For import/export professionals — have you ever faced these challenges?

·Where can I find clients?

·Which regions are my target customers located in?

·How can I find out who my competitors' clients are?

Actually, all this information can be found in trade data!

I. The Role of Trade Data

1.Analyze product markets and understand the purchasing cycle of overseas buyers through trade data.

2.Determine whether a market is in a growth, maturity, or decline phase.

3.Precisely develop clients by filtering for those with real purchase records.

4.Analyze which customers are buying from your competitors.

Trade data is not only powerful on its own but also highly valuable for businesses. It helps with market analysis and is an essential tool for developing overseas clients.

As we all know, trade data comes from customs records related to import/export trade statistics. In the import/export industry, trade data is crucial for understanding both your own business and your competitors, making it an essential tool for business strategy, customer acquisition, competitor tracking, client maintenance, and decision-making.

❗❗Apply for a free trial of trade data from 228 countries and regions worldwide.

II. How to Use Trade Data Effectively

In short, the idea is to quickly build a list of potential customers with demand. Based on their purchasing records (quantity, price, date, origin), you can identify those most suitable for your factory in terms of capacity, delivery times, and products. Then, use trade data to find key contact information (preferably the owner or procurement department; if not, the company website or sales department). Finally, follow up effectively and make your pitch to close the deal.

Here are some key ways to use it:

No.1 Finding Buyers

Trade data provides full database access. For countries with open trade data (e.g., the U.S.), you can find nearly all importers. Using keywords, you can quickly identify over 80% of U.S. importers through trade data—compared to less than 20% through Google or other search engines.

No.2 Buyer Analysis

After filtering and identifying professional buyers, analyze their purchasing habits. Evaluate purchase volume and weight to see if they're a fit—some are too big, some too small. Understand their preferred sourcing regions (e.g., Europe or India) and whether they care more about quality or price.

Analyzing purchase timing also helps predict their next order. Some buy in the second half of the year, others monthly. Tailoring your contact strategy to these cycles increases your success rate.

No.3 Competitor Insights

For matched buyers, check who their current suppliers are. Study those suppliers' products before approaching the buyer so you can highlight your advantages. Why would a buyer switch to you otherwise?

Also, find customers from your competitors—especially those with similar pricing/quality or slightly inferior options—since you can serve them directly without needing to re-qualify leads. This is why experienced salespeople often have an edge.

No.4 Contact Information

Trade data comes from customs declaration forms, which don't include personal contact info like emails or decision-maker names. Many see this as a disadvantage—but it's actually an opportunity. If trade data had full contact info, those emails would already be flooded with marketing.

The absence of contact data creates an information gap—giving professionals who know how to research (e.g., finding decision-makers via social media, company sites, or tools) a real chance to stand out and connect meaningfully.

No.5 Use Multiple Channels in Parallel

Many salespeople still rely solely on cold email. Instead, use multiple platforms—social media and messaging apps included. Think of it this way: you might ignore a promotional email, but you're much more likely to respond to a WhatsApp message or a LinkedIn connection.

If you have a buyer's phone number, instant messaging or direct calling is even more effective.

❗❗Apply for a free trial of trade data from 228 countries and regions worldwide.

III. How to Access High-Quality Trade Data

Tendata is a platform that supports all industries and over 100 countries without category restrictions. Here is the list of supported countries.

IV. What Trade Data Fields Does Tendata Provide?

With Tendata, you can find data such as:

·Buyer transaction dates

·Buyer and supplier names

·Traded products and HS codes

·Amounts, weights, and quantities

·Original bill of lading information

Tendata also includes a Contact Database. By clicking on the "Contacts" tab, you can view detailed profiles of purchasing staff and executives—complete with email addresses, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts. The platform connects directly with major social networks to help you contact key decision-makers more efficiently.

You can also export data to Excel with one click, boosting efficiency in client development.