What is the difference between indirect and direct exporting?
When you export indirectly, you engage the services of an intermediary firm such as an Export Management Company, Export Trade Company, or International Trade Consultant that is capable of finding markets and buyers for your products. These partners will have well established expertise and trade contacts, but will still allow you to retain high levels of control over your international marketing mix. When exporting directly, the exporter personally handles every aspect of the exporting process from market research and planning to foreign distribution and collections. This approach is the most difficult and ambitious and therefore takes a significant commitment of management time and other resources (See Question 9). For larger companies, and over the longer term,, direct exporting may, however, be the best way to maximize profits and long-term growth potential.
