foreign trade, and no ready-made relationship between suppliers and customers. Then the choice is very wide and the situation is more complicated. Considering the characteristics and limitations of personal business, the general selection principles are biased towards daily consumer goods, small size, storage resistance, flexible price and vague quality standards. Commodities that do not involve inspection and quarantine of import and export commodities, such as handicrafts, fashion accessories for young consumers, fashion bag, etc. , are avoided, such as food, agricultural and sideline products, bulk textiles, electrical appliances and other professional, restricted by countries.

Random talk about experience

The quality of foreign trade products is not immutable. Even if the same product is sold to different countries, the quality is quite different. Foreign trade salesmen should learn to adjust their costs by adjusting their quality to adapt to different national markets, so as to gain a competitive advantage in price.

Different markets have their own preferences for similar products. Foreign trade salesmen should be targeted when choosing products for distribution. Therefore, if you know a little about world geography, local customs and historical evolution, you can do what you want and avoid detours.

From the perspective of consumption habits, it can be roughly divided into the US-Canada market, the European market, the Japanese-Korean market, the Eastern European market, the Middle East market and the African market. Specific to each customer is different, but in general, the Chinese and Korean markets, especially the Japanese market, prefer exquisite and high-quality products, which are high, refined, sharp, small and beautiful, and like Japanese traditional culture. Some products with national characteristics can often be understood and welcomed, and they can accept high prices, but the quantity will not be too large; The markets in the United States and Canada, as well as English-speaking countries such as Western Europe, Northern Europe and Southern Europe, generally require moderate quality, like simple and smooth, novel and changeable product styles, moderate prices and relatively large quantities, and are the favorite customers of China exporters. The Middle East market does not require high quality, the aesthetic aspects of products are relatively simple or even tacky, the price is low and the quantity is relatively large; The African market is the most flexible. The local culture is intertwined with the former British colonial culture and the former French colonial culture. The taste is complex, and luxury goods and poor quality products can be accepted.

It is precisely because of the variability of foreign trade products in quality, efficacy and appearance, therefore, what kind of distribution products to choose is more about the products that salespeople can adjust to effectively control costs. It is best to make your own factory, otherwise at least a number of factories will be willing to cooperate. Simply passively selling ready-made products is difficult to have development prospects, and constantly seeking change is the key to the success of foreign trade. From this demand, finding a good factory is much more important than choosing a product.

Now many private small and medium-sized factories want to do their own foreign trade, so no matter whether the conditions are mature or not, they are recruiting new people to explore foreign markets. The living and working conditions of the factory are relatively inferior to those of foreign trade companies in big cities, but it is indeed a good learning opportunity for newcomers. Learning and mastering specific production technology and cost accounting in the factory can lay a solid foundation for independent foreign trade. Whether you have been off the workshop production line or not, the ability to control product quality and price is completely different, which is often highlighted in the fierce foreign trade competition negotiations.

It is not difficult for a layman to learn to do foreign trade. After all, foreign trade is doing business, but there are only a few more procedures. There are also many teaching materials about foreign trade. This book is an example. Have a patient look and you can start in a few days. Understanding a product, Rome was not built in a day, and a lot of professional knowledge and skills can't be known unless you go deep into first-line production.

Therefore, it is much more important to choose factories and products, which is also one of the keys to the success of foreign trade. What kind of distribution products to choose depends on the cooperation degree of the factory.

After solving the export authority and choosing the distribution products, the next step is the problem of sales channels. So, how is foreign trade done? Compared with ordinary domestic trade, what is the difference?

Third, the third step of foreign trade: crack the three key secrets of foreign trade

Compared with ordinary domestic trade, foreign trade is indeed a completely different industry, and the complicated procedures and various technical terms are daunting. However, as long as we start with the three most critical characteristics of foreign trade, we can crack all the secrets of foreign trade.

Imagine a real foreign trade operation. Mr. Wang, a foreign trade salesman in Ningbo factory, is doing business with British businessman Johnson in London. We can easily imagine the problems we will encounter:

1. Normally, buyers and sellers don't meet.

Negotiate transactions by telephone, fax, email, etc. Fortunately, the development of computers and the Internet makes this process easier and easier. Through websites, e-mail, QQ or MSN instant chat software, digital photos, cameras and other channels, we can easily communicate, display products and bargain, just like everyone sitting at a conference table.

2. The transaction cycle is very long

A batch of goods is usually transported from Ningbo to London in the most economical way, that is, packed in containers and transported from Ningbo port to London port by ocean-going freighters (if one party is not a seaport, part of the railway or road journey must be added). At present, this process only takes about 25 days by sea, and the time for stocking, unloading and inland transportation is often more than one month. Therefore, it often takes a month or more for the buyer to receive the goods under negotiation. Accordingly, it takes about time for the seller to recover the payment. In fact, for some seasonal household products or targeted holiday consumer goods, long-term contracts are usually negotiated several months or even a year in advance.

3. High transaction costs

Even by sea, the cost is still high. The sea freight of a container cargo (about 30 cubic meters or 20 tons) from Ningbo to London costs about 1 10,000 yuan. Faraway, remote or small-scale ports have higher prices. In addition, there are some fees for handling import and export procedures and bank fees for foreign exchange settlement, which are often fixed and have little to do with the transaction volume. This method is obviously not cost-effective for small transactions. In order to share the cost, it is obviously more cost-effective to have a large transaction volume. This is also a feature of international trade-large volume. Most goods in international trade are wholesale in batches, and "containers" are often used as the unit of transaction volume.

4. There are many intermediate links

From Ningbo to London, goods will go through many links. For example, many commodities must be inspected before export, which is operated by the State Administration of Import and Export Commodity Inspection and Quarantine. Declare to the customs of the buyers and sellers in charge of import and export; Transported by ocean shipping company; Collect money through the bank; Pay taxes to the tax authorities; Similarly, our country also controls foreign exchange in particular, which belongs to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and is managed through the declaration of foreign exchange receipts and payments.

Because foreign trade has the characteristics of not meeting each other, long delivery cycle, long journey, large quantity and high amount, and many intermediate links, the natural risk will be greater, and once there is a problem, the loss will be great. For this reason, for hundreds of years, the international trade community has also formulated trade practices and agreements accordingly, including internationally accepted goods quality standards, price calculation, responsibilities and rights of buyers and sellers, etc. In order to ensure the trade order to the greatest extent. At the same time, banking, international freight forwarding and insurance also have very mature and perfect cooperative operations.

However, there is still an important problem-the transportation and storage of a large number of goods are expensive. From factory delivery to customer receipt, there are many links involved, and it is impossible for the owner to supervise and keep them all the time. Especially in international trade, most of them are changed hands at different levels and resold in batches. If they are all delivered in kind, it will not only greatly increase the transportation and storage costs, but also increase the loss of goods during loading and unloading. The best way is to simplify the process of physical transshipment, so that the goods only go through four links: factory-loading dock warehouse-unloading dock warehouse-customer. Thus, the key point of foreign trade optimization, the most efficient and the biggest has evolved: document transaction.

One of the key secrets of foreign trade: document transaction

The so-called document transaction is to use a set of documents to represent the goods. The transaction is based on this set of documents, and whoever gets this set of documents is the owner of the goods. In this way, the goods will be as motionless as possible, and the documents can be bought and sold at will, and the holder of the documents will decide when and how to finally dispose of the goods. This set of documents usually includes several core documents:

1. Bill of Lading (B/L)

2. Invoice

Different from the concept of ordinary invoice, the "invoice" in foreign trade refers to the name and quantity of goods made by oneself.

And a signed price document.

3. Packing list

A signed document made by oneself, listing the volume, weight and packaging of the goods.

4. Other documents describing the goods, such as the inspection certificate to prove the quality of the goods and the certificate of origin to prove the origin.

Among all documents, the bill of lading is the most important, because it is the proof of the ownership of the goods-the proof of property rights with internationally recognized legal effect. Invoice and packing list can be made by yourself. Other inspection certificates and certificates of origin, etc. It shall be issued by the corresponding national institutions, such as import and export commodity inspection and quarantine bureau or institutions recognized by both parties, such as private inspection companies and freight companies, according to the characteristics of the goods and the requirements of the buyer.