Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark are collectively known as the Nordic region, and its population of approximately 27 million citizens is passionate about all forms of wheeled competition, including rally racing, drag racing, drifting and circuit racing. A high standard of living provides the locals with ample disposable income, and the positive perception of U.S. racing products provides an excellent export opportunity for U.S. motorsports product suppliers. In addition, the strong English-language skills among the average citizen make it one of the easiest export markets in which to do business.

SEMA-member companies seeking to sell their products globally most often do so through the establishment of a network of distributors in overseas markets. While there are multiple additional methods to getting your products to international buyers— including selling online through e-commerce or do-it-for-me (indirect) methods to market, such as working with export management companies, manufacturers reps or U.S.-based warehouse distributors—this article focuses on the distributor route.