Skip to main content

The first year abroad:
what gets stuck each month

Find what applies to the stage you are in: ask about the market in month one, discuss Consignment in month three, and Company Setup in month nine. North America Retail follows a separate track.

What is the difference between an agent, a distributor, and an exclusive arrangement? Before agreeing to exclusivity or stocking inventory, clarify who owns the goods
FeaturedMonth 3: Consignment

What is the difference between an agent, a distributor, and an exclusive arrangement? Before agreeing to exclusivity or stocking inventory, clarify who owns the goods

An agent does not buy the goods and earns commission; a distributor buys the goods outright and bears inventory risk. Exclusivity is not a third role—it is a condition added to either. This comparison table separates the three, sets out what you can accept or should decline on exclusivity and inventory, and explains the risk of whose name holds Philippine product registrations.

2026-10-01 · 6 min read

Read the article →
What do FOB, CIF, and DDP mean? Five Incoterms terms for your first export quotation
Month 3: ConsignmentGoing abroad in practice6 min read

What do FOB, CIF, and DDP mean? Five Incoterms terms for your first export quotation

With FOB, the seller is responsible before goods are loaded on the ship and the buyer after; CIF adds freight and minimum insurance; DDP has the seller deliver to the door and pay import duties. Compare who is responsible for what under EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP, and DDP, when risk transfers, who pays duties, and how to choose for a first quotation.

2026-10-01Read more →
How to apply for an exhibition subsidy: the 2026 overseas-exhibition subsidy offers up to NT$160,000 per exhibition and covers up to 90%
Subsidies and resourcesGoing abroad in practice6 min read

How to apply for an exhibition subsidy: the 2026 overseas-exhibition subsidy offers up to NT$160,000 per exhibition and covers up to 90%

How to apply for the Trade Administration’s overseas-exhibition subsidy: NT$120,000 per booth, capped at NT$160,000, with up to 90% covered. The application periods, six eligible expense categories, post-exhibition reimbursement sequence, and the three points that most often prevent payment.

2026-04-23Read more →
A Taiwanese bubble tea brand's first Manila store: three decisions in the first 90 days on taste, pricing, and store size
Month 9: Company SetupPhilippines6 min read

A Taiwanese bubble tea brand's first Manila store: three decisions in the first 90 days on taste, pricing, and store size

From signing to a first-store opening, a Taiwanese bubble tea brand in Manila faces three decisions that differ from Taiwan: how to adjust sweetness and toppings, which peso price tier to use, and how large the first store should be. This is not a strategy deck; it is three things to settle before opening the first store.

2026-04-05Read more →
The first year of e-commerce in the Philippines: Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop first, and whose name should the store use?
Month 3: ConsignmentPhilippines6 min read

The first year of e-commerce in the Philippines: Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop first, and whose name should the store use?

If Shopee sales are strong in Taiwan, can you sell to the Philippines through Shopee cross-border? The first-year question is not which platform is largest. It is whose name the store uses, where stock sits, and who responds to messages. The three platforms' seller requirements and the difference between cross-border and local stores.

2026-03-28Read more →
What are the five steps for a first export? From confirming demand and product registration to export customs clearance and listing
Month 1: Market TestGoing abroad in practice6 min read

What are the five steps for a first export? From confirming demand and product registration to export customs clearance and listing

How do you export for the first time? The greatest concern is not making a mistake, but not knowing what to do. Five stages: confirm demand, decide whose name holds the registration, calculate landed cost, choose a channel, and look after the store after listing. Where each step usually gets stuck, and which steps let you stop when complete.

2026-03-15Read more →
How do you prepare for U.S. FDA requirements? The FDA does not issue certificates: five things dietary-supplement exports to the United States actually need to do
North America Retail5 min read

How do you prepare for U.S. FDA requirements? The FDA does not issue certificates: five things dietary-supplement exports to the United States actually need to do

Many people ask about U.S. FDA registration, but the FDA does not 'approve' dietary supplements or issue certificates. What you actually need are facility registration and a U.S. agent, prior notification for new ingredients, compliant labeling, and prior notice for every shipment.

2026-03-01Read more →
How do you calculate tariffs? Use the TradePilot online tariff lookup tool to look up HS codes, tariffs, and landed cost for free
Month 3: ConsignmentGoing abroad in practice5 min read

How do you calculate tariffs? Use the TradePilot online tariff lookup tool to look up HS codes, tariffs, and landed cost for free

How are tariffs calculated, and how do you look up an HS code? TradePilot is a free online tariff lookup tool that requires no registration: enter a product and amount, and AI assigns an HS code and breaks down customs duty and taxes through to landed cost.

2026-02-20Read more →
Calculate landed cost before export quotations: what FOB, CIF, and DDP mean, and how to calculate tariffs
Month 3: ConsignmentGoing abroad in practice6 min read

Calculate landed cost before export quotations: what FOB, CIF, and DDP mean, and how to calculate tariffs

A customer asks for an FOB price. What does FOB mean, how does it differ from CIF and DDP, who can estimate the seven parts of landed cost, how are tariffs calculated, and why do we not publish tariff rates in this article?

2026-02-10Read more →
How do we decide whether an overseas expansion is worth doing? Five questions before deciding
Month 1: Market TestBusiness fundamentals5 min read

How do we decide whether an overseas expansion is worth doing? Five questions before deciding

Overseas expansion too often relies on instinct. We use five questions to assess a project: market, barrier, competition, profitability, and regulatory. When conditions are not in place, we will tell you directly not to go yet. This article lays out what each question examines. We use the same five questions in the Free 30-minute initial assessment.

2026-04-02Read more →
Which Southeast Asian market should you enter first? Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines compared, and why begin with the Philippines
Month 1: Market TestPhilippines6 min read

Which Southeast Asian market should you enter first? Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines compared, and why begin with the Philippines

Should Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, or the Philippines be your first Southeast Asian market? The Philippines is not the largest, but it is most suitable for a first-time, small-budget test that you can stop after completing. This article compares the four countries on the Barrier and Regulatory questions and identifies product categories that should not start there.

2026-03-20Read more →
How do you conduct market research? Three mistakes to avoid in a small-budget overseas market test
Month 1: Market TestGoing abroad in practice5 min read

How do you conduct market research? Three mistakes to avoid in a small-budget overseas market test

How do you conduct market research before expanding overseas without spending money and still failing to get an answer you can use to decide? Three common mistakes are asking only people you know, running ads during the test, and looking only at sales without asking why. A useful test must answer four questions.

2026-03-10Read more →
Should your product sell on Amazon US? Three decisions Taiwan brands should make first
North America Retail6 min read

Should your product sell on Amazon US? Three decisions Taiwan brands should make first

Whether to sell on Amazon US is not a product-selection question; it is a decision question. Make three decisions: whether you can clear the regulatory and Amazon requirements, whether margin remains after landed cost and fees, and who will handle complaints and returns. Discuss product selection only after all three have answers.

2026-01-25Read more →
What is the difference between the Philippine FDA’s LTO, CPR, and CPN? Which document do food, supplements, and cosmetics need?
Month 3: ConsignmentPhilippines6 min read

What is the difference between the Philippine FDA’s LTO, CPR, and CPN? Which document do food, supplements, and cosmetics need?

The Philippine FDA’s LTO is an operating license for a company, CPR is product registration for food, and CPN is notification for cosmetics. You need an LTO before applying for the other two. This table compares what the three documents cover, who holds them, and official fees and processing days, including the impact of the 2025–2026 fee suspension and registration-system change.

2026-10-03Read more →
Your Philippines product registration is under the importer’s name. What happens when you need to change importers?
Month 3: ConsignmentPhilippines6 min read

Your Philippines product registration is under the importer’s name. What happens when you need to change importers?

When a Philippines CPR is held in the importer’s name, changing importers requires the former certificate holder to provide a termination agreement or deed of assignment. A cosmetics CPN needs a new notification when the distribution company changes. We set out the FDA-required transfer documents, the situations that mean starting over, and five points to put in an agency agreement from day one.

2026-10-06Read more →
Importers, agents, your own company, or cross-border e-commerce: four international market-entry modes compared, using the Philippines as an example
Month 1: Market TestGoing abroad in practice6 min read

Importers, agents, your own company, or cross-border e-commerce: four international market-entry modes compared, using the Philippines as an example

For small and medium-sized brands, international market entry is effectively a choice among four options: an importing distributor, an agent, your own company, or cross-border e-commerce. This table compares who buys the goods, whose name holds the registration, how high the entry barrier is, and how hard it is to exit. It also explains why food and cosmetics cannot bypass the Philippine FDA through cross-border e-commerce.

2026-10-08Read more →
How Do You Export Taiwanese Food to the Philippines? The Steps and Documents from Samples to Shelf
Month 3: ConsignmentPhilippines6 min read

How Do You Export Taiwanese Food to the Philippines? The Steps and Documents from Samples to Shelf

Exporting Taiwanese food to the Philippines runs in this order: find an importer with an LTO, apply for a sample import permit, prepare Taiwanese official certificates for the CPR, change the label, then clear customs and stock the shelf. One table lists who handles each step and which documents it needs, including the official fees and processing times for the Philippine FDA sample import permit and the TFDA Certificate of Free Sale.

2026-10-10Read more →
What Must Change When a Taiwanese Food Label Goes to the Philippines? A Label Checklist for Food and Cosmetics
Month 3: ConsignmentPhilippines6 min read

What Must Change When a Taiwanese Food Label Goes to the Philippines? A Label Checklist for Food and Cosmetics

When a Taiwanese food label goes to the Philippines, you need to add English, the importer and country of origin, the allergen placement, the date format and the lot code; cosmetics need the nine items of the ASEAN labeling requirements. One checklist compares Philippine AO 2014-0030 and the ASEAN cosmetic labeling requirements, and explains that translation stickers can be used for at most 6 months.

2026-10-13Read more →
What Is FSVP? Three Things US FDA Food Imports Require: Facility Registration, FSVP and Prior Notice
North America Retail6 min read

What Is FSVP? Three Things US FDA Food Imports Require: Facility Registration, FSVP and Prior Notice

FSVP is the verification a US importer performs on a foreign food supplier, not a certificate a Taiwanese factory applies for. Conventional food entering the US needs facility registration by the factory, FSVP carried out by the importer, and prior notice before each shipment arrives. One table shows who is responsible and what happens if it is skipped, plus the special rules for seafood, low-acid canned foods and labeling.

2026-10-15Read more →

Put the method from the article,
to work for your product

Free 30-minute initial assessment. We reply within one business day.

2-minute Situation Check