HOW TO BECOME AN IMPORT - EXPORT AGENT

this is a Guest post by Walter Johnson, Demand Media for Naijaultimateblog

If business is now a global affair, then the export-import business is important, lucrative and necessary. An export-import agent is not a broker --- the agents are lower on the business totem pole. An agent does not need a license, just knowledge and a good reputation. The job of an agent is to work on "both ends" of the export deal, that of origin and that of destination. The places in between make up the bulk of the labor here.

Step 1
Get a degree, either a bachelor's or master's, in either international political economy or international economics. First of all, this will give you the basic conceptual and mathematical tools necessary to understand and profit from markets, both established and developing. Second, a degree in these fields and those closely related will provide insight into the problems and benefits of international markets in general, and your area of focus in particular. In other words, you must become fluent in the basic jargon of import-export law, currency transactions, trade policy and all the politics that goes into making a profitable trade deal. Without this background, this job is out of your reach.

Step 2
Decide on a specific area of specialization. This can be either a focus on a product, such as agricultural supplies, or an area, such as southern China. Since one of the important aspects of an agent's career is to be fluent in the legalities of both sides of the transaction, focusing on one political and geographic area is the best.

Step 3
Study the native language. Any agent worth his salt will need to focus on the language and basic protocol in the country. There is no guarantee that all the documents in your field will be in English. In fact, one of the jobs of the agent is to make these translations --- even roughly --- with speed and accuracy.

Step 4
Study the politics of your area of focus. One of your jobs is to speak to your American importer-exporter about the dangers, opportunities and common problems about trading with that specific country. An agent specializing in Shanghai, for example, who cannot speak Chinese and knows little about Communist Party policy in international trade is worse than useless. Such an agent will be quickly laughed out of the business.

Step 5
Research global economic trends. This is the "continuing education" aspect of the job. Conceptual fluency is your No. 1 focus here. You need to accurately understand trends. For example, the Chinese government makes an announcement that it will increase investment capital in the area of environmental technology by 5 percent. Chances are, this will be an obscure news report, assuming it is even translated into English at all. Since you are knowledgeable about Chinese politics and can read a basic news release, you will have this information before many others.

Therefore, you can quickly shift some of your own resources into this field and approach American firms specializing in environmental technology. This is how you build your business.