Blog ·
"Can export" and "is licensed to export" are not the same thing
Almost every supplier says "we can export". But being able to ship goods, declaring in your own name, and being able to issue an invoice are three different things.
Three kinds of counterparty, three ways of speaking
| Who you may be dealing with | Signs | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| A factory | Produces under its own name; usually happy to talk about the line and capacity | Where is the line - can you send a short clip |
| A trading company | Flexible pricing, fast lead times; the skill is in integration | Which factories do you work with |
| A forwarder / export agent | Handles customs and shipping, not production | Whose name is on the customs declaration |
One question settles it
"Whose name is on the customs declaration and the invoice?" This single question confirms three things at once: who declares, who invoices, and whether the invoice header matches your contract counterparty. When those three do not line up, chasing a problem later gets very hard.
One caution
The answers are not conclusions, and they should not be treated as evidence that something is wrong. They simply tell you where you stand, and who to go to if something goes wrong.
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