Coimex was selected among 151 startups in Yapı Kredi's FAST FRWRD program, which supports startups that develop technology with blockchain.
Banks’ interest in startups working on blockchain technologies is increasing day by day. Being founded in 1944, Yapı Kredi is the 3rd largest private bank in Turkey. And with its’ FAST FRWRD startup accelerator program, which is announced with the “Kick Off Event”, it provides training, mentoring, consultancy, cooperation, and PoC support to startups that develop products and services with blockchain technologies.
151 startups applied for the Yapı Kredi Fast FRWRD program, and only 13 of them were selected by the committee to officially join the program. And Coimex was one of them!
This accelerator program is realized in partnership with Avalanche, Core Strategy, and Yapı Kredi. The aim is to invest in some of the startups accepted into the program through Koç Private Equity Investment Fund, the investment mechanism of Koç Holding, Turkey’s leading investment holding company.
Ametrica: An on-chain analytics platform that facilitates data-driven investment.
Babel 3.0: It aims to carry the e-commerce operations of the publishing market to the metaverse vertical for publishers and readers, thanks to the e-book transformation it has realized with NFTized DRM technology.
Coimex: A new generation international B2B import-export system based on blockchain that helps to solve the problem of trust in foreign trade.
Court: It is a basketball management game played with upgradeable and rentable NFT cards and sustainably distributes the revenues generated through DeFi protocols to its users and investors.
DuNFT: Blockchain for entertainment, copyright protection, and earning ecosystem media platform.
Enno Wallet: A hot/cold mobile crypto wallet and decentralized finance gateway with the support of multiple blockchains, with the custody of the user.
Longstage: A blockchain-based create-to-earn metaverse platform.
OpenPad: A launchpad and decentralized venture capital project where individual investors can invest in early-stage Web 3 startups with insurance fund-backed capital from $1.
Owloper: It aims to gamify difficult DeFi issues and to be a utility hub in the NFT industry with an infrastructure that other NFT projects can also use.
Sociapol: Metaverse by Negentra, XR is a socialization and gaming platform that harnesses the power of blockchain technologies.
Tourist: Mobile application that aims to earn tokens while traveling while making virtual travel easy and accessible.
Turquise Chain: A system that allows you to easily perform financial transactions of daily life and benefit from the possibilities of the Web3 universe with a single application.
Zizy: Versatile stake2earn mechanism where users can earn crypto and NFT rewards, meet with projects that want to reach their target audience, earn their tokens, and become an early-investor in promising crypto projects.
“By actively and appropriately using Coiwall, you may be visible, promote your firm and products to the industry, and be open to chances through sharing.”
Sharing information about your firm and goods on Coiwall, Coimex’s internal social media platform where our members exchange sectoral knowledge and creative ideas about their products makes you more visible and helps you to advertise your products and company to a broader audience. Through Coimex newsletters, some of your Coiwall posts reach tens of thousands of firms in 108 countries that are not yet active Coimex members. For our members, we prepared this “How to Write Effective Content on Coiwall” article.
Why Should You Share Content on Coiwall?
1) It increases your visibility within the Coimex community
Actively using Coiwall—Coimex’s internal social platform—allows you to get the attention of other members. Sharing information about your company, goods, and industry helps other Coimex members to get more familiar with you and your offerings.
A good example of Instanta from our members
2) It improves your company’s trust and credibility
Sharing information about your firm and its products frequently on Coiwall demonstrates that you are an active company in foreign trade. Other members’ trust in you grows as they learn more about your company and products from the posts you have shared.
3) Your posts are sent through newsletters to firms other than Coimex members
Your Coiwall posts are distributed not just to Coimex members on Coiwall, but also to tens of thousands of additional firms and individuals who are not yet members, via e-mail marketing. As a result, you reach more people in your own field.
4) It enables you to track sectoral developments
In addition to contributing information about their company and goods, many firms share sectoral information on Coiwall. Thus, sectoral foreign trade is discussed on Coiwall. This helps you to track sectoral trends better and remain up to date.
5) It offers cooperation and many other opportunities
Besides exchanging product opportunities on Coimex, it helps you to comprehend what type of partnerships you may have with other Coimex members. Through the posts, companies share about themselves, their products, and sectors, it also allows you to see and seize various opportunities.
What Should You Do to Benefit from Coiwall and Get Efficient?
1) Constant posting
You may achieve efficiency by sharing on Coiwall at regular intervals. If possible, Coiwall posts should be shared once a week. If not once every 2 weeks, or at least once a month in the worst-case scenario.
2) Sharing content that will educate and inspire other members
Sharing of Hleks, one of our members, about ice cream
Instead of sharing sales-oriented content, it will be most beneficial for everyone to share content that benefits and inspires Coimex and the foreign trade community. Others can benefit from your posts, and you can benefit and be inspired by the content of other members.
3) Prioritizing diversity above uniformity in sharing
Posting about the same subject and uniform content on a regular basis may lead other members’ interests to wane after a time. To avoid this, instead of posting information with identical lines, produce many articles on the same subject, about the same product, in different themes and approaches.
4) Participating in discussions with other postings
Interacting with other companies via Coiwall postings may allow you to interact with additional members, allowing you to communicate and even form new partnerships. Receiving and engaging will boost exposure and draw attention.
What Types of Content Works Best for Sharing on Coiwall?
1) When attending fairs as a company, share visuals from the fairground.
2) Share crucial partnerships, agreements, meetings, or events on Coiwall. For example, meeting with an ambassador, with a chamber of commerce, etc.
3) Inform other members when there is an important development concerning your firm. For instance, obtaining a certificate or establishing a new branch. Entering a new market or being honored.
Sharing of one of our members, Sum Fresh, about their success
4) A meeting between your firm and one of the other Coimex members. These are the posts we want to see the most in the Coimex community and on Coiwall.
5) Creating a success story in and of itself and sharing your achievement as an inspiration to the sector.
6) When it comes to seasonal items, offering seasonal knowledge helps you to contribute to the sector. For example, the season has begun, and the season is coming to an end. Data on yield and revenue.
Avocado sharing of Athi Farms, one of our members
7) To share legislative changes pertaining to the product or advancements in international trade. Products, for example, whose import/export is forbidden or limited.
8) When you introduce a new product or add a new product to your product portfolio, it is made available to the community.
9) Sharing the inconceivable, innovative, and unique uses of your product can help inspire and interest other members.
10) Share an eye-catching detail about your product. Working with a single system, for example, and coloring with natural ingredients.
11) To notify customers about unexpected price increases and decreases in the market for the goods. You can provide product information as well as national information.
12) Inquiring about or soliciting feedback from other members on your new product concept.
Actively and appropriately using Coiwall allows you to be recognized, market your firm and products to the industry, and be open to chances through sharing. You may communicate with numerous individuals and take a vital step toward communication thanks to Coiwall shares. The exchange of sectoral information on Coiwall by members guarantees that your international trade information is always up to date. Furthermore, discussing diverse and interesting applications of things might encourage you.
Begin actively utilizing Coimex. Message other members directly and create a success story with Coimex like these two members, and instantly share your accomplishments on Coiwall.
One of our members, Turkish Sumfresh, which trades in fresh fruits and vegetables, and our member, Kuwaiti Gofresh company, met in Bursa in May.
Mr. Khalid, the partner of Gofresh, which has large supermarkets in Kuwait and supplies large hotels and restaurants, was in Turkey for business. Mr. Khalid visited Sumfresh company and its team in Bursa, which he had previously contacted through the Coimex system and met on the digital platform.
These two Coimex members from Turkey and Kuwait held a successful B2B meeting in Bursa. This foreign trade relationship, which will last for many years and started on the basis of trust, has progressed further with the visit of Gofresh. Gofresh company also shared this meeting in Coiwall, which is the internal social business module of the Coimex system.
We look forward to the success stories of these two Coimex member companies as soon as possible.
We look forward to the success stories of these two Coimex member companies as soon as possible.
International Food Fairs continue to be the most crucial and effective method for entering foreign markets in the globalized world.
International food fairs held annually are of great importance in bringing together food professionals. While the contribution of digitalization to trade is undeniable today, face-to-face and warm communication still maintains its effectiveness.
Global food fairs abroad have significant effects in terms of keeping track of sectoral developments, getting a close look at products and companies, and enhancing your company and product visibility.
What Does Participating in International Food Fairs Provide?
Engaging in face-to-face communication with your target audience and potential buyers from around the world
Introducing your company and products to your target audience quickly and intensively
Increasing your brand awareness not only domestically but also internationally, demonstrating that you are a prominent and strong company within the industry to industry professionals and competitors
Introducing your new products and other offerings to your target audience worldwide
Finding new markets and connections worldwide, and expanding your network
Gaining an advantage over your competitors in the market
Getting to know and observe not only your competitors but also potential customers both domestically and internationally
Being able to achieve high-volume sales through special promotions at trade shows and increasing your profits.
Around the world, numerous food fairs, both large and small, are organized. In this article, we have listed 12 worldwide food fairs for you.
12 International Food Fairs in the World (2023-2024)
Anuga Fair; with its liveliness, diversity, and dynamism, it is one of the world’s leading food and beverage fairs. As the global food industry is currently undergoing dynamic changes towards a sustainable and fair food system, the fair will be held from October 7 to 11, 2023. This year, the fair stands out with the concept of sustainability and offers participating companies visibility and extensive business connections with its wide range of products.
Gulfood, among the world’s largest international food fairs, has been held annually in Dubai since 1987. Fair is scheduled for February 19-23, 2024. The 2022 fair brought together over 5,000 food and beverage companies, showcasing more than 100,000 new products from over 125 countries. The food fair provides an opportunity to develop new relationships and strengthen existing ones, and significant participation is expected again this year.
World Food Moscow has been opening its doors in the fall for over 30 years, taking place in Moscow from September 19 to 22, 2023. The professional fair where food producers, service providers, retailers, wholesalers, food and beverage distributors, and exporters meet with buyers. This year, it is expected that over 1,000 companies from 39 countries will showcase their products at the fair.
Food Expo Greece is held in the capital city of Greece, Athens, from March 9 to 11, 2024. This fair, which has been shaping the future of the food and beverage industry and presenting global trends and innovations, has been held for 10 years. In 2024, FOOD EXPO aims to showcase the products of 1,300 leaders in the Greek and global food and beverage industry to thousands of food traders.
IFE, the global food and beverage trade show, will take place in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, from March 25 to 27, 2024. This event brings together 27,000 food and beverage professionals for face-to-face interactions, allowing them to sample new products, establish lasting business connections, discover suppliers that contribute to their business, and gain a competitive advantage, bringing together more food and beverage buyers and suppliers than other events in the United Kingdom.
The 9th edition of the fair is set to take place in Nigeria from March 26 to 28, 2024. Nigeria is predicted to become the world’s third most populous country by 2050, following India and China. In 2019, Nigeria’s population was measured at 201 million, making it the seventh-largest country in the world after China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, and Pakistan. Given its continuous growth and opportunities, the fair holds significance for Nigeria as an open and expanding market.
Thaifex Anuga Asia Fair, one of the leading international food fairs, will take place in Bangkok from May 28 to June 1, 2024, holding the distinction of being one of the largest food and beverage fairs in Southeast Asia. With over 3,000 exhibitors from 45 countries and more than 78,000 visitors from 133 countries, the fair welcomes food professionals to Bangkok.
Asia Fruit Logistica Fair will take place in Hong Kong from September 4 to 6, 2024. The fair covers the latest innovative products and ideas across the fresh produce industry value chain. The global food fair provides a great opportunity for industry professionals to develop new markets, expand existing ones, establish new high-level connections, and gather essential market insights into fresh produce trade across the entire Asian region.
The Sweets & Snacks Expo Fair will be held in Indiana, USA from May 14 to 16, 2024. This vibrant city promises to add a fresh flavor to the world’s leading confectionery and snack event. The fair not only promises visitors and participants the latest products in the industry, innovations, and business connections but also offers the opportunity to experience the most fantastic trends within the fair.
The Malaysian International Food and Beverage Trade Fair (MIFB) will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Malaysia from July 17 to 19, 2024. MIFB aims to shape the future of the food industry and provides a platform for businesses in the sector to showcase their products and services to leading buyers in the region. The fair will feature participation from over 600 companies from more than 80 countries.
From January 19th to 23rd, 2024, in Paris, this food fair, which is held in Paris every year and is of great interest to the food sector, opens its doors to food professionals. SIAL Paris is organized exclusively for trade visitors. The fair aims to be a source of inspiration for the entire global food community. It promises to discover the latest trends and innovations in the food industry and to meet the right partners to accelerate food companies’ business.
The West Africa Agrofood exhibition will be held in Kenya from October 8 to 10, 2024. This fair, which takes place in Abidjan, West Africa, covers agriculture, food processing and packaging, and food materials. According to GTAI German Trade & Invest, Ivory Coast is becoming the grain hub of West Africa. The agriculture and food industry in Abidjan remains highly dynamic, both in terms of production and processing.
The organization of tradeshows, one of the traditional methods, was interrupted, especially during the pandemic. The pandemic continues to affect the whole world. If you think about whether the interest in traditional fairs has decreased in this process and whether the effect of these fairs has decreased, then the answer is in this article.
“Thanks to Coimex, I found the opportunity to trade with trustable companies. My belief is that a combination of traditional and digital methods is the most efficient approach. Thank you, Coimex.”
Bringing together trusted foreign trade companies and enabling them to conduct sustainable trade, Coimex continues to add more than 1,000 trusted members from 108 countries to its community. In a post-based system with immediate opportunities, members have the opportunity to engage in trusted and sustainable foreign trade by communicating directly with the decision-makers on Coimex’s applications.
Casa is a Dubai-based company dedicated to providing high-quality products. While Casa was looking for the highest quality dried figs from the Aydin region of Turkey this time around, a Daimon Brand product post, which showcases their profile and product on the Coimex system, was sent to Casa as an immediate notification. Casa’s G. Jeny Clemente immediately contacted the company’s decision-maker, Ali Adlı. As a result of the agreement between the two companies to initiate a dialogue with messaging within Coimex’s infrastructure, Casa had the opportunity to buy high-quality figs at an affordable price. Thus, the trade of dried figs between two trusted companies that are members of Coimex took place successfully.
Daimon Brand
It is a company with more than 20 years of experience in the food, logistics, and trading sectors. It ships its products from Turkey to all over the world. Daimon Brand primarily trades natural and organic dried figs, dried apricots, raisins, chestnuts, olives, and olive oil, with the aim of listening to and fulfilling their customers’ wishes regarding product quality, service, and sustainability. The company’s priorities are trustworthiness, health, first-class quality, hygiene, customer satisfaction, and environmentally-friendly production.
Casa Commodities
Headquartered in Dubai, Casa Commodities has been on a mission to develop and trade in international markets since its inception in 1981, with its experience, qualified workforce, and current external relations. The company brings products from many Turkish manufacturers to the Middle East market. Casa predominantly trades sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, dried apricots, dried figs, and pasta.
Daimon Brand – Ali Adlı
“Trust is a very important topic in foreign trade. Thanks to the messaging system on Coimex, which brings the exporter and importer together on a digital platform in a trustable environment, we contacted Casa instantly. We made our trade in a trusted and easy way. It was a good deal for us.”
Casa Commodities – G. Jenny Clemente
“For some time now, we have been searching for new suppliers of dried figs. While we were on such a quest, we had the opportunity to directly contact the company’s owner, Mr. Ali, through the Coimex system, thanks to Coimex. We carried out our trade, in a quick, trustable, and successful way. Thanks to Coimex I find the opportunity to trade with trusted companies. I believe that the combination of traditional methods and digital methods is the most effective. Thanks, Coimex.”
Apply to become a member now and write your own foreign trade success story.
When exporters and importers could not travel between countries and could not participate in physical fairs, business methods were necessarily transferred to the virtual world.
We are a digital platform that provides the opportunity to conduct foreign trade in a trustable community, enables target audiences to be found by both exporters and importers.
While the companies that were prepared for this digitalization were adapting to this process in an easy way, companies that were caught unprepared floundered massively.
In today’s environment, it’s very unlikely that you can find new customers just by traveling, meeting face-to-face, and attending physical fairs because these opportunities have been very limited since the pandemic. In this era of developing technology and with it digitization, you may be looking for faster, cheaper and practical methods of foreign trade. Because today’s technology and digital infrastructure assures you of it. Because of all this, you may be trying to find customers from the internet and websites using less traditional methods. There are various ways to find customers on the Internet, but how effective are they? If you want to know whether it is possible to find customers online, read this article.
1. You are likely to spend hours on the Internet to find a suitable customer
Time is precious these days. Do you measure the effort your team puts into finding a customer? The Internet is a huge world, and there are a lot of things in it. With so many options, apps and websites, you need to know very well where and how to look. If you do not know how to find new customers, you could easily become lost in this world and spend more time than you should on the internet.
2. It is not easy to find the right customer from the Internet and sites
It’s not easy to find the right customer on the Internet. Also, if you don’t know exactly who or what to look for, you may not even realize it if you find it. If you don’t know who your target audience is, it becomes challenging to find them. There is information from many large and small companies on the internet, but with the limited information on the internet, it will not be easy to read your target audience correctly and reach them.
3. The up-to-dateness of listing sites is debatable
Listing sites, where you can access company information through direct purchase and/or membership, is one of the methods for finding new customers. Because the price of these lists depends on the number of companies in the list, their reliability is a matter of debate. In order to make more money, they can also list companies that are not actively engaged in foreign trade, and the information may not be accurate because it is not updated frequently. Checking that the information is up-to-date also means an additional expenditure of time and money.
4. Companies you find on the internet may not be trustable
There are many companies that claim to do foreign trade on the Internet. But are these companies real or do they only exist on paper? There is no way to know for sure. A company with contact information in Africa may present itself as a large company on the Internet, but may not even have an office in reality. In order to find reliable companies on the internet and not to lose money while doing foreign trade, you need to research the companies thoroughly.
5. The difficulties you will experience while reaching the right contact from the internet in foreign trade
It is often difficult to reach the right department or person within a company you find on the internet or on a listing site. This is because the email addresses you find on the internet or on listing sites are usually just informational emails. These e-mails are usually handled by assistants or non-administrators. It is unlikely, if you do try to reach someone, that they will be authorized to help you. This could reduce the probability of reaching the right person and making foreign trade.
6. The companies you find on the internet and sites may not be in your target audience
Although the listing website says there are companies from all over the world and in all fields, there may not be enough companies on the list. Alternatively, companies you find on the internet may not have enough products on hand or may no longer trade them. The information these companies provide on the Internet may not be up-to-date or genuine. You may need to spend a lot of time figuring out if these companies are included in your target audience.
Technology and the digital world provide great convenience to you as well as to many people. However, keep in mind that in the virtual world, Sometimes things are not as they really are, they are as they should be shown. Technology has brought some trust issues along with debates regarding convenience and practicality. Many foreign trade companies prefer to use reliable B2B foreign trade platforms because they don’t trust the idea of doing business with people they don’t know. Digital trade can cause a cautious approach to international trade. In this article, you can read 7 reasons why digital solutions are untrustworthy in foreign trade.
While the companies that were prepared for this digitalization were adapting to this process in an easy way, companies that were caught unprepared floundered massively.
We are a digital platform that provides the opportunity to conduct foreign trade in a trustable community, enables target audiences to be found by both exporters and importers.
Bringing together trusted foreign trade companies and enabling them to conduct sustainable trade, Coimex continues to add more than 1,000 trusted members from 63 countries to its community.
We are a digital platform that provides the opportunity to conduct foreign trade in a trustable community, enables target audiences to be found by both exporters and importers, offers one-to-one communication with decision-makers, and provides social media services to traders. Although you think that the system makes sense, if there are still some question marks in your mind, then this article will support your decision to join Coimex.
1) How Is Coimex Different From Other Digital Platforms?
In cooperation with local chambers of commerce, only companies that are high quality and trustable are being accepted to Coimex. Coimex is very different from solutions like TradeAtlas, which works like a static catalog and is closed to interaction, and traditional marketplace solutions like IndiaMart and Alibaba, which are suitable for spot shopping and contain many companies of different qualities. After becoming a member, you not only reach trustable companies in your target audience and communicate directly with decision-makers, you can also develop long-term relationships through a social media platform where you can share your announcements and have conversations about foreign trade.
2) How Can I Be Sure Without Trying the Product?
In foreign trade, the time needed for trust-based and good relations to be established is more than one or two months. It is thought that after you become a member of our system, you can be matched with an average of 1-3 companies per month. After two months of being a member of our system, you can cancel your membership, if you are not satisfied with it. The best thing you can do as a member is to exhibit the maximum number of products your package allows in these first two months and see if you can get results quickly.
3) Will I be able to get a return on my investment?
You will acquire visibility in the digital world once you have a Coimex membership. Coimex eliminates the need for you to trade solely physically by bringing foreign trading to a trustable platform. Even if you don’t have a website, the membership features will allow you to display your company and its products 24/7. With a single click, you can directly contact the company’s decision makers and check their profiles, prior transactions, scores, and comments. You’ll make a great return on your investment and save time and money with your first trade in a year.
4) Will I be able to reach the companies in my target audience?
After you become a member of Coimex, we predict that you will find 1-3 companies per month that are suitable for your target market among trustable importer and exporter members separated by geographical region and product categories. Our member application process is carefully managed, and we work in association with chambers of commerce. Therefore, there are few but very qualified companies in the system. Coimex aims to find reliable and qualified companies for its members, right in their target audience. This helps ensure that trade is carried out on a trusted platform, and with carefully selected companies that are trustable.
5) Does it appeal to companies with narrow marketing budgets?
Yes, it does. Today, regardless of whether you are a large or small company, you need to have a modern website, advertise on Google, Linkedin, and social media, and allocate a budget for fairs, events, customer visits, and training in order to be competitive and not fall behind. Coimex provides you with a membership at a much lower cost than you would spend on other digital channels, and the opportunity to instantly contact and directly seize opportunities with those who are suitable for your target audience among the reliable companies selected, without causing you to get lost in the digital world.
If you found answers to your questions after this article and the system made sense to you, we would like to see you in our community of reliable traders. Come join us now.
Bringing together trusted foreign trade companies and enabling them to conduct sustainable trade, Coimex continues to add more than 1,000 trusted members from 63 countries.
When exporters and importers could not travel between countries and could not participate in physical fairs, business methods were necessarily transferred to the virtual world.
While the companies that were prepared for this digitalization were adapting to this process in an easy way, companies that were caught unprepared floundered massively.
On September 15, under the moderation of Coimex CEO Selhattin Urfalı, 3 Geography, 3 Speed, 3 Strategy events were held with the valuable participation of Bangladesh Ambassador Mosud Mannan His Excellency, Yeccima Director General Warmate Jones Idikio, Uncci Secretary General S. Kabagambe, Nairobi Trade Advisor Murat Can Kılınç, Baccima General Manager Sani Tahir Hamid and Mumbai Commercial Attaché Hüseyin Aydın.
In the webinar, African, Indian and Turkish markets were evaluated. Developments and opportunities in trade relations with these countries were discussed. The subject of developing sales strategies was discussed.
What Does the Bangladesh Market Promise?
Ambassador of Bangladesh, Mr. Mosud Mannan, greeted everyone who attended the meeting, opened the meeting and summarized the topics to be discussed. He continued his speech by explaining how Bangladesh gained its independence through the liberation war and inherited an economy to which the country was accustomed to its poverty.
Bangladesh Ambassador Mosud Mannan’s main goal is to see the country prosper. For this reason, the Ambassador stated that they are constantly trying to improve both their economic situation and their social areas. Explaining that Bangladesh has managed to keep its GDP growth positive over the years, Ambassador stated that even after the pandemic, Bangladesh still has a GDP growth of 3.8%. The Economic Intelligence Unit announced that the country’s growth expectation for the next four years is 7.4% annually. Mannan also said that Bangladesh is one of the countries with the highest GDP per capita growth rate in Asia in 2020 and that Bangladesh’s GDP per capita grew by 9.1%, with Bangladesh having the highest GDP growth rate in South Asia. Stating that Bangladesh’s lands are fertile, Ambassador also announced that they will continue to give priority to agricultural growth in the coming years, as rice production is at an all-time high.
The Ambassador stated in his speech that banking systems have changed since they left British rule. Stating that Bangladesh has moved from a state-controlled system to a market-based open economy using a stabilization, liberalization, and reorganization program, Ambassador also said that there are numerous new facilities and opportunities for those who want to do business with Bangladesh. According to Mr. Mosud Mannan, paperwork procedures have also become much faster and able to provide a skilled workforce.
Which Products Can You Import and Export With Bangladesh?
In the export area, Bangladesh offers high-quality rice, seafood such as shrimp and fish, and although they have a high amount of rice for import, they sometimes want imported rice when production is low due to weather conditions in addition to onions and lentils. In addition to these, he stated that they are open to the import of fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Ambassador Mr. Mosud Mannan also stated that although they are very popular in Bangladesh, cherries, and nuts cannot be grown in Bangladesh and this could be a good option for those looking for export opportunities.
What are the Strong Products of the Nigerian Market?
Nigerian Yeccima Director-General Warmate Jones Idikio said at the beginning of his speech that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. He stressed that Nigeria is part of the MINC nations, a community that includes countries with great potential for economic development. Warmate Jones Idikio, who stated that the banking system in Nigeria is market-oriented, also stated that Nigeria’s GDP per capita is $1.116 trillion, its nominal GDP is about $514 billion, the human development index is 35.1 and the population density is 218 percent per kilometer.
Yeccima Director-General, Warmate Jones Idikio, stated that their country is open to agriculture and Nigeria already imports high amounts of citrus, grapes, nuts, dates, figs, pineapples, avocados, cherries, peaches, and plums and will continue to import them.
Sani Tahir Hamid, Managing Director of Baccima, said Nigeria is a major exporter of cocoa, cotton, palm oil, and palm kernels. Sani Tahir Hamid, who stated that Nigeria currently trades with more than 100 countries around the world, also stated that Nigeria has a total of 70.8 million hectares of land for agriculture, which they use to grow nutrients such as seeds, wheat, corn, rice, and yam. He said their main focus is rice production because they produced 5 million metric tons of rice this year, as in 2020. Stating that more than 45 percent of Nigerian citizens are engaged in agriculture, Sani Tahir Hamid underlined that Nigeria is also Africa’s third-largest cocoa producer. Stating that they exported 245 metric tons of cocoa only to India in 2020, Sani Tahir Hamid also stated that Nigeria also has 7 million hectares of land ready for mechanized agriculture, therefore they invite foreign investors and people who want to develop business relations to their fertile lands. Sani Tahir Hamid, who said that with this method, Nigeria guarantees that it will always offer export opportunities to its foreign investors, said that Nigeria has cement production and recycling options for those who want to establish small businesses.
Stating that Nigeria started a program to encourage local milk production in the country at the beginning of February, Baccima Managing Director Sani Tahir Hamid said that,
Nigeria is inadequate in terms of modern storage facilities and distribution networks, as a result of which they tend to lose a significant amount of what they harvest. He also stated that another reason why they need modern storage facilities is their desire to import more.
Kenya Offers Great Opportunities to Foreign Traders!
In his speech, Kenya Nairobi Commercial Counselor Murat Can Kılınç said that while talking about Kenya, he is talking about other countries in the region because these countries are similar to Kenya in many ways. Murat Can Kılınç said that in recent years, investors have started to turn their attention to Africa and that more and more investors are doing the same. He also said that Kenya is the most developed and largest economy in Middle East Africa, with Kenya contributing more than 50 percent of the East African community region’s GDP.
Murat Can Kılınç emphasized in his speech that Kenya, which is a country dependent on agriculture, prioritizes nutrients in exports. Murat Can Kılınç stated that as a result, they exported a large amount of macadamia nut, pineapple, avocado, and coffee, and said that they also imported many foodstuffs. Murat Can Kılınç stated that sugary products, processed foods such as pasta, and fresh fruits such as apples and grapes are imported in large quantities in Kenya, adding that it is difficult to find apricots, figs, hazelnuts, peaches, and cherries in Kenya and that these products have small markets in the region.
He said that in Kenya, they had no problems producing their own food until 2019, however, when the locusts emerged, the invasion had badly affected the country. Thereupon, Murat Can Kılınç, who said that Kenya had a difficult time in agricultural production and trade with the pandemic and drought, also stated that Kenya also had storage problems. Saying that Kenya needs modern food storage units, distribution systems, and product safety, Murat Can Kılınç also said that most of the packaged foods in Kenya are imported, such as pasta. He stated that although there is no pasta production in the country, there is demand and consumption and that the Kenyan government invites foreign investors to the country and the government offers reasonable prices to investors. However, at the end of his speech; He also stressed the importance of being aware of the export verification procedure when exporting to Kenya.
In Foreign Trade, it is important to take the necessary steps completely and accurately as well as to know the market closely. Just knowing the market is not enough. Knowing what to do and how to do it gives you a great advantage in foreign trade. You can find the steps you need to take while exporting in 2021 in this article.
If you do not have a website in English that is up-to-date and compatible with today’s technology, if you do not follow the digital world and do not use digital solutions for B2B, and if you only use offline traditional ways and never go online, unfortunately, it is not possible for you to export and be successful in foreign trade in today’s world.
In the global world, if you have a digital footprint, you will be visible and reachable.
Companies all over the world research the company on the internet before doing business or even contacting them. In this article, we share the 8 steps of digital B2B export for those who want to do foreign trade digitally and do not know exactly how to do it.
What is Digital B2B Export?
Digital B2B export means displaying your products on the internet and selling digitally abroad, that is, to your potential B2B customers in other countries through online methods.
Ways to Increase Your B2B Exports in Digital and What They Provide You
1. Use official government websites
In every country, websites such as the Ministry of Trade or your local chamber of commerce offer reliable and detailed information to those who want to do foreign trade, as they are official websites affiliated with the government. On these sites, you can see sectoral analysis and sectoral opportunities, as well as access up-to-date information with constantly entered data. Most of these sites also offer you training opportunities.
2. Follow and join virtual trade delegations organized by the government
Different government bodies, such as the Ministry of Commerce take some initiatives to prevent foreign trade activities from stopping due to restricted travel and activities after the pandemic. Most governments are working on virtual trade delegations in cooperation with exporters’ associations. Thus, you can continue your foreign trade activities online without being affected by physical travel restrictions.
3. Research and take advantage of government digital incentives
Most governments have taken many steps in order for foreign trade companies to continue their commercial activities on the Internet. Some of these are membership to E-Commerce sites, virtual trade delegations. In order for you to benefit from technology at the highest level and to use digital marketing methods effectively in your commercial activities, there are many different types of incentives. Just research them.
4. Use B2B digital platforms and take advantage of all digital opportunities
Thanks to B2B digital software and platforms, you can communicate with all companies, suppliers, sales channels, and customers with whom you have commercial relations, and follow them all on the internet. This gives you the opportunity to monitor and manage your business more easily. When you communicate with global companies by using digital platforms, it is also easier for you to reach the products displayed around the world on the internet.
5. You will be instantly informed of instant opportunities through digital platforms
Thanks to digital platforms, you can make foreign trade and exports quickly by making prices for your products and the services you offer, taking and giving offers online in a practical way. Thanks to the services offered to you in the infrastructure of digital platforms and instant notifications, you can catch opportunities instantly. You can exhibit your products digitally and organize campaigns, so you can quickly find customers and suppliers.
6. Participate in trainings and events organized by chambers of commerce, export unions, B2B digital platforms
Some B2B foreign trade platforms such as chambers of commerce, exporters’ associations, and Coimex organize some online trainings, events, and webinars for companies dealing with foreign trade to have more digital dominance and to export safely digitally. By participating in these online trainings and events, you can learn about the online agenda in foreign trade and learn how to maintain your business online efficiently.
7. Participate in virtual fairs where the cost is lower than physical fairs
If you are a small to medium-sized business, attending physical fairs can be quite costly for you. By participating in virtual fairs, which are held more during the pandemic process, you come together with the companies in the sector in which you operate and you can establish new commercial connections from here. Using other online methods and digital platforms along with virtual fairs gives you a significant advantage when exporting.
8. Create a company profile and product pages in English on B2B Export sites and digital platforms
With the company profile and product pages, you will create on B2B sites and B2B digital platforms, you can reach other companies and individuals who want to import through digital at less cost. Of course, in order to reach and be visible to both local and foreign companies, you need to create your company profile and product pages in English.
If you do not have enough information and digital visibility on the Internet, it will be very unlikely that you will survive in today’s technological world, create a reliable company image and establish sustainable commercial relations. Remember, the more information people find about your company and products online, and the more visibility you have online, the more trustworthy they will find you. Nobody wants to work in the long term with a company that does not have enough information on the internet and does not leave a trace in the digital world. In this article, you can find what you need to do to find customers on the Internet.
Our goal in 2022 is to catch up with the old figures in exports and to be able to surpass them in small proportions. We have slightly bigger targets for 2023. In this period when fairs are still rare, Coimex is of great value for us in reaching customers, because it contributes to us in increasing our exports.
We had a pleasant interview with Can Şatvan, CEO of Agrorev, one of our members, at the WorldFood Fair. Produced with the REV method, which has been perfected as a result of many years of R&D studies and many types of research, Agrorev produces gourmet and niche products in the dried food segment. Agrorev, which produces completely natural and healthy dried vegetables and fruits with the REV technique and packs these products, produces healthy snacks in cooperation with Knorr. We talked to Can Şatvan, CEO of Agrorev, which produces natural and healthy dried food snacks, about the secret of his success.
Mr. Şatvan, what do you think is the secret of successful foreign trade? Do you have any surprising, striking advice for us on this subject, beyond the clichés?
Can Şatvan (CŞ): The secret of a successful foreign trade is to follow the trends, needs and the place of trade in the world correctly, invest in them and deliver the right product to the consumer. It is necessary to hear the needs and wishes of the consumer correctly, to work towards these wishes and needs of the consumer and to deliver the things the consumer wants. In foreign trade, sustainability is very important. When we thought about what we could do on sustainability and did researches, we reached the most efficient drying technology in the world and established this facility in Turkey. Thus, we wanted to both contribute to Turkish farmers and contribute to the world in terms of sustainability. We are successful in foreign trade because we set out with this thought, belief, and need.
How did you start working with a big company like Knorr, can you share your story with us?
CŞ: Due to its current product range, Knorr was known to the consumer as a company that offered preservative-based products. And Knorr wanted to change this perception in the consumer’s eye. They were looking for a new product and category to change this perception. We got together. Since we produce 100% natural, preservative-free, oil-free, and additive-free products and the trend in the world is towards healthy snacks, Knorr wanted to work with us to change this perception on its own brand. No matter how willing the two parties were, it was not an easy process. We worked with large teams for approximately 1.5 years through mutual R&D, product selection, meticulous studies, and choices. We have made an effort to make the product the best.
How did you grow Agrorev from scratch? Which dream did you set out with? What are your 2022 foreign trade targets?
CŞ: Maybe it’s a cliché, but with patience and hard work. We have experienced this. We founded Agrorev in 2015. We were aiming to go on sale in 2016, but it took 2017 for us to actually go on sale. This was because the initial plans did not go as planned. We only worked on R&D for 2 years without ever going on sale in order to deliver products that we would like to eat and sell proudly to the consumer. The whole team worked on it. Our core team is still in the company, we have never broken it up. At the end of the 2-year R&D process, we started the sales. Working on R&D for 2 years without making any sales is not something every food company can do. At that time, we only focused on perfecting the product and we worked hard for it.
What are your goals for 2022?
CŞ: We have more modest goals. There is a pandemic going on and we are just getting back to normal. The biggest problems of exporting companies during the pandemic process; Logistics problems and loss of customers occurred as logistics channels were closed during this period. Did these customers come back during the normalization process? No, most of them did not come back. Because our customers had to find local solutions to survive while experiencing these difficulties. After the normalization started, they continued with their local solutions. That’s why our goal in 2022 is to catch up with the old figures in exports and to be able to surpass them in small proportions. We have slightly bigger targets for 2023. In this period when fairs are still rare, Coimex is of great value for us in reaching customers, because it contributes to us in increasing our exports.
For a while, the foreign trade community talked about the global container crisis. How has this crisis affected your work? How did you find a solution for this?
CŞ: The container crisis we talked about during this process affected everyone who exports, it still does. Container prices have increased 2-3 times in the last 1-1.5 years. As a solution; We tried to pass this process comfortably with good communication and mutual understanding with our customers. We have remained in maximum support and maximum communication with our customers. Freight charges are a very important expense for us, especially when the product we transport is packaged in a private label container since most of the packages of the products contain air. Despite the increase in container prices, we still try to support our customers as much as we can and try not to reflect this increase in our prices.
Where do you use digital in foreign trade? What is important to you in this aspect?
CŞ: In foreign trade, we try to use all B2C channels and marketplaces. But right now, we live in a very B2C world and the world is integrated into it. But as a manufacturer, the B2B side is much more exciting for us. We’ve had small digital experiences on the B2B plane before, but not too serious ones. We are having our first serious experience with Coimex. We tried Alibaba in B2B before, but we were not satisfied. Now we are happy with Coimex.
While digital usage increased during the pandemic, what were the digital solutions you found?
CŞ: Until the pandemic, we mainly proceeded with a private label sales strategy. With the pandemic, the world has entered a serious digitalization. We also had to create our own solutions to survive. That’s why we tried to use all digital channels in our own brand as much as we could integrate with the world, on the B2C side.
If you had the chance to be notified when a potential customer needs to buy dried fruit, what would be the impact and importance of it in your business?
CŞ: We do not do dried fruit business, which I would describe as conventional. In other words, we do not do a business like dried apricots, dried figs, and raisins that people are used to. We are working towards a more niche, more gourmet, and more refined market. That’s why we try to find customers rather than customers finding us. If the potential customer could find us instantly and when needed, it would be a great relief for us. In this way, we would devote the time we spent looking for customers to other issues that would move the company forward. This would save us some serious time.
If you had a magic wand, what would you change in foreign trade right now?
CŞ: If I had a magic wand, I would explain the benefits of organic dried fruits and vegetables and help customers understand them. Because the issue we have the most difficulty with is telling our potential customers how we are different and useful. Because when it comes to dried fruit, the consumer doesn’t usually think of the work we do. If I had a magic wand, I would try to help customers and consumers understand exactly what we are doing.
Thank you very much, Mr. Şatvan, for taking the time to answer our questions during the fair.
We are a digital platform that provides the opportunity to conduct foreign trade in a trustable community, enables target audiences to be found by both exporters and importers.
When exporters and importers could not travel between countries and could not participate in physical fairs, business methods were necessarily transferred to the virtual world.
Bringing together trusted foreign trade companies and enabling them to conduct sustainable trade, Coimex continues to add more than 1,000 trusted members from 63 countries.
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