How to become an importer or exporter
Official title: Importers and exporters
Also called: Exporter, Importer, Importer-exporter, Export agent, Import agent, Ship's agent, Shipping agent, Export officer, Import executive, Export consultant, Export controller, Export coordinator
Importers and exporters buy commodities from overseas for the home market and sell home-produced commodities to overseas markets.
Main tasks
- Investigates and evaluates home and overseas demand for commodities
- Obtains orders from buyers and arranges payment by bill of exchange, letter of credit or other means
- Arranges for shipment of commodities overseas and ensures that insurance and export licences are in order
- Carries out customs clearance procedures for imports, arranges their storage and delivery and sells them personally or through a commodity broker
- Advises home and overseas producers on the likely future demand for their goods
How to become one
Entry does not depend on academic qualifications although some employers require candidates to have a degree or equivalent qualification. Some posts require candidates to have knowledge of a foreign language. Professional qualifications are available. Entrance to professional examinations requires GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades or equivalent qualifications.
Ways in
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £34,757 a year
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Questions people ask
How do I become an importer or exporter?
Entry does not depend on academic qualifications although some employers require candidates to have a degree or equivalent qualification. Some posts require candidates to have knowledge of a foreign language. Professional qualifications are available. Entrance to professional examinations requires GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades or equivalent qualifications.
How much does an importer or exporter earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £34,757 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become an importer or exporter?
Not always. 48% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Business & Commerce degrees.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.