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Market research

Identify countries with the most open markets and the right customers for your goods or services.

Market research can help you target your efforts where you are most likely to succeed. Be prepared to take extra steps and spend more when trying to find markets abroad.

The information below can help you learn the basics of conducting market research and some of the special considerations when researching foreign markets.

International Market Research

• Conducting market research
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/88/1194/
  Learn more about market research, how it can improve your business decisions, and how to conduct a market research campaign.
• Steps to international market research
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/guide/2120/
  Know the steps to follow when researching foreign markets.
• Step-by-Step Guide to Exporting
  
  http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/guide-exporting.jsp
  This guide covers what you need to know about exporting, including international market research, export planning, marketing, finances, logistics and legal aspects.
• Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/summary/1504/
  Applies to: All of Canada
  Get help selling your products or services to foreign markets.
• Country Insights
  
  http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/countryinsights-apercuspays-eng.asp
  Get cultural, demographic and political information on countries you would like to conduct business with.
• Country Information — Export Development Canada
  
  http://www18.edc.ca/countryinfo/en/Pages/home.aspx
  Find profiles of foreign countries, as well as information on EDC resources available for each country.
• Market Analysis Tools
  
  http://www.intracen.org/mat/
  Access five powerful tools to track global trade and international markets, and to help you in your market analyses. Registration is required.
• Market reports — Canadian Trade Commissioner
  
  http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/market-report-login.jsp?did=MRA&_requestid=718913
  Access key market intelligence and discover new global market opportunities. Registration is required.

Market Research Reports by Country ↑ top of page

Find information on the general socio-economic conditions in foreign countries, as well as information on particular markets for your goods and services in those countries.

• Country Information — Export Development Canada
  
  http://www18.edc.ca/countryinfo/en/Pages/home.aspx
  Find profiles of foreign countries, as well as information on EDC resources available for each country.
• Market reports — Canadian Trade Commissioner
  
  http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/market-report-login.jsp?did=MRA&_requestid=718913
  Access key market intelligence and discover new global market opportunities. Registration is required.
• Country Insights
  
  http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/countryinsights-apercuspays-eng.asp
  Get cultural, demographic and political information on countries you would like to conduct business with.
• World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency
  
  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
  Get comprehensive intelligence on the geography, people, government, economy and infrastructure of the countries of the world.
• Foreign Market Research
  
  http://www.export.gov/mrktresearch/index.asp
  You can access the Country Commercial Guides and other information on foreign markets from the U.S. Government through the Export.gov website.
• Find Export Information by Country
  
  http://export.gov/mrktresearch/index.asp
  Get market and export information. While directed at U.S. businesses, many reports are accessible and could provide insight on foreign markets.
• Market Research in Key Export Markets
  
  http://www.marquecanadabrand.agr.gc.ca/research-etudes/research-etudes-eng.htm
  Find out how these market research reports can help your agri-food business target your export market potential.
• Ontario Trade Fact Sheets
  
  http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/medt/ontarioexports/en/Pages/TradeFacts.aspx
  Use this online service to generate quickly an overview of Ontario's trade with specific countries or states.

Market Research Reports by Industry ↑ top of page

Find information on foreign markets for your industry sector.

• Market reports by industry sector
  
  http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/market-reports-sectors.jsp
  Get industry-specific foreign market information, organized according to industrial sector and country. Registration is required.
• Agri-Food Trade Service - Market Information
  
  http://www.ats-sea.agr.gc.ca/info/info-eng.htm
  Find hundreds of agri-food foreign market reports, organized by product or region.

Global trade data ↑ top of page

Find official trade statistics for foreign countries.

• Market Analysis Tools
  
  http://www.intracen.org/mat/
  Access five powerful tools to track global trade and international markets, and to help you in your market analyses. Registration is required.
• U.S. Foreign Trade Statistics
  
  http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/index.html
  Get highlights, as well as detailed current and historical data for trade between the United States and its trading partners.
• UN Comtrade database
  
  http://comtrade.un.org/
  Get access to official international merchandise trade statistics, provided to the United Nations by official national statistical agencies.
• UN Service Trade database
  
  http://unstats.un.org/unsd/ServiceTrade/default.aspx
  Get information on imports and exports of services, collected from official national statistical agencies. Registration is required.

Canadian trade data ↑ top of page

Find tables, graphs and reports on Canada's trade with the world.

• Trade Data Online
  
  http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/tdo-dcd.nsf/eng/Home
  Generate customized reports on Canadian and United States trade in goods with over 200 countries.
• Directory of International Trade Statistics
  
  http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/subject-sujet/theme-theme.action?pid=1130&lang=eng&more=0
  Statistics Canada's resources on international trade can help you identify markets, monitor prices, and manage monetary, tariff and foreign exchange policies.
• Canadian Importers Database
  
  http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cid-dic.nsf/eng/home
  Find out which companies are importing goods into Canada by product, city and by country of origin.
• Trade Investment and Economic Statistics
  
  http://www.international.gc.ca/economist-economiste/statistics-statistiques/index.aspx?menu_id=5&view=d
  Get key economic indicators, balance of payments basis data, customs-based data and foreign direct investment statistics.
• Asia-Pacific Statistical Reports
  
  http://www.asiapacific.ca/statistics
  Find trade statistics between Canada and several Asian and South Pacific countries.
• Agri-Food Trade Service - Trade Statistics
  
  http://www.ats-sea.agr.gc.ca/stats/stats-eng.htm
  Browse trade highlights and detailed statistics for Canada's trade in agricultural and agri-food products.

General International Statistics ↑ top of page

Find comparable statistics from a number of countries made available by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and others.

• OECD Stat Extracts
  
  http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?lang=en
  Get information on a wide variety of socio-economic themes for the OECD and select non-member countries.
• OECD Factbook 2010
  
  http://www.oecd.org/site/0,3407,en_21571361_34374092_34376039_1_1_1_1,00.html
  Get statistics from OECD member countries for various economic, environmental and social indicators.
• Publications and Documents — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
  
  http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/
  Browse the OECD publications and documents to find reports, statistics, projections and other information on a number of socio-economic themes.
• UNdata
  
  http://unstats.un.org/unsd/databases.htm
  Access a wide variety of global statistical information provided by the United Nations. UNdata is your single entry point to search UN databases.
• International Monetary Fund Data and Statistics
  
  http://www.imf.org/external/data.htm
  Browse International Monetary Fund statistical resources, including the World Economic Outlook databases and the Global Financial Stability Report.
• World Bank Data and Research
  
  http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/0,,menuPK:476823~pagePK:64165236~piPK:64165141~theSitePK:469372,00.html
  Browse key national and international statistics and research publications, and view analyses of global trends and future prospects.
• Fedstats
  
  http://www.fedstats.gov/cgi-bin/A2Z.cgi
  Access official U.S. government statistics covering over 400 different topics.
• Euro Indicators
  
  http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home
  Browse the latest European economic indicators or search for statistics in Eurostat's latest publications and datasets.
• U.S. Economy at a Glance
  
  http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/glance.htm
  Get an up-to-date picture of the U.S. economy using data produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
• U.S. Economic Indicators
  
  http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/briefroom/BriefRm
  Get a snapshot of the most recent economic indicators published by the U.S. Census Bureau, including data on trade, manufacturing, spending and housing.
• Foreign Labor Trends Reports Series
  
  http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/flt/main.htm
  View labor market information, such as recent labor developments in key foreign countries, as offered by the United States Department of Labor.

Harmonized system codes, tariffs and market access ↑ top of page

Foreign buyers can be charged duty to buy your products. This can be a factor in their decision to buy from you or from others. Knowing this information in advance will help you find markets where you can be more competitive and will assist you in establishing your pricing strategy.

To find tariff information for other countries, you will need to know the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System code of your product. It's also good to know which countries have favourable market conditions, like free trade agreements.

• Trade in Goods - Tariff Information
  
  http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/goods-produits/ac_link.aspx?lang=en&menu_id=50&menu=R
  Find out about the tariffs that apply to each country's imports to determine how much duty your foreign customers will need to pay.

Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System assigns a six-digit number to each basic commodity. This classification is used by customs officials around the world to determine the duties, taxes and regulations that apply to products entering their country.

Countries are allowed to add additional digits to the numbers for statistical purposes. In Canada, two additional digits are added for exports, and four additional digits are added for imports. The U.S. uses a ten-digit system for both exports and imports.

Online resources can help you determine the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding HS codes of your goods.

• Customs Tariff
  
  http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/menu-eng.html
  Use the Customs Tariff to determine the classification of your imported and exported goods and the rate of duty you may need to pay on your imports.
• Canadian Export Classification
  
  http://www.statcan.gc.ca/trade-commerce/cec/index-eng.htm
  Searching this Statistics Canada database can help you identify the harmonized system code of your goods.

International Trade Agreements

Trade agreements help to eliminate or reduce tariffs on Canadian exports, which can increase your competitiveness in foreign markets.

Canada has free trade agreements with the United States, Mexico, Columbia, Chile, Israel, Costa Rica, Peru, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Agreements with other countries are being negotiated to help improve your access to more global markets.

• Trade negotiations and agreements
  
  http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/index.aspx?lang=eng
  Get information on trade negotiations, agreements, and other initiatives.

Services to facilitate trade ↑ top of page

Identify new markets, get business leads and spot potential roadblocks to growing your business internationally.

• Virtual Trade Commissioner
  
  http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/virtual-trade-commissioner.jsp
  Get market and sector-specific information, business leads, and enlist the services of trade commissioners abroad. Registration is required.
• Search Trade Barriers
  
  http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/cimar-rcami/2009/index.aspx
  If you are considering an export opportunity, identify potential trade barriers before pursuing the market.
• Ontario Exports — Our Programs and Services
  
  http://www.canadabusiness.ca/eng/summary/3265/
  Applies to: Ontario
  Evaluate your export readiness and find help to guide you through the export process.