Fit
Is there real demand, and where? Which market first, and through which channel?
Cross-border trade advisory
Taking Sub-Saharan Africa to the world, and the world to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Moving a product into a new market is rarely a question of the product alone. It is a question of fit, partners, rules and terms. Ecoport is an advisory collaboration on cross-border trade, working in both directions. We start by assessing fit.
Two directions
Trade runs both ways. So do we.
Going out
Sub-Saharan African products can find their place in international markets, with the right market, positioning and partners, and a clear view of the paperwork involved.
- Which markets and channels fit?
- How should the product be positioned for international buyers?
- Who are the right distributors and partners abroad?
- Which export documents are needed, and which licensed adviser should handle them?
Coming in
International products can establish a sound footing across Sub-Saharan Africa. That usually rests on demand, local partners, the rules and the terms.
- Is there real demand, and where?
- Which local partners, importers and distributors will carry it?
- What do import rules and standards ask of you, and who should advise on them?
- Are the terms built for a durable presence?
Fit before freight
Before the first shipment, four questions.
Partners
Who will carry the product in market? Finding and assessing them is most of the work.
Rules
What do import and export requirements actually ask of you, and which licensed adviser should be involved?
Terms
Does the pricing still work once it crosses the border? Commercial terms, worked out alongside your lawyer.
The crossing
How a product crosses a border, one decision at a time.
Choose a stage to see the questions it raises, who is usually involved, and where Ecoport fits. A measured path: assess, design, connect, launch.
General orientation only. We work alongside your licensed customs agent, lawyer and tax adviser, and don't replace them. Ecoport does no customs clearing or forwarding, never acts as importer or exporter of record, and gives no legal, tax or financial advice.
Free tools
Work the numbers before the border does.
Two small tools that run entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored.
Landed-cost worksheet
Enter your own figures in one currency. The worksheet supplies no duty or tax rates; get those from your customs agent and tax adviser.
Enter figures to see a landed cost per unit.
Illustrative arithmetic only, not advice. How duty and tax are calculated varies by country and product; your customs agent and tax adviser will confirm the real basis and rates.
Who pays, and who carries the risk?
A simplified picture of common Incoterms® 2020 rules. Choose a rule.
Seller paysBuyer paysRisk passes to the buyer
Simplified for orientation. The full ICC rules text, and your contract, govern. Incoterms® is a registered trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Enquiries
Tell us about the product, and where you want it to go.
A few lines are enough to start: what the product is, which direction it is travelling, and what you already know. We reply to every enquiry.