How to contact importers you found in shipment data

1. Shortlist before you write

From your shipment data, keep importers that:

• bring in your product regularly, not once
• buy in quantities you can supply
• source from countries you compete with, since they're already used to importing from abroad

Remove freight forwarders, customs brokers and logistics companies. Twenty well-chosen buyers beat five hundred random ones.

2. Find the person who buys

The data gives you a company, not a person. Look on the company website and LinkedIn for titles such as purchasing manager, procurement, sourcing or category manager. In small companies, it's often the owner. A general enquiries inbox is a last resort.

3. Write a short, specific first message

Keep it under 120 words. Say what you make, why it matters to them, and ask one simple question. Here's a template you can adapt:

Subject: Fresh potatoes from Gujarat, 50 kg bags

Hello [Name],

We export fresh table potatoes from Deesa, Gujarat, shipping
26-tonne containers through Mundra every week in season.

I understand [Company] imports potatoes into the Gulf. We can
offer [grade/size] at a competitive FOB or CFR price, with
inspection reports for every container.

Would a spec sheet and a price for your next order be useful?

[Your name]
[Company, website, WhatsApp]

Avoid quoting their own shipment details back to them. "I saw you imported 24,000 kg on 21 March" feels intrusive. "I understand you import potatoes" is enough.

4. Follow up, then stop

Send a short follow-up after about a week, and a final one a week later, adding something new such as a photo, a certificate or a price. If there's still no reply, move on and try again next season.

5. Stay on the right side of the rules

Business contact details are still covered by privacy and anti-spam laws in many places, including the GDPR for contacts in the EU. Write to business addresses only, keep messages relevant to the recipient's work, say who you are, and remove anyone who asks you to stop.

What reply rates to expect

Expect most messages to go unanswered. That's normal in B2B outreach. Targeting regular importers of your exact product, with a clear offer, is what moves the number. Shipment data is what makes that targeting possible. Get a free sample for your product.