Expanding into overseas markets with only a few hundred thousand NT dollars in year one: what you can and cannot do

Short answer: Spend only a few hundred thousand NT dollars in year one of overseas expansion, and you can confirm whether anyone buys and get your product legally on the shelf for a trial; you cannot set up your own company or open a store.

Scenario: your boss says “set aside some money and try it”

This is a hypothetical scenario, not a story about a specific client.

Your company makes sauces. Its channels in Taiwan are stable, and revenue has been flat for the past two years. At the year-end meeting, your boss says: “We've talked about overseas for years. Next year let's set aside some money, a few hundred thousand, and try it.”

After the meeting you search for “expanding into overseas markets,” and most of what comes up are government subsidy programs: overseas channel building, trade show subsidies, market diversification. After a few pages, you realize your real question has not been answered: how far can a few hundred thousand actually go? Which things can this money not reach, so you do not waste time researching them?

Below, one table separates the two sides, followed by which government resources cost nothing, and how to spend this money in three steps.

What a few hundred thousand can and cannot do

The point of this table is the last three rows: the thresholds for setting up a company and opening a store are set by law, not something a tighter budget can squeeze past. For a full comparison of the four entry modes, see the comparison table of four international market entry modes.

Government resources that cost nothing

The FAQ of the Ministry of Economic Affairs' International Trade Administration answers “how can a company with no export experience expand into overseas markets” this way: through the International Marketing Consulting Center that TAITRA runs on the agency's behalf, you register online, a consultant holds an initial discussion, and you receive expansion advice or referrals to government resources ⁷. The same page also notes:

• Exporter and importer registration. You must register with the agency before engaging in imports and exports ⁷.
• Overseas business centers. TAITRA has business centers at more than 40 overseas locations, available free of charge for short-term use of up to one week ⁷.
• Check import requirements first. Food and beauty products commonly require quarantine or inspection certificates ⁷.

None of these cost money, and they are worth using up in the first year.

Spend the money in three steps, and stop at any of them

Step one: NT$10,000–20,000 to confirm whether anyone will buy. Run a Market Test and get one page: who will buy, at what price, and why not. If it does not pass, stop; you have spent NT$10,000–20,000.

Step two: NT$50,000–60,000 to get the product legally on the shelf. A licensed importer handles and holds the registration, the goods sit in a channel partner's warehouse, and you are paid only when they sell (see Consignment). For which registrations are needed and where each category gets stuck, see where health supplement exports to the Philippines get stuck.

Step three: keep the rest for whatever the numbers tell you. If it sells, then consider trade shows or more channels; if it does not, the report will say why. The brand in LUFÉ's bubble tea case also opened its first store to validate before opening franchising.

When this article does not apply

• You already have an overseas buyer placing an order. Handle that order's quotation and documents directly; for shipping terms, see Jumping's Incoterms trade terms guide.
• Your target is the United States. U.S. FDA registration and channel costs are structured differently; see what U.S. FDA food imports require.
• Your budget is actually several million, and you are sure you want to operate locally for the long term. Then look at Company Setup.
• You have not registered as an exporter or importer, and have not checked import requirements. Use the free resources above first.

FAQ

How can a company with no export experience expand into overseas markets? The agency's advice is to start with TAITRA's International Marketing Consulting Center, register online, and talk with a consultant; at the same time, complete exporter and importer registration and check the target market's import requirements ⁷.

How much money should I prepare for the first year? It depends on how far you go. A Market Test is NT$10,000–20,000, and you can stop after it; the Consignment Pack is NT$50,000–60,000, the Market Test fee can be credited toward it, and together they make a NT$70,000 starter. Setting up your own company is another order of magnitude: a foreign-owned domestic-market company in the Philippines generally requires paid-in capital from US$200,000 ⁴.

How much can the trade show subsidy cover? The agency subsidizes companies joining physical overseas trade shows: up to NT$120,000 for one booth, plus NT$10,000 per additional booth, capped at NT$160,000 per show ³. For application details, see how to apply for the trade show subsidy.

One small next step

Write the budget your boss gave you on a sheet of paper, cross out the items in the table above that it cannot cover, and what remains is your first year's scope. Then take step one: NT$10,000–20,000 to confirm whether anyone will buy. If you do not know which item to start with, send us one question on LINE.

This article is a summary of experience and practice, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-10-18; subsidy programs follow the agency's announcement for each year.