Exporting Florida Agricultural Products

Getting Started

Your company is interested in exporting safe, quality food and other agricultural products to the international marketplace. Do you have any prior experience? Do you have the production capacity? Working capital? This page will help you determine if your business is ready to commit to exporting. The tools here will assist you in evaluating your business and answering questions as you begin looking to successfully export.  

Successful Exporting

Are you ready to commit to successful exporting? This exercise [ 1 MB ] will help you set goals and evaluate your company from within by analyzing: management’s export experience, management and personnel, production capacity and financial capacity.

International Marketing Plan Workbook

The purpose of the International Marketing Plan Workbook [ 624 kB ] is to prepare your business to enter the international marketplace. It will lead you through the process of exporting your product to an international market. After completing the workbook, you will be ready to develop an international marketing plan to export your product.

SBA Export Business Planner

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers its Export Business Planner for Your Small Business, which is a hands-on exporting preparation guide. This tool is designed to serve as your roadmap for creating your export business plan, exploring foreign markets, developing a marketing plan, exploring financing, costing your product, and more.

Export Seminars

Do you feel that you are ready to export, but are unsure of all the steps involved? The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), along with the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), offers Export Education seminars throughout the state. These seminars feature presenters from both FDACS and SUSTA who will discuss exporting assistance offered by their organizations. They also feature speakers from financial lenders, shippers and freight forwarders, and representatives from the Foreign Agricultural Services and insurance companies.

Assistance

Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA)

The Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) is an organization helping small companies in the southern United States promote their U.S. food and agricultural products in foreign markets. SUSTA is a nonprofit organization funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA's) Market Access Program. SUSTA works with representatives from Southern U.S. State Departments of Agriculture to educate companies and carry out their activities. The USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) partners with SUSTA and small businesses to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities. SUSTA has two major assistance programs: Global Events and 50% CostShare.

In September 2018, the USDA launched a trade mitigation package aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to trade retaliation by foreign nations. SUSTA has received monies from this Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) so Southern U.S. agriculture companies can also benefit from this funding.

Florida SBDC/Enterprise Florida Export Marketing Plan

The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Enterprise Florida offer qualified “new-to-export” Florida manufacturers the development of a customized Export Marketing Plan[ ] to identify overseas growth strategies. Find out how to qualify and participate.

Resources and Tools

Find Your HS Code

All customs transactions are based on universal Harmonized Codes (HS). The U.S. Census Bureau calls the list Schedule B. Through the HS Code Training Video you can determine your HS code.

Export Costing Worksheet

Before you quote an export price, make sure you include all costs using the Export Costing Worksheet [ 617 kB ] .

Terms of Sale, Quick Reference Guide

Incoterms [ 124 kB ] , or terms of sale, are used worldwide between a buyer and seller, making all parties in a transaction aware of each person’s responsibility. These terms, while often misused, are very important to understand.

Foreign Currency Converter

Whether you’re an e-commerce merchant, developer or multinational, accessing currency rates is simple with XE Currency Data.

Glossary of Export Terms

View an extensive list of terms [ 650 kB ] used in the environment of international commerce and exporting.

Free Trade Agreements

The United States has Free Trade Agreements with 20 countries. Agreements create opportunities to increase U.S. agricultural sales internationally, stripping away barriers to trade, eliminating tariffs, opening markets and promoting investment and economic growth.

Export Documentation

Certificates of Origin and Free Sale

Many countries require a Certificate of Origin and Free Sale. This document shows that goods such as food items are legally sold or distributed in the open market, freely without restriction, and approved by the regulatory authorities in the country of origin (United States). The following groups can supply you with a Certificate of Origin and Free Sale:

• Enterprise Florida[ ] — (305) 808-3389
• Florida Chamber of Commerce (or local Chamber of Commerce) — (850) 521-1200
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration

Global GAP Certification

Learn how to obtain the Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification to harmonize standards and procedures and develop an independent certification system.

Phytosanitary Certificates

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for safeguarding agriculture and natural resources from the risks associated with the entry, establishment or spread of animal and plant pests and noxious weeds. Get information for phytosanitary certificate issuance and tracking.

Shipping

Facts About Consolidation

A consolidator [ 626 kB ] , or third-party provider, is a company that provides a variety of services that include an opportunity for small manufacturers or suppliers to come together as one to reduce the overall impact that logistics expenses would have on their delivered cost of goods.

Pallet Information and Calculation

Get information about the pallet dimensions [ 247 kB ] sanctioned by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and how to ensure that pallets comply with phytosanitary standards.

Shipping Container Information

Get information and specifications about standard international shipping containers [ 136 kB ] , including equipment names, interior dimensions, door opening dimensions, top opening dimensions, tare weight, cubic capacity and payload.

Managing Risk

Protecting Receivables

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is a federal government agency that helps companies increase export sales by empowering them to offer open account credit terms and protecting receivables against nonpayment  — up to 95 percent — by international buyers. Small business is our business — no company and no transaction is too small. The Short-Term Export Credit Insurance Policies for U.S. Exporters allows exporters to compare insurance policies offered by EXIM Bank.

Agricultural Tariff Tracker

The Agricultural Tariff Tracker is a searchable database that allows U.S. agriculture exporters (and importers) to find the tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, and safeguards of their products with all U.S. free trade agreement partners.

Export Opportunities

Trade Shows and Missions

• Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE): January yearly; Fort Lauderdale. TPIE, hosted by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA), is a horticulture trade event showcasing the latest trends in foliage, floral and tropicals.
• Seafood Expo North America: March yearly; Boston. Seafood Expo North America (formerly the International Boston Seafood Show) is North America’s largest seafood trade exposition. The exposition features over 1,000 exhibiting companies from more than 40 countries. 
• CPMA Convention and Trade Show: April yearly; location varies. CPMA’s annual convention and trade show hosts 3,500 representatives from across the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain. 
• PMA Fresh Summit: October yearly; location varies. With more than 20,000 people participating, Fresh Summit can help you anticipate change, identify emerging trends, and profit from new opportunities. 
• SUSTA: SUSTA holds trade shows and trade missions throughout the year in many foreign markets.

Partners

• Enterprise Florida
• Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank)
• Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
• Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
• Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA)
• United States Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. (USLGE)

Logos

Members of the "Fresh From Florida" campaign (also known as the Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign, or FAPC) are authorized to use "Fresh From Florida" logos on their product packaging. The "Fresh From Florida" logos associate their products with Florida agriculture's worldwide image of excellence. To obtain digital files of the "Fresh From Florida" logos call (850) 617-7399 or email Exporting@FDACS.gov.