How to Find New Suppliers Using Trade Intelligence Data

The problem with traditional supplier search

Most importers start supplier discovery the same way: a Google search, a visit to Alibaba or a similar directory, a trade show contact, or a referral from another buyer. These approaches share the same structural problem — the information is self-reported, often outdated, and provides no way to verify whether a supplier actually exports the product at the claimed volume.

Directories are particularly problematic. A supplier can list any product, any export destination, and any volume claim without any third-party verification. The result is a pool of potential suppliers that includes inactive factories, middlemen presenting as manufacturers, and companies with no export experience in your market.

Cold outreach to directory contacts is time-intensive and yields poor conversion rates because the leads are unqualified. Trade shows produce better contacts but are expensive in time and travel, limited to specific geographies and show seasons, and still require the same verification work afterwards.

How customs data changes the process

Customs shipment data takes a different approach. When goods move across international borders, the exporter and importer are recorded in customs declarations, along with the product (identified by HS code), quantity, declared value, and origin and destination ports. Trade intelligence platforms aggregate this government-sourced data and make it searchable.

The key difference is verification by default. A supplier that appears in customs shipment records has demonstrably exported the product. Their shipment history shows when they shipped, how much, and to which countries. You can see whether a supplier exports consistently or infrequently, whether they ship to your country or region already, and whether their volumes have grown, declined, or remained flat over time.

This replaces the verification step — rather than calling a supplier and asking whether they export to your country, you can see it in the data before making contact.

The supplier discovery workflow, step by step

Step 1: Identify the HS code for your product. The Harmonised System is the international standard for classifying traded products. Your customs broker can confirm the correct HS code for your product, or you can look it up on your country's customs authority website. Using the HS code rather than a product name search returns more complete results because it finds all suppliers who have exported that product classification, regardless of what they call it in marketing materials.

Step 2: Search by country. Filter results by the exporting country you want to source from. If you are sourcing from multiple potential origins, run separate searches for each. This gives a clean list of exporters per market rather than a combined list that is harder to compare.

Step 3: Review exporters by volume and consistency. Sort results by shipment volume and look at the shipment history over time. Consistent exporters — companies with regular shipments over two to three years — are more reliable indicators of stable manufacturing capacity than companies with one or two large shipments. Volume gives you an initial sense of scale; consistency gives you confidence that the operation is ongoing.

Step 4: Check destination markets. Look at which countries each exporter already ships to. Suppliers who already export to your country or a comparable import regulatory environment have experience with your customs documentation, labelling requirements, and import logistics. This reduces onboarding friction and lowers the risk of compliance issues on the first shipment.

Step 5: Shortlist by fit. From the full results, shortlist 10 to 20 suppliers that have the right volume range, consistent shipment history, and demonstrated experience exporting to your market. This is a data-qualified shortlist, not a cold lead list.

Step 6: Use contact data for outreach. Trade intelligence platforms like Volza include B2B contact data — emails, LinkedIn profiles, and phone numbers — for verified buyers and suppliers. Use this to initiate outreach with a shortlist that has already passed a data quality filter. The conversion rate on outreach to verified active exporters is meaningfully higher than cold outreach to directory contacts.

How to evaluate a supplier from shipment data before making contact

Before reaching out to any supplier on the shortlist, review three things in the data.

Export experience in your market. Does this supplier already ship to your country? If not, do they ship to comparable markets with similar regulatory requirements? A supplier with zero export history to your region will require more onboarding time and carries higher first-shipment risk.

Volume trend. Is the supplier's shipment volume growing, stable, or declining? A declining trend may indicate operational problems, lost customers, or a shift in product focus. A growing trend suggests capacity and customer confidence. Stable volumes suggest a mature, reliable operation.

Customer diversity. If you can see the destination distribution of a supplier's exports, check whether they are heavily dependent on a single buyer. A supplier who ships 90% of volume to one customer is exposed to concentration risk — if that customer relationship changes, so does the supplier's order book and potentially their capacity to fulfil yours.

Combining trade data with standard due diligence

Trade data is the first filter, not the complete verification. Once you have a data-qualified shortlist, standard due diligence still applies. Request samples and compare them against specifications. Ask for references from existing customers in your market. Verify business registration in the exporting country. Check whether the supplier holds any relevant certifications for your product category. Conduct a factory audit or request a third-party inspection report before placing a significant first order.

Trade data reduces the size of the unqualified pool you start from, which reduces the total due diligence effort. Instead of contacting 50 directory leads to find five worth pursuing, a data-qualified shortlist of 20 suppliers may yield ten worth pursuing — with stronger evidence of export capability before the first contact.

When trade data is particularly useful

Trade data delivers the most value in specific sourcing situations:

• Finding alternative suppliers when a primary supplier is at risk or underperforming
• Entering a new product category where you have no existing supplier relationships
• Verifying a supplier's export claims before placing a large first order
• Reducing single-supplier dependence by identifying backup options with verified export capability
• Sourcing in markets where trade directory quality is poor or unreliable

It is less useful for highly specialised products with small trade volumes, markets with incomplete customs data coverage, or situations where sourcing can be adequately handled through existing relationships.

Getting started

Volza is the trade intelligence platform shortlisted on this site for supplier and buyer discovery. A limited free trial with restricted searches is available at volza.com. Use the trial to run a real supplier search against a product you currently source or want to source, and evaluate the quality and volume of results for your specific market before requesting a subscription proposal.