Destination attractiveness: choose with care and relevance

Italian exports, as we also recounted in one of our newsletters, in the first four months of 2021 recorded a 19.8% trend increase over the same period in 2020 and 4.2% over the 2019 period (Ice Report data).

If you have a product that you believe in and if you are ready to ride the positive wave that has been created then you should be careful not to make one of the biggest mistakes: choosing the wrong destination.

Global Actrattivenes Index (GAI)

You probably already know that there is a Global Attractiveness Index that ranks 144 countries around the world and Italy ranks 18th. Read on and you will discover the global ranking but first, without too many technicalities, we want to remind you that the GAI is constructed from a set of quantitative indicators and taking into account the socio-economic and demographic dimensions of the country. It is a dynamic index that is calculated over 5 years (2020-2015), includes more than 800,000 data points and is composed of three complementary dimensions: Positioning Index, Dynamics Index and Sustainability Index.

From the newly released data here is the most recent ranking of the 10 countries in the world with the highest JHA:

1. Germany

2. Use

3. Singapore

4. Japan

5. Honk Kong

6. China

7. Canada

8. Korea

9. Netherlands

10. France

In addition to considering indices such as GAI, your company should analyze five key elements in choosing the target country, namely:

Level of imports

The first element to evaluate: a country with imports higher than exports is a country more inclined to import a given product, and therefore potentially more interesting for your business. Above all, by virtue of this, it could import at prices higher than those of exports: large quantities of imports at high prices is the optimal combination for a company that wants to export.

Growth of the country

Is the country growing economically and demographically, or is it stalling? It is indeed logical to think that a growth phase is matched by better future prospects, and this may indicate an interest in your industry's products in the years to come as well.

Appreciation of Made in Italy

How appreciated are Made in Italy products in the country we are evaluating? By analyzing import levels from Italy, you might discover that the products offered by your business are highly favored abroad! 

Legislation and the presence of customs duties

Another element of fundamental importance is then the presence of customs duties, and more generally the legislation of the destination country. Considering product requirements, required certifications, and costs at customs is indeed a critically important step. 

Presence of marketplace

Finally, especially for companies that have not had significant previous international experience, it is necessary to evaluate the presence of marketplaces dedicated to the product under consideration. In fact, in one of our newsletters, we discussed all the advantages these platforms bring: visibility, online positioning, and ease of use. 

Are you interested in internationalizing your products and want to thoroughly evaluate possible target countries? Then contact us and we will give you the support you need.

Octagona is the right partner to support your company in the internationalization process: in almost 20 years we have successfully worked on more than 750 projects in internationalization, becoming one of the leading companies in International Advisory and among the top 5 in Italy.