Introduction to Importing

Roger Marshall has been involved in international trade for over 40 years. After spending 5 years with Sainsbury's in the buying department, where he worked on importing animal products from New Zealand  and Denmark, he spent 13 years working for one of Japan's largest trading companies.

As such, he has been involved in trading a variety of different commodities, ranging from Russian timber to rare earth critical minerals. He has also been involved in the financing and development of electronics production in Eastern Europe and has helped to build up trade in consumer electronics to major UK & European retailers.

Sandra Cooper is a trade and customs specialist at the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, supporting businesses with guidance and training to increase their growth and international presence.

Previously, she worked as an international trade adviser at the then-Department for International Trade in the North West of England. She has also acted as DIT's business specialist for Latin America and led the agri-tech and automotive sectors in the region. 

With over 20 years' experience in the international trade field, Cooper has worked with companies in the UK and Mexico, successfully developing their global distribution networks and achieving exponential export growth.

She also has a degree in international business, specialising in agriculture, from Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.