Thirty-five SEMA members from 18 companies spent a week in Stockholm, Sweden, this past summer networking with trade buyers from throughout Europe. The week included exhibiting at two events—one trade-only and the other a large consumer and trade event hosted by one of Sweden’s largest distributors.

Global automotive customization represents significant business opportunities for U.S. suppliers, and as overseas demands grow, so does the demand for American products. Given that 20% of the buyers at the SEMA Show are from overseas, the Show provides unmatched opportunities for exhibitors to connect with these global resellers. Here are 10 tips on developing international business at the SEMA Show.

This is another in a series of articles identifying government funds for U.S. SEMA-member companies to defray the costs of developing export business. A previous SEMA News article entitled “Grow Your Bottom Line: Export to the Underserved Global Market” in May 2022 focused on the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration’s Market Development Cooperator Program. This month’s article will focus on a partnership between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the states called the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), in which the states provide grants to help qualified companies export.

Fifty SEMA members from 27 companies participated in the ninth SEMA Middle East Business Development Program (BDP) trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The March 2022 trip—the first since the beginning of the COVID pandemic and the 24th overall SEMA BDP—represented two firsts: It was the first program to showcase two countries on one trip (the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia), and it was the first trip to Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. government estimates that less than 1% of U.S. small businesses currently export, even though there’s a huge demand for high-quality American-made products. SEMA members appear to fare better as a percentage of those that engage in exporting, yet many overseas markets are still underserved and are eager to connect with and do business with executives of SEMA-member companies.

Eighty-four SEMA Show exhibitors came away from this year’s event proudly touting 2022 Global Media Awards (GMAs). This sought-after recognition from top international journalists serving as judges demonstrates the global appeal of the winning products.

SEMA is organizing the first overseas business development trip since COVID-related travel restrictions were imposed with an upcoming seven-day trip in March 2022 to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and neighboring Saudi Arabia. Once again, a delegation of SEMA-member manufacturers will head to a promising region to meet with pre-vetted trade buyers, exhibit at the region’s largest automotive-specialty equipment show and see the market firsthand.

This article focuses on the Australian automotive specialty-equipment market and, more specifically, on the vehicles on the road in Australia that provide the greatest opportunity for U.S. manufacturers.

As the industry gets ready to reconnect in person at the 2021 SEMA Show, the excitement and pace of both domestic and international buyer registrations are building. This article focuses on the international buyer—those residing outside the United States seeking products to meet local demand, whether it be in Sweden, the United Arab Emirates or South America. What follows are some top tips for attracting international buyers to your booth. After all, SEMA members’ products have great overseas appeal.

U.S. suppliers selling over the internet to European consumers need to comply with new regulations regarding the collection, reporting and payment of value-added taxes (VAT). Starting July 2021, sellers located outside the European Union (EU) and shipping orders to consumers located in any of the 27 EU states are required to collect and pay VAT taxes through a new platform known as the Import-One-Stop-Shop (IOSS). These new requirements cover all individual sales of up to €150 (approximately $178 USD) but do not include sales overseas suppliers make through third-party platforms such as Amazon. The following are frequently asked questions regarding requirements for overseas suppliers.