Validate market and buyer
Assess demand, competitor pricing, importer history, channels and payment behaviour together.
Output: priority market + verified prospect list← Back to the Info Corner entrance
Info Corner · Export
Export Guide
Study automotive and machinery exports through sourced articles on market research, quotations, financial risk, documents, logistics and delivery.
- 11
- Delivery rules
- 5
- Risk axes
- 7
- Article chapters
Export Publication Series
From Factory to Global Market
Sourced publications from quotation to delivery for automotive and machinery productsThis publication series covers market selection, product compliance, quotations, delivery terms, documentation, logistics and after-sales through articles and explanatory guides.
General information only; it is not binding legal, customs, tax or contract advice. Verify product-, country- and contract-specific requirements with authorised specialists.Export Publications
A Seven-Chapter Reading Plan
The guide contains no calculators, scoring widgets or data-entry tools. Every chapter is published as a sourced article, explanatory table or further-reading route.
Article chapter
Export Foundations
Strategic roadmap, operating stages and product groups
1.1
Export Roadmap
Start with the ten-stage strategic framework, then review the six operational decisions from quotation to delivery.
Six Operational Decisions from Quotation to Delivery
Classify and check compliance
Match HS classification with technical rules, tests, labels, packaging and destination requirements.
Output: compliance matrix + gapsBuild the offer and contract
State currency, validity, MOQ, Incoterms® rule and place, payment, delivery and warranty clearly.
Output: comparable, traceable offerLock production and quality
Agree samples, control plan, traceability, packaging, customer-specific requirements and change control.
Output: approved product and quality filePrepare documents and customs
Align invoice, packing list, declaration, transport and any movement/origin documents.
Output: customs- and bank-consistent fileManage delivery and after-sales
Define route, insurance, tracking, proof of delivery, damage procedure, spares and complaint response.
Output: delivery + repeat-order planArkeoExpo Export Article
Ten Stages from Strategy to Repeat Orders
Exporting is more than finding a prospect list or sending a single quotation. A repeatable export operation is built by managing connected decisions—from product definition and market selection to pricing, compliance, delivery and after-sales—within one plan.
This roadmap offers a ten-stage decision framework for companies preparing to export or seeking to systematise existing international sales. The output of each stage becomes the input for the next; accuracy comes before speed, preparation before outreach and sustainability before the first order.
- Checkpoint: ownership, budget and external expert network
Complete corporate and operational preparation
Treat export as a regular business process, not a temporary sales experiment. Clarify the company structure, exporter-association registration, customs representation, internal responsibilities, decision rights and starting budget before approaching the market.
- Checkpoint: verified product and classification file
Define the product and HS classification correctly
Review the product's technical description, intended use, composition and HS classification together. Because classification can affect duties, permits, surveillance, technical compliance and documentation, confirm it with a qualified customs specialist.
- Checkpoint: a reasoned target-market shortlist
Select target markets with evidence
Import volume alone is not enough. Assess growth, Türkiye's current share, competing supplier countries, price levels, duties, logistics costs, political-economic conditions and barriers to entry as one decision set.
- Checkpoint: competitor matrix and clear value proposition
Analyse competitors and positioning
Compare domestic and international competitors on price, quality, lead time, technical capacity, brand, after-sales support and distribution strength. Use SWOT to explain why a buyer should choose you, not as a generic presentation exercise.
- Checkpoint: segment-specific buyer profile and offer approach
Separate customer segments
Importers, distributors, wholesalers, OEMs, service networks, public buyers and project customers do not buy in the same way. Define decision makers, volumes, price structure, technical expectations and communication for each segment.
- Checkpoint: channel model and 90-day entry plan
Choose the market-entry model
Compare direct sales, distribution, agency, local partnership, trade fairs, delegations, field visits and digital prospecting against the market structure. Make exclusivity, channel conflict, stock, targets and territory measurable.
- Checkpoint: risk register, contract framework and payment security
Manage commercial, legal and financial risk
Align the contract, payment method, delivery rule, warranty, intellectual property, product liability and dispute resolution. Check current product- and country-specific restrictions and involve legal, customs, tax and banking specialists where required.
- Checkpoint: own-funds plan and verified support timetable
Use support alongside—not instead of—your budget
Support may be available for trademarks, promotion, fairs, travel, overseas units or warehousing, but eligibility and payment timing vary. Do not make the project dependent on reimbursement; build a cash-flow plan the company can carry itself.
- Checkpoint: multichannel outreach plan and current CRM
Systematise marketing and buyer development
Prepare the brand, localised website, SEO, technical catalogue, references and trust signals before first contact. Use a CRM to manage calls, personalised email, LinkedIn, fairs, delegations, trade offices, tenders and lawfully obtained trade data in one cadence.
- Checkpoint: dashboard, owners and monthly review
Measure and improve the export plan
Write down capacity, weekly outreach, qualified meetings, quotations, samples, conversion, sales cycle, gross margin and repeat-order targets. Review results, replace weak channels and turn lessons into a standard process.
1.2
Priority Product Groups
Automotive Supply
Powertrain, brakes, suspension, filters, rubber-metal, electronics and commercial-vehicle parts.
Critical: IATF/ISO system, PPAP/APQP and customer-specific requirementsMachinery and CNC Parts
Precision parts, special machinery, gearboxes, fasteners and engineered solutions.
Critical: drawing revision, tolerance, material certificate and inspection reportTooling, Casting and Metal
Tooling, aluminium/iron castings, forgings, structures and surface-treated products.
Critical: sample approval, heat treatment, NDT and traceabilityHydraulic and Industrial Systems
Pumps, valves, cylinders, hoses, sealing and production-line components.
Critical: pressure testing, safety, spares and field serviceArticle chapter
Markets & Buyers
Sourced market research, buyer structures and entry models
2.1
Read market research through four evidence layers
A large market is not, by itself, an export case. Product scope, data period, market-access cost and the real buyer structure belong in the same assessment.
Product and HS scope
Confirm that the trade data covers the same product definition and a verified classification scope.
Period and source
State the year, currency, reporting lag and source; do not compare unlike periods as if they were equivalent.
Access and total cost
Review duty, origin, technical rules, route, transit time, channel margin and after-sales burden together.
Buyer and channel validation
Importers, distributors, OEMs, service networks and project buyers follow different purchasing structures.
2.2
Market-Entry Models
Direct OEM / Tier-1
High volumes and long approval; quality systems, capacity evidence and pricing discipline are critical.
Distributor / importer
Local stock and reach; territory, targets, stock, pricing and exclusivity must be measurable.
Aftermarket
Faster entry; catalogue data, cross-reference, packaging, brand and replenishment drive results.
Project / special machinery
Engineering-led sale; scope, acceptance testing, commissioning and service boundaries must be clear.
Article chapter
Quotations & Delivery
Quotation principles, Incoterms® 2020 and commercial responsibilities
3.1
Build the quotation on explicit assumptions—not a calculator
A sound quotation makes the included costs, delivery and risk point, payment condition and technical scope unambiguous.
Price basis and currency
State unit price, quantity, currency, validity and any price-adjustment condition.
Incoterms® rule and place
Never leave the three-letter rule on its own; name the place, port or terminal and the edition.
Payment and banking flow
Assess tenor, advance, letter of credit or open account alongside banking and country risk.
Technical scope and after-sales
Connect drawing revision, samples, quality evidence, packing, warranty, returns and spares to the offer.
3.2
Incoterms® 2020 Decision Guide
Incoterms® allocates delivery, cost and risk. It does not by itself determine payment, title or product compliance.
An annotated guide to all eleven delivery rules
EXW
Ex Works
Any mode- Seller's main task
- Makes goods available at its premises; buyer handles export and carriage.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are placed at buyer's disposal.
- Consider it when
- Buyer can genuinely manage loading and export in the seller's country.
FCA
Free Carrier
Any mode- Seller's main task
- Clears export and delivers to the nominated carrier/place.
- Risk transfers
- At delivery to the carrier at the named place.
- Consider it when
- Container and multimodal shipments; often preferable to FOB.
CPT
Carriage Paid To
Any mode- Seller's main task
- Pays carriage to the named destination.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are handed to the first carrier.
- Consider it when
- Seller quotes freight but buyer can carry transit risk.
CIP
Carriage and Insurance Paid To
Any mode- Seller's main task
- CPT plus higher-level cargo insurance for the buyer.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are handed to the first carrier.
- Consider it when
- Multimodal or higher-value cargo needs insurance.
DAP
Delivered at Place
Any mode- Seller's main task
- Brings goods to destination ready for unloading; buyer imports.
- Risk transfers
- At destination before unloading.
- Consider it when
- Seller manages transport but should not act as importer.
DPU
Delivered at Place Unloaded
Any mode- Seller's main task
- Delivers after unloading at the named place.
- Risk transfers
- When unloading is completed.
- Consider it when
- Seller can safely organise unloading at destination.
DDP
Delivered Duty Paid
Any mode- Seller's main task
- Assumes carriage, import clearance and duties—the broadest seller duty.
- Risk transfers
- Imported goods are presented at destination.
- Consider it when
- Seller can legally fulfil destination-country import and tax duties.
FAS
Free Alongside Ship
Sea / inland waterway only- Seller's main task
- Clears export and delivers alongside the vessel.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are alongside ship.
- Consider it when
- Bulk or project cargo; usually not containers.
FOB
Free on Board
Sea / inland waterway only- Seller's main task
- Clears export and loads on board.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are on board at port of shipment.
- Consider it when
- Traditional sea freight; consider FCA for containers.
CFR
Cost and Freight
Sea / inland waterway only- Seller's main task
- Pays freight to destination port; no insurance duty.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are on board at port of shipment.
- Consider it when
- Seller pays freight while buyer manages risk and insurance.
CIF
Cost Insurance and Freight
Sea / inland waterway only- Seller's main task
- CFR plus minimum marine insurance.
- Risk transfers
- When goods are on board at port of shipment.
- Consider it when
- Sea freight with freight and basic insurance from seller.
ICC-aligned Responsibility Summary
Incoterms® 2020: delivery, risk and formalities
This table does not invent shared costs. It separates the delivery/risk point, main-carriage contract and customs responsibility. The named place and carriage contract determine the exact scope.
↔ Scroll horizontally to view every rule.
| Rule | Delivery and risk-transfer point | Main carriage | Export formalities | Import formalities / duties | Insurance obligation | Destination unloading | Transport mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | At seller's premises, placed at buyer's disposal—not loaded | Buyer | Buyer | Buyer | No rule obligation | Buyer | Any mode |
| FCA | To carrier at named place; loaded when seller's premises | Buyer | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Buyer | Any mode |
| CPT | Risk transfers to first carrier; seller pays carriage to destination | Seller | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Depends on carriage contract | Any mode |
| CIP | Risk transfers to first carrier; seller pays carriage to destination | Seller | Seller | Buyer | Seller | Depends on carriage contract | Any mode |
| DAP | At named destination, on arriving vehicle ready for unloading | Seller | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Buyer | Any mode |
| DPU | At named destination, unloaded from arriving vehicle | Seller | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Seller | Any mode |
| DDP | At named destination, on arriving vehicle ready for unloading | Seller | Seller | Seller | No rule obligation | Buyer | Any mode |
| FAS | Alongside vessel at port of shipment | Buyer | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Buyer | Sea/inland waterway only |
| FOB | On board vessel at port of shipment | Buyer | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Buyer | Sea/inland waterway only |
| CFR | On board vessel at port of shipment | Seller | Seller | Buyer | No rule obligation | Depends on carriage contract | Sea/inland waterway only |
| CIF | On board vessel at port of shipment | Seller | Seller | Buyer | Seller · minimum cover | Depends on carriage contract | Sea/inland waterway only |
Under C-rules the seller pays carriage to destination while risk transfers at the origin delivery point. Under D-rules the seller bears cost and risk to the named destination. Under DDP, verify whether a foreign seller may legally complete import formalities.
Article chapter
Risk & Finance
Buyer, FX, funding, country-customs and transport risks
Export Risk & Finance
Make financial risk visible and manageable from quotation to collection
Payment, currency, funding, country-customs and transport risks interact. The objective is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to measure it before accepting an order, allocate it deliberately and limit the potential loss.
Buyer and payment risk
The buyer delays or fails to pay, cancels the order or rejects the goods.
- Potential impact
- Receivable loss, cash-flow pressure, recovery action and returned-stock cost.
Preventive controls
- Verify creditworthiness, authority and trade history
- Use advance payment or an acceptable confirmed irrevocable letter of credit for new buyers
- Set an approved exposure limit and consider credit insurance or bank aval
- Use open account only under a documented limit and contract
Currency risk
Exchange rates move against the cost base between quotation, production, shipment and collection.
- Potential impact
- Margin erosion, higher cost and an expected profit turning into a loss.
Preventive controls
- Calculate open currency exposure per order
- Set quotation validity and currency-adjustment terms
- Use natural hedging where feasible
- Assess forwards, options or swaps with a bank or qualified adviser
Funding and cash-flow risk
Long production, deferred collection, high interest or insufficient working capital for the order.
- Potential impact
- Production or shipment delay, financing cost and reduced profitability.
Preventive controls
- Calculate the order cash-conversion cycle
- Compare bank and Türk Eximbank options on total cost
- Assess factoring or forfaiting where suitable
- Keep equipment finance separate from receivable-risk decisions
Country, regulation and customs risk
Transfer restrictions, sanctions, quotas, import bans, sudden tariffs or inconsistent documents.
- Potential impact
- Blocked payment, customs holds, returns, penalties and added cost.
Preventive controls
- Check country, product, bank and sanctions exposure in current official sources
- Verify import permits and document samples before the order
- Address force majeure, transfer and regulatory change in the contract
- Prepare alternative routing, banking and collection scenarios
Transport and cargo risk
Cargo is damaged, lost, stolen or delivered late.
- Potential impact
- Buyer rejection, insurance dispute, reproduction and margin loss.
Preventive controls
- State the Incoterms® rule and named place precisely
- Arrange cargo insurance suited to value and exposure
- Standardise packaging, loading evidence and condition records
- Define claim notice, evidence and responsibility steps
Operating flow
Six control gates from quotation to collection
Move forward only when the prior gate has a written and verifiable output.
- 01Country and product
Regulation, sanctions, import conditions and HS code
- 02Buyer and limit
Credit, authority, references and maximum exposure
- 03Currency and funding
Position, margin, tenor and funding cost
- 04Contract
Payment, Incoterms®, delivery, rejection and dispute terms
- 05Shipment
Documents, packaging, insurance, carrier and proof of delivery
- 06Collection and learning
Maturity tracking, closure and post-transaction review
Response options
Each risk requires a different protection approach
Assess payment, funding, currency and transport options alongside total cost, tenor, security, country and contract structure.
Payment security
- Advance payment
- Confirmed irrevocable letter of credit
- Bank aval
- Credit insurance
Working capital
- Bank or Türk Eximbank finance
- Factoring
- Forfaiting
- Order-level cash-flow plan
Currency protection
- Natural hedge
- Forward
- Option
- Swap and suitable market instruments
Transport and contract
- Appropriate Incoterms® rule
- Cargo insurance
- Packaging/loading evidence
- Damage and delay procedure
Before accepting the order
- Are the buyer limit and payment method approved?
- Are FX exposure and funding cost reflected in the margin?
- Are country, bank, sanctions and import conditions checked?
- Are Incoterms®, insurance and cargo-damage duties clear?
- Does the contract address delay, rejection and non-payment?
- Are control results retained in the order file?
Article chapter
Compliance & Documents
Export documents, quality, technical compliance and official sources
5.1
Document Checklist
No shipment needs exactly the same file; requirements depend on HS code, destination, preferential regime and transport mode.
Commercial invoice
Parties, description, quantity, price, currency, delivery and payment.
Packing list
Package and pallet count, weights, dimensions and packing references.
Customs declaration
Goods leaving Türkiye are declared to the authorised customs office.
Transport document
Bill of lading, CMR or air waybill according to mode.
Origin or movement document
A.TR concerns free circulation; EUR.1/invoice declaration can prove preferential origin; a certificate of origin proves non-preferential origin.
Compliance and quality file
As applicable: test report, declaration of conformity, material certificate, inspection report and customer approvals.
Insurance and special permits
Cargo insurance, licence, surveillance or product-specific permission when required.
5.2
Quality, Compliance and Risk
A management system is not a product certificate
ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 demonstrates process discipline; it does not alone prove that every product meets destination rules.
IATF and customer specifics
Automotive supply also requires checking OEM/Tier-1 specifics, PPAP, APQP, FMEA, MSA and traceability.
CE does not apply to every product
CE is used only where relevant EU legislation applies; scope, conformity assessment, technical file and declaration are product-specific.
Contract and product liability
Warranty, recall, change notification, IP, product liability and spare-parts duration should be explicit.
5.4 · Official Source Guide
Verify information at the right source
These links are starting points for classification, tariffs, origin, market data and delivery rules. Results can vary by product facts, origin, destination and transaction date.
● Links checked: 18 August 2026
Türkiye Ministry of Trade DYS
Gateway to the HS search engine, Easy Export Platform, Export Radar and official services.
Open official source ↗EU Access2Markets
EU import conditions, tariffs, taxes, origin rules, procedures and product requirements.
Open official source ↗EU TARIC
Code-level access to EU tariffs, quotas, anti-dumping and other customs measures.
Open official source ↗USITC HTS
Search the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule by product code and tariff line.
Open official source ↗UK Trade Tariff
Look up commodity codes, duty, VAT, quotas and document requirements.
Open official source ↗UN Comtrade
Official merchandise-trade data by country, partner, period and HS level.
Open official source ↗TAREKS
Türkiye's risk-based electronic product-safety and technical-regulation control system.
Open official source ↗ICC Incoterms® 2020
Official ICC source and implementation material for the current 11 delivery rules.
Open official source ↗Article chapter
Trade Fairs & Development
Pre-fair work, show days, follow-up and return
ArkeoExpo Trade-Fair Field Guide
From Exhibition to Order: An International Trade-Fair Plan
A productive fair does not begin by waiting for aisle traffic. It builds the right account list weeks in advance, gives every meeting a commercial purpose and starts follow-up the moment the fair ends.
Before the Fair
Run fair selection, target accounts, invitations, appointments, samples, team, stand and logistics through one integrated calendar.
During the Fair
Qualify quickly and record the buyer’s need, decision role, commercial potential and agreed next action while the conversation is still fresh.
After the Fair
Launch personal follow-up, samples and quotations without delay; measure pipeline, orders, gross profit and repeat business over time.
Open the nine-step trade-fair guide
Implementation steps, performance indicators, common mistakes and trade-fair return.
A nine-step working plan
Produce a concrete output at every step. This keeps stand, catalogue and travel expenditure connected to one commercial objective.
- OutputEvidence-based go/no-go decision and complete budget
Prove that it is the right fair
Look beyond total footfall to the visitor mix by industry, geography, purchasing authority and company type. Review past reports, exhibitor lists, competitor density, floor plans and support eligibility to test the fair against your target market.
- OutputKPI card with 30-, 90- and 180-day targets
Turn the commercial objective into numbers
‘Brand awareness’ is not sufficient on its own. Set pre-fair targets for booked and completed meetings, qualified buyers, quotations, samples, opportunity pipeline, expected gross profit and orders.
- OutputPrioritised account list with named decision-makers
Build the target-account list
Segment current customers, dormant accounts, new importers, distributors, OEMs and project buyers into A/B/C priorities. Record the decision-maker, likely need, incumbent supplier, meeting objective and internal owner for each account in the CRM.
- OutputPersonalised invitation sequence and booked meeting calendar
Give the invitation a compelling reason to visit
Replace a generic invitation with a clear promise: a new product, application demo, technical comparison, cross-reference solution, market-specific offer or distribution discussion. Use several touches across email, LinkedIn, calls and locally appropriate messaging, then secure a 20–30 minute appointment.
- OutputStand script, product selection and multilingual sales kit
Design the stand as a sales journey
Make the value proposition clear in seconds, group products by application and keep technical proof easy to reach. Connect samples, catalogues, QR links, references, certificates, meeting space and the digital lead form into one buyer journey; function should lead spectacle.
- OutputRole cards, shift plan and shared meeting playbook
Train the team and assign roles
Define ownership for greeting and qualification, technical discussion, commercial negotiation and data capture. Rehearse the 60-second value proposition, discovery questions, pricing and lead-time boundaries, competitor questions and hand-off rules.
- OutputOperations checklist, deadlines and contingency plan
Lock logistics and risk controls early
Put every delivery, build, safety and technical-service deadline from the exhibitor manual into the project calendar. Document sample freight, temporary export and customs, insurance, storage, power, internet, build–breakdown and contingency actions with named owners.
- OutputComplete meeting record and dated next action
Run each fair day with sales discipline
Do not give every visitor equal time before understanding role, need, volume, timing and decision process. Close every conversation with an agreed next action, owner and date; hold a short daily review to reset the next day’s meetings and priorities.
- OutputFollow-up cadence, opportunity pipeline, orders and ROI report
Follow up immediately and measure for six months
Within 24–48 hours, send a personalised thank-you and meeting summary, with firm dates for promised documents, samples or quotations. Segment opportunities by heat and potential, run the cadence in CRM and review performance at 30, 90 and 180 days—not only at show close.
Trade-fair performance board
Do not make business-card volume the sole measure of success. Track activity, opportunity quality and commercial outcomes together.
Meeting show rate
Completed pre-booked meetings ÷ planned appointments
Qualified-opportunity rate
Qualified opportunities ÷ all recorded contacts
Quotation / sample conversion
Share of accounts progressing to a quotation or sample
Pipeline value
Weighted sales potential attributed to the fair
Orders and repeat orders
Customers and revenue won at 30, 90 and 180 days
Fair-attributed gross profit
The real contribution after product cost—not revenue alone
Six performance killers
- Selecting a fair on headline visitor numbers alone
- Relying on aisle traffic without a target-account and appointment plan
- Designing the stand before defining the value proposition and product story
- Collecting cards without recording need, potential and next action
- Waiting for the buyer to make the first post-fair contact
- Judging success only on the final day of the show
Article chapter
Sources & Further Reading
Source selection, official platforms and related publications
Sources and further reading
Sources and further reading
The commercial and technical subjects in this publication series are checked against the institutional and authoritative sources below. Reconfirm the product, country and contract position on the transaction date.
The guide is cross-checked against institutional and authoritative sources including the ICC, Türkiye Ministry of Trade, IATF and ISO.
Let's assess your product and target market
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