Requirements

Importer and exporter - requirements

As an importer and exporter, often called a freight forwarder, you’ll manage the efficient and secure transportation of goods around the world on behalf of various companies. Here you can find out more about a career in imports and exports and how you could get into the field.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be an importer and exporter?

A degree relevant to the industry you’d like to focus on could be useful, but degrees in the following subjects are always helpful:

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be an importer and exporter?

Postgraduate qualifications can be useful in helping you progress to more senior logistics positions or management roles.

Relevant degrees at postgraduate level include:

International shipping and logistics
Business with supply chain management
Procurement, logistics and supply chain management
Operations and supply chain management
Operations, logistics and supply chain management

What skills do you need to be an importer and exporter?

Communication skills are essential here, along with problem-solving skills and excellent knowledge of logistics and transport systems.

Hard skills usually include:

Freight forwarding
Invoices and billing
Customs laws
Audits and reporting
Supply chain management
Warehouse management
Performance monitoring
Database management

Soft skills include:

Efficiency
Communication
Problem-solving
Managing people and processes
Eye for detail
Leadership
Planning

Do you need work experience to be an importer and exporter?

Employers in this field favour applicants who can show previous experience in a relevant area. You could use experience in warehouse or customer service environments if you don’t have experience in transport or logistics. Work experience placements, internships, graduate schemes and shadowing are all good ways to get experience.