Export and Import Procedures

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Trade Operations and Logistics strand of International trade. Most of what is listed is mind maps, with flowcharts, a few notes, a small set of quizzes and two flashcard decks alongside them. The material follows how goods move across a border: preparing a deal, handling paperwork, clearing customs and meeting legal rules.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map Export Preparing. It branches into contracts, payment, container and packing, delivery of goods, patents and trademarks, and taxes. Next, read Obligations of the Importer, which explains who an importer is and what customs clearance involves on arrival of goods.

If you want the wider picture, the mind map on exporting, importing and countertrade from an international business chapter gives context on why firms export at all.

Procedures and legal frameworks

1. Follow the Mind map import process, which starts with choosing what to import and finding suppliers.
2. Look at Main customs documents and Export Registration Formalities for the paperwork side.
3. Move to the maps on Colombian foreign trade law and the Mexican official standard on commercial information to see how rules differ by country.
4. Use the Guide for exporting services from Colombia if your interest is services rather than goods.

Several resources are in Spanish or mix languages, so some titles and branches will not be in English.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then close it and try The Steps of an Export Business Deal. Where you miss a step, return to the matching map or the Export Process flowchart and trace it again. The flashcard deck Presentation: 10 steps to Export works well for a last quick check of the sequence.

Make it yours

Pick one map, redraw it from memory, and compare. Then build your own version with the branches you found hardest.