What trade data is
| Kind | What it contains | Good for | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate trade statistics | Total imports by country and product code, from official sources. | Choosing a market | Free: ITC Trade Map, TRADESTAT |
| Shipment-level records | Individual shipments with importer and exporter names, dates, quantities and descriptions, where a country's data is available. | Finding buyers | Paid tools |
Shipment-level data comes from official records where a country makes them available. US ocean manifests, for instance, are public under US customs rules (importers can request confidentiality), which is why US data is widely sold.
Start with the free data
Before paying for anything, use free aggregate data to pick your market: ITC Trade Map for who imports your product, and TRADESTAT for where India already sells it. Our market guide walks through it. Paid shipment data is for the next step: finding the actual companies.
What it can't tell you
- A record isn't a contact. You get a company name, rarely the person who decides.
- HS codes are broad. An importer under your code may buy something quite different.
- Some records mislead: freight forwarders, one-off shipments, and companies that have since stopped buying.
- Coverage is uneven. Many countries don't publish shipment-level data at all.
Test a tool before paying
- Coverage: does it have shipment-level data for your destination country, and how recent is it?
- Fit: pull a sample for your exact six-digit HS code and country. Do the importers listed actually sell your product?
- Names vs contacts: does it give only company names, or verified decision-maker contacts? How are contacts sourced?
- Cost: price, contract length, download limits, and whether there's a trial or refund.
- Legality: how is personal contact data sourced, and can you use it lawfully for outreach in that country?
Use the data well
Use shipment data to build a long list, then screen every company by hand: does it sell your product, has it imported recently, does it fit your MOQ? Then find the person who buys. The full method is in our buyer guide.
Questions
Which trade data tool is best?
It depends on which country's data you need; coverage varies a lot between providers and destinations. Ask each for a sample on your exact code and country, and judge by how many of the listed importers genuinely fit your product.
Is trade data a buyer list?
No. It shows who imported, not who will buy from you, and usually gives company names rather than the person who decides. Every name still needs screening and research before outreach.
Where does the data come from?
From official sources: aggregate statistics from customs authorities, and shipment-level records where a country makes them available. For example, US ocean shipment manifests are public records under US customs rules, which is why US data is widely available.