Career Prospects after International Trade Management 2025

What is International Trade Management?

International Trade Management is responsible for supervising the exchange of goods and services across international borders. The field involves the work of the documentation related to the entire process of import and export while adhering to the customs regulations, laws and procedures. Fields related to International Trade are as follows:

• Export and import operations

• Market analysis and strategy

• Trade finance

• Legal and ethical issues

Roles and Responsibilities in the International Trade Management Industry

The industry revolves around these major responsibilities:

• Compliances of the Legalities: Ensuring that all international trade activities are in accordance with the legalities.

• Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Management of all the transportation, warehousing, and overall distribution of goods across the countries.

• Automating and Streamlining Trade Processes: This is done to control costs, reduce risks, and clear customs faster.

• Market Analysis

• Conducting a detailed market analysis to look out for potential growth opportunities and for the mitigation of any risks involved.

• Negotiation: Negotiating trade agreements while managing all the formalities with international traders.

• Work on the Delivery Performance: When the global supply chain performance is improved, it automatically affects the intrastate processes by streamlining it completely. This ultimately results in an improved on-time delivery process.

Colleges that Offer an Online MBA in International Trade Management

Here are the top colleges in India that offer an Online MBA in International Trade Management. The fee chart mentioned is subject to change depending on the university guidelines, year of admission, and other factors such as financial aid, scholarships and the mode of payment.

Career Prospects

Here are the top career prospects after completing an MBA in International Trade Management:

1. International Trade and Customs Manager

An International Trade and customs manager is a professional responsible for looking after global logistics. They also handle customs compliance-related matters and oversee the supply chain management. Through their education, they specialise in International Trade and marketing. The following are their main responsibilities:

• Compliance and Regulations: Since they oversee the entire supply chain management, there are multiple legal formalities involved. The international trade and customs manager has to look into the laws and customs regulations while adhering to international trade laws. Additionally, they also have to stay in the loop regarding all the changes that take place in the trade policies.

• Preparation of the Documents: International trade and customs managers are also responsible for looking into the import and export documentation. This involves billing, commercial invoices and certificates of origin. With this, they also take care of the accuracy of the entire documentation so that there is no scope for any delays.

• Mitigating Risks: Identifying the areas of risk can prove to be one of the most challenging responsibilities of International Trade and customs managers. They work with the tariffs, duties imposed on the goods that are imported and the trade barriers. This helps them identify the areas where they need any fixing and immediately take action through strategic goals to tackle problems such as frequent fluctuations and risks that come from geopolitical problems.

Here are the top five skills required by an international trade and customs manager:

• Knowledge of Trade Regulations

• Attention to Detail

• Analytical Skills

• Communication Skills

• Problem-Solving Skills

2. Export Manager 

An export manager is responsible for looking after the shipment of goods on the international forum while also maintaining the documentation related to that with the companies involved and ensuring that the entire process is in compliance with international trade laws. They have to make sure that the goods that are being exported reach their destinations without any damage or complaint.

The following are their responsibilities:

• Export Managers are largely responsible for managing the documentation that is involved in the entire process of shipment and logistics.

• They also make sure that the rules and regulations are adhered to.

The following are the skills required by an export manager:

• The export manager is expected to be well aware of the trade rules and regulations.

• They have to be really good at negotiation when export deals are being carried out.

3. Import Manager 

An Import manager is a professional who looks into the import of the goods. They are connected with the suppliers, customs, logistics and the middlemen involved. They manage the delivery of the imported goods to ensure that they are imported on time.

The following are the responsibilities of an import manager:

• An import manager has to oversee the entire documentation and the customs to ensure they are clear.

• They must maintain good relations with the vendors involved and, therefore, be well-connected.

The following are the skills required by an import manager:

• For an export manager, the individual must be knowledgeable about the customs and their rules.

• They must be organised in their approach and have the skills to keep the team together.

4. Trade Compliance Manager 

A trade compliance manager is a professional who ensures that the import and export activities are in accordance with the laws and the rules are not compromised as these activities are carried out on international platforms.

The following are the responsibilities of a trade compliance manager:

• A trade compliance manager oversees and enforces all the compliance policies.

• They work on the details involved in the import and export activities to ensure a smooth delivery.

The following are the skills required by a trade compliance manager:

• An in-depth understanding of all the rules and regulations regarding the international level of import and export.

• Coordination with the vendors and the middlemen involved in order to ensure that the delivery is not compromised on any level.

5. Customs Broker

A customs broker is responsible for clearing the goods that pass through customs when they are imported or exported on international borders.

The following are the skills required by a trade customs broker:

• In-depth understanding of import/export laws and procedures.

• Accuracy in managing documentation and compliance.

• Ability to liaise with government agencies and clients effectively.

The following are the skills required by a customs broker:

• Preparing and submitting all customs documentation involved to ensure that they align with the compliance with regulations.

• Calculating and paying duties, taxes, and tariffs on behalf of clients and keeping a record of the same.

• Advising clients on customs-related matters and ensuring smooth border clearance of the goods as the entire process takes place on a larger level.

6. Freight Forwarder

A freight forwarder is a professional who looks after the logistics of transporting goods from one location to another when the process takes place across international borders. They have to coordinate with the carriers and look into several nitty-gritty issues such as shipping, delivery of goods on time, and the condition in which they are delivered.

The following are the skills required by a Freight Forwarder:

• Logistics Coordination

• Negotiation

• Time Management

• Customer Service

• Problem-Solving

The following are the skills required by a freight forwarder:

• Coordinating multi-modal transport to ensure the delivery of goods is timely.

• Managing and processing shipping documentation to ensure that the goods pass the customs clearance.

• Tracking shipments and providing clients with updates on delivery status.

7. Trade Finance Manager

A trade finance manager is responsible for negotiating with the financial institutions involved. They mainly look into the trading teams to understand the trade flow and also make sure that the financial risks are eliminated.

The following are the skills required by a Trade finance manager:

• Financial Analysis

• Risk Management

• Negotiation

• Regulatory Knowledge

• Attention to Detail

The following are the skills required by a trade finance manager:

• Managing letters of credit, guarantees, and other trade finance instruments to facilitate secure payments.

• They have to assess and mitigate any financial risks that may be associated with international transactions.

• They have to make sure that compliance with trade finance regulations and anti-money laundering laws is managed well.

8. Logistics Manager

Logistics managers are the supply chain experts who are responsible for overseeing the entire process of shipping, purchasing, and operations that are involved in supply chain management.

The following are the skills required by a logistics manager:

• Supply Chain Management

• Leadership

• Analytical Thinking

• Time Management

• Decision-Making

The following are the skills required by a logistics manager:

• The logistics manager is responsible for proficiency in managing and optimising the supply chain.

• They work on developing the ability to analyse logistics data and improve operations.

• They have the necessary skills to lead and coordinate teams for efficient operations.

Additional Career Prospects in International Trade Management and Their Salary Structure

Here are the career prospects in the field of International Trade Management. The salary chart mentioned here is subject to change depending on the company, job role, educational qualifications, experience, skills and many other factors.

Recruitment After Completing an MBA in International Trade Management

You may get a handsome salary after completing your MBA in International Trade Management. The list of recruiters is mentioned in the table below. The salary is subject to change as it depends on various factors such as educational qualifications, experience, skills, job role, designation, location of the recruiter, and other related parameters.

Conclusion: Final Words

International Trade Management is an industry that involves the supervision of all the goods and services that are imported or exported across international borders. This involves important duties such as the supervision of the supply chain management and looking into heavy documentation. While they may sound like a cumbersome process, they are also an extremely crucial part of handling the import and export of goods and services on an international level.

Therefore, the professionals who work in these fields are generally required to pursue an MBA that prepares them with the knowledge of the necessary skills that are the most efficient for effective management.

Only the most refined management skills can help an individual tackle such important and work-intensive job responsibilities. Planning your online MBA journey in this field can assure you a stable career ahead of time and also guide you through the industry and its responsibilities.

All the Best!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the most desirable career options after an MBA in International Trade management?

All the jobs in the field of international trade management after an MBA are highly desirable and can even yield an impressive return on investment. However, here are the top five options that you can explore:

• International Trade Manager

• Export Manager

• Global Supply Chain Manager

• International Business Consultant

• Trade Compliance Manager

Q2. What is the most challenging aspect of becoming an international trade manager?

The most challenging aspect can be the effort to mitigate risk factors. On the global level, the work of import and export is highly sensitive and cannot afford to be taken for granted. This requires the work of professionals who are trained well in this field and have the ability to make a note of the factors that can potentially prove to be a risk for the import and export several businesses are involved in the process and the government rules and regulations are also necessary to adhere to.

Q3. Does International Trade Management also require economics as a bachelor’s degree

Since it is an MBA degree in International Trade Management, you do not need to pursue any specific bachelor’s degree prior. However, an understanding of subjects such as economics that includes micro and macroeconomics can significantly improve your knowledge about import, export, tariffs, trade, and other such connected topics.

Q4. What is the difference between tariffs and duties that are levied on the products that are imported or exported?

Tariffs are taxes that are levied on imported goods to safeguard domestic industries and generate revenue. On the other hand, duties are specific taxes or fees levied on certain goods based on their classification and value, often encompassing both tariffs and other trade-related charges.

Q5. What are the top five career prospects that pay well after completing an MBA in International Trade Management?

Here are the top five career prospects that pay well after an MBA in International Trade Management:

• International Trade Manager

• Global Supply Chain Manager

• Export Manager

• Trade Compliance Manager

• International Business Development Manager