For whom
Metal processing companies and contract manufacturers (machining, forming, steel construction), 9 to 250 employees, assessing whether and to which countries they should deliver or expand – owners, Geschäftsführung, sales management. Designed for the medium-sized business with limited resources, not for a corporate research department. A basic commercial understanding is sufficient; no prior knowledge of foreign trade is required.
What you will be able to do afterwards
- name the fundamental concepts of country risk – political risk, economic risk, transfer risk – and distinguish them from the exchange rate risk of an individual transaction
- use country risk ratings from Allianz Trade, Coface, and the OECD country risk classification for an initial assessment
- make a practical assessment of the political stability and payment behaviour of a target country using freely accessible sources (Auswärtiges Amt, GTAI, Chambers of Commerce Abroad)
- roughly estimate market potential and the location factors relevant to a metal processor (infrastructure, labour costs, legal certainty, supply chains)
- translate the results into a simple traffic light/scoring overview for your own decision-making
How the course works
Seven lessons with approximately 103 minutes of reading time, completable in any number of sessions, featuring a consistent example business – explicitly identified as fictitious – comparing two target countries. A self-assessment test at the end: 17 questions, for self-checking, repeatable as often as required. Upon completion, a certificate of participation is available as a PDF.
What the course is not
It does not cover the handling of individual deliveries – Incoterms, payment security, customs and export formalities, and export control are addressed in the course "Exportgeschäft – Grundlagen", which applies once the country decision has been made. It does not provide in-depth macroeconomic country analysis, access to fee-based credit agencies, or a proprietary country scoring model. It does not constitute market entry, legal, or financial advice in individual cases.