As an import-export professional, I deeply understand the importance of having firsthand market intelligence. Where are customers sourcing their goods? Which markets are competitors targeting? What products are more popular in the target market? The answers to these questions are often hidden in trade data.

However, for many newcomers or small to medium-sized import-export businesses, the high cost of data services—often tens of thousands of yuan—can be quite discouraging. I've also struggled with finding reliable and free sources of trade data. Through peer discussions, platform exploration, and some trial-and-error experiences, I gradually discovered several ways to access free or low-cost trade data. Here, I'd like to share these tips and insights, hoping they'll help others with similar needs.

Ⅰ. Official Government Data Platforms (Free + Authoritative)

1. General Administration of Customs of China

·Website: https://online.customs.gov.cn/

·Data: Monthly and annual reports on China's import and export trade.

·Limitation: No specific company names; needs to be paired with other tools to identify clients.

2. USA Market – USA Trade Online

·Website: https://usatrade.census.gov

·Data: Import/export volumes and values by HS code and source country (macro trend analysis).

·Limitation: No specific company names; needs other tools for client identification.

3. EU Market – Eurostat

·Website: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

·Data: Trade flows and market shares within EU countries.

·Tip: Use the "International Trade in Goods" module to filter industry data.

4. India Market – InfodriveIndia

·Website: https://www.infodriveindia.com

·Data: Indian import/export shipment records (partially free, registration required).

·Key fields: Importer name, product description, quantity.

5. Latin America Market – DataMex (Mexico)

·Website: https://www.datamexico.org

·Data: Import/export data in Mexico and Latin America.

·Note: Public trade statistics based on customs data.

6. Africa Market – TradeMap

·Website: https://www.trademap.org

·Data: Trade flows for many African countries (partially free, supported by the International Trade Centre).

Ⅱ. Company-Level Bill of Lading Data (Free Trials / Partial Access)

1. ImportYeti

·Website: https://www.importyeti.com

·Function: Free access to U.S. importer names and purchasing frequency (great for identifying competitor clients).

·Tip: Use "Advanced Search" to filter high-activity customers.

2. Panjiva

·Website: https://panjiva.com

·Function: Free trial access to some company import reports (supply chain analysis).

3. ImportGenius

·Website: https://www.importgenius.com

·Function: View some buyer inquiry records in specific industries for free trial.

4. Tendata

·Website: https://www.tendata.com/

·Function: Integrates massive trade, business, and web data. Tendata is built on data, driven by insights, helping businesses smartly and efficiently explore markets, find leads, and make informed decisions to uncover global opportunities and drive high growth.

Ⅲ. Industry Reports & Alternative Data Sources

1. UN Comtrade

·Website: https://comtradeplus.un.org

·Data: Trade statistics by HS code for over 200 countries (for macro-level market analysis).

2. World Bank – WITS

·Website: https://wits.worldbank.org

·Data: Information on tariffs and non-tariff measures (useful for risk warnings).

3. Public Port Data

·Port of Los Angeles: https://www.portoflosangeles.org

·Port of Rotterdam: https://www.portofrotterdam.com

·Function: Query shipper names and container throughput (partially free).

4. Tendata

·Website: https://www.tendata.com/

·Data: Over 10 billion trade records, 500 million company data, and 850 million+ overseas contact records across 230+ countries and regions. Provides intelligent market, product, competitor, and client analysis and tracking. Supports the building of private trade data pools and helps identify opportunities and accelerate high-value customer development in a dynamic market.

Ⅳ. Free Data Retrieval Techniques (AI + Manual)

1. Google Advanced Search Commands

·Search public government data with:

·site: gov "customs data" + "product keyword" filetype:xls

2. Industry Report Search

·Use:"import statistics" + "country" + "product"  filetype:pdf

3. Social Media Monitoring

·LinkedIn Groups: Join groups like "Global Importers" to directly connect with purchasing managers.

·Facebook Business Pages: Monitor updates from competitor clients.

4. Direct Contact with Key Decision Makers

·Website: https://www.tendata.com/

Tendata provides a contact database. Simply click on the "Contacts" section to view detailed information about purchasing staff and executives, including their emails and social media (LinkedIn, Facebook). Tendata also integrates with these platforms to help businesses quickly connect with target clients.