Exporting allows businesses to sell more, providing economies of scale and reducing risk by diversifying markets. It can also enhance brand awareness; the more countries a company sells in, the bigger the brand. 

According to ICAEW’s latest business confidence research, while growth in exports for UK businesses had slowed in Q3, it continued to outperform domestic sales growth. Motivated to deliver their promises on growth the government published its Trade Strategy in June, which pledged to ease regulatory barriers and provide additional funding to support exporters, particularly SMEs and those in key growth sectors. 

Making the leap to international sales might be a daunting prospect, but it could provide a key opportunity and there are lots of ICAEW resources that can help organisations and their advisors on where to start. 

Learning from others 

Interested to see what a difference global trade can make to a business from those who’ve been there? Several organisations have shared their experiences with ICAEW, including semiconducter manufacturer Paragraf and Scottish whiskey maker Ian Macleod Distillers. Watch a video in which these very different firms discuss how they became more successful and resilient by buying and selling overseas. 

You can also read insights from UK retailer Boden, which embraced the opportunities of ecommerce resulting in 60% of its revenue coming from overseas, and from Ramsden International, which transformed from a niche business keeping the expat community stocked up on baked beans to an export giant with customers in 140 countries. 

Research and planning ahead 

Understanding potential markets is vital for exporters. ICAEW’s Library & Information Service has created a series of resources to help members and their clients. The team has collated vital information on more than 170 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe, including economic forecasts, trade statistics and accounting standards, as well as tax rates and treaties.  

Members can also access a series of industry guides which offer deep dives into more than 80 sectors. The guides are a great starting place for research with links to expert analysis of markets, statistics from across the world, employment data and key pieces of legislation. 

New for 2025, the Library has started publishing industry profiles offering more in-depth briefings. So far there are profiles for two global industries: automotive manufacturing and semiconductors. These profiles offer insights into industry performance, segmentation, leading players and recent trends. 

You can also access research guides which point to authoritative data resources for broader economic factors, including: 

• Commodity prices 
• Economic forecasts 
• Exchange rates 

Understanding paperwork

Compared to a domestic sale, which typically requires a tax invoice and is relatively simple, the paperwork trail for international sales is much more intense.  

This means that the admin involved in exporting can be off-putting to smaller businesses. With this in mind, ICAEW has produced a guide on how to nail the paperwork and complementary guide to knowing when you need to complete additional customs paperwork.  

SMEs eyeing the EU as a potential market will find guidance in EU trading post-Brexit: what you need to know and those looking further afield should refer to Trading with the world post-Brexit: what you need to know. 

The US made waves in the export market this year with its use of tariffs. For a simple guide, take a look at our research guide Tariffs: what they are where to find them. 

Alongside our support on doing business in the US, members also have access to Bloomsbury Professional eBooks including International Tax and Investment Service, which includes a section on importing into the US. 

Stay up to date 

Alongside visiting our export hub, to keep up to date with the latest developments in the export sector, ICAEW has a Global Trade Community which members can join for free. Resources include recordings of webinars covering how to prepare for the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and how to ensure a resilient supply chain. 

The community is hosting a live webinar on strategies for international growth on 18 November, meanwhile ICAEW’s Tax Faculty is hosting a webinar on VAT and EU e-invoicing on 12 November. The tax webinar will offer an update on the EU's VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package of measures, which includes an EU-wide mandate for real-time digital reporting for cross-border trade based on the standardisation of e-invoicing from 1 July 2030.