How to Find International Buyers and Check Them Before You Ship
Where to find international buyers, how to qualify leads and how to check a foreign buyer before shipping: registries, references, sanctions, scam red flags.
Key takeaways
- Define your ideal buyer before you search: type of company, size, channel, volumes and capacity to pay.
- Combine channels: trade fairs and B2B meetings for trust, trade data and directories for lists, referrals for quality.
- Qualify every lead with a few precise questions before you spend time on quotations and samples.
- Check every new buyer: legal existence, real activity, references, sanctions lists and payment behaviour, with an effort proportional to the risk.
- Let the result of your checks decide the payment terms: the less you know, the more secure the payment method must be.
Once you know which markets to target, you need names: companies that import your type of product, have the volume and the means to pay, and are willing to try a new supplier. Finding them takes method and persistence. Checking them takes discipline, because international trade attracts fraudsters who know that a small exporter keen on its first big order is an easy target.
This lesson covers both halves of the job. First, where international buyers can be found and how to approach them. Second, how to qualify leads so you invest time in the right ones, and how to check a buyer before you ship: registries, references, credit information, sanctions screening and the red flags of the most common export scams. A worked example compares two enquiries received by a pasta and couscous manufacturer.
Start with a profile of your ideal buyer
Before you search, write down who you are looking for. A precise profile saves weeks of chasing the wrong contacts.
- Type: importer-distributor, wholesaler, supermarket chain, processor, contractor, public buyer?
- Size: annual volumes, number of containers, the order size that makes the deal worth it for both sides.
- Channel: who do they sell to, and does your product fit their range and price level?
- Capabilities: do they handle import clearance, storage (cold chain if needed), distribution, registration of your product?
- Financial capacity: can they pay the amounts involved, and get the foreign currency to do it?
Where to find international buyers
| Channel | How it works | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector trade fairs | Exhibit or visit major fairs for your industry | Face-to-face trust, many buyers in a few days | Cost of a stand and travel; needs serious follow-up |
| B2B meetings and trade missions | Organised by trade promotion bodies, chambers or embassies | Pre-arranged meetings with qualified buyers | Depends on the quality of the organiser's matchmaking |
| Embassies and trade promotion bodies | Economic sections and agencies provide importer lists and introductions | Local knowledge, often free or cheap | Lists can be outdated; you must still qualify |
| Import and customs data | Some countries publish or sell importer-level customs or bill of lading data | Shows who actually imports your HS code, from whom and how much | Coverage varies by country; paid services |
| Directories and associations | Industry associations, chambers' member lists, business directories | Long lists, by sector and region | Little information on actual activity |
| B2B platforms | Online marketplaces and sourcing platforms | Inbound enquiries, low cost | Many low-quality and fraudulent enquiries |
| Referrals | Forwarders, banks, existing customers, non-competing suppliers | High quality, built-in trust | Slow, limited volume |
| Agents | A commercial agent prospects in your name for a commission | Local network, language, presence | Needs selection and a clear contract |
In Algeria, the Organisme algérien des exportations, created in 2025 to replace ALGEX, is charged among other things with monitoring foreign markets and organising Algeria's official participation in international fairs; chambers of commerce and Algerian embassies' economic services are other entry points. For how to get the most out of fairs and online platforms, see trade fairs and B2B marketing, and for working with representatives, agents or distributors.
How to approach a potential buyer
Prepare a short, professional offer pack before you contact anyone:
- A one-page company profile: what you make, capacity, years of experience, export references, certifications.
- Product sheets with specifications, packaging options, shelf life, HS code.
- Certificates the market expects: quality management, food safety, product standards, halal, organic.
- An indicative price with a clear Incoterms® 2020 rule and named place, minimum order and lead time.
- Your sample policy: what you send free, what you charge, who pays the courier.
Write your first message in the buyer's language where you can, keep it short, and refer to something specific about the buyer's business. Follow up: most deals come after the third or fourth contact, not the first.
Qualifying leads: which ones deserve your time?
Ask every serious lead the same questions before you quote in detail or send expensive samples:
- What products, specifications and volumes do you buy, and from which origins today?
- Who are your customers, and how do you distribute?
- What delivery terms and payment terms do you usually work with?
- Which documents, certificates and labelling does your market require?
- When would you place a first order, and of what size?
| Grade | Profile | Action |
|---|---|---|
| A | Verified importer of your product, clear volumes, realistic price, standard payment terms | Quote in detail, send samples, propose a visit or call |
| B | Plausible but incomplete answers, or not yet importing your product | Send information, ask for more, follow up |
| C | Vague, inconsistent, or showing red flags | Do not invest time; offer only fully secured terms |
How to check a foreign buyer before you ship
Due diligence should be proportionate: a first sample order needs basic checks, a USD 300,000 contract on credit needs all of them.
| Check | How to do it | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Legal existence | Official business registry of the buyer's country: name, registration number, address, directors | Not found, recently created, or details differ from the documents you received |
| Real activity | Independent search for the address, phone number and website; satellite view of the address; domain registration date | Residential address for a large importer, website created weeks ago, free email address |
| Identity of the contact | Call the company's main number found independently; check the contact's role | Contact cannot be reached through the official switchboard |
| Track record | Trade references (other suppliers), import data, press | No verifiable supplier will vouch for them |
| Financial standing | Credit report from a credit agency or your credit insurer; bank reference through your bank | Negative report, unpaid suppliers, refusal to provide any reference |
| Sanctions and restrictions | Screen the company, its owners, its bank and the destination against the UN, EU, US and UK sanctions lists | Any match, or ownership that cannot be identified |
| Coherence | Compare names, addresses and bank details across purchase order, emails and letter of credit | Paying bank in a third country without explanation, consignee different from buyer without reason |
Sanctions screening is not optional: shipping to a listed party can expose you, your bank and your forwarder to serious penalties, and banks will refuse to process the payment. The lesson on export controls and sanctions screening explains how to do it properly.
Red flags of export fraud
The patterns that recur:
- Advance-fee fraud: the "buyer" asks you to pay a registration, licence, certification or inspection fee to a third party before ordering.
- Sample fraud: large free samples requested by many "buyers" who never order.
- Impersonation: an email from a real company's name on a look-alike domain (one letter changed, a different extension).
- Fake or unworkable letters of credit: a credit not received through a bank, or containing clauses that make compliance impossible. Always receive credits through your bank, which authenticates them.
- Overpayment: the buyer "accidentally" pays too much by cheque or transfer and asks you to refund the difference before the original payment is reversed.
- Business email compromise: a fraudster in a mailbox announces new bank details, either to you (for refunds) or to your buyer, who then pays your invoice to the fraudster. Put your bank details on your documents and tell buyers you will never change them by email alone.
Worked example: two enquiries for a pasta manufacturer in Sétif
A manufacturer of durum wheat pasta and couscous receives two enquiries in the same week.
| Lead A: food distributor in Nouakchott, Mauritania | Lead B: "trading company" in London | |
|---|---|---|
| Request | One 40-foot container of mixed pasta and couscous, then monthly | Eight 40-foot containers of couscous, 90 days open account |
| Price discussion | Negotiates hard, asks for unit prices by format | Accepts list price immediately |
| Registry | Found in the national register, 12 years old, matching address | Company found but dormant; directors unrelated to the sender |
| Online checks | Warehouse visible, website and phone consistent | Domain registered three weeks earlier, mobile number only |
| References | Two European pasta suppliers confirm regular payment | None offered |
| Other | Asks for labels in French and Arabic | Asks the exporter to pay EUR 1,800 for a "pre-shipment certification" to a named agency |
| Grade | A | C |
Matching payment terms to what you know
Your checks should translate into terms. A simple rule:
- Unverified or high-risk buyer: cash in advance, or a letter of credit confirmed by a bank you trust.
- Verified buyer, no history with you: partial advance plus documents against payment, or a letter of credit.
- Established buyer with a good payment record: documents against payment or acceptance, or open account, ideally covered by credit insurance.
The lesson international payment methods compared details each option, and the risks of international trade shows how to combine them with insurance and guarantees.
Common mistakes
- Prospecting without a target profile, then drowning in unqualified contacts.
- Sending expensive samples to anyone who asks. Qualify first; charge for samples or courier when in doubt.
- Skipping checks because the buyer was met at a fair. A stand visit is not a credit check.
- Granting credit to win the first order. It is the order most likely to go wrong.
- Screening once and never again. Sanctions lists and company situations change; re-screen regular buyers periodically and before large orders.
- Keeping buyer information in scattered emails, so nobody knows what was checked, when, and by whom.
Putting it into practice
In Incoforms, each buyer, consignee, notify party, forwarder and bank is a contact with its addresses, registration and tax identifiers and notes, which you can use to record the checks you made. Contacts are reused on the shipments and documents you create, and the finance and debts view shows each buyer's outstanding invoices and payment history, the record you need when deciding whether to extend better terms.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find buyers for my export products?
The most effective channels are sector trade fairs and organised B2B meetings, your trade promotion body and embassies' economic sections, import and customs data that show who imports your HS code, business directories and industry associations, B2B platforms, and referrals from forwarders, banks and existing customers. Most exporters combine several of them and follow up consistently.
How do I verify that a foreign buyer is legitimate?
Check the company in the official business registry of its country, confirm its address, website and phone independently, ask for trade and bank references, order a credit report for larger deals, and screen the company and its owners against sanctions lists. A video call and, for important accounts, a visit complete the picture. Be wary of any inconsistency between names, addresses, emails and bank details.
What are the common export scams to watch out for?
Typical scams include fake buyers asking for fees (registration, licence, inspection) to unlock a large order, requests for large free samples, impersonation of real companies through look-alike email domains, forged or unworkable letters of credit, overpayments followed by refund requests, and emails announcing a change of bank details. Urgency, free email addresses and unusually generous terms are classic warning signs.
Should I give credit to a new international buyer?
Not on the first order unless you have strong information on the buyer or cover from a credit insurer. Start with advance payment, a partial advance with documents against payment, or a letter of credit, and move to more flexible terms as the buyer builds a payment record with you.