Expert urges Wisconsin businesses to be ‘intentional exporters’ to withstand tariffs and market shifts

Roxan, introduced as a nationally recognized global business strategist and architect of Wisconsin’s ExportTech program, delivered a practical framework for companies facing tariff risk and market uncertainty.

“95% of the world’s consumers are outside of the United States,” Roxan said, using that point to underscore why exporters should not retreat from international markets. She recommended short-term choices for firms hit by retaliatory tariffs — absorb some cost, share cost with buyers, raise prices where justified, change Incoterms or, preferably, communicate early with customers and offer trade financing.

For the new-normal scenario, Roxan urged companies to diversify markets and develop clear top-10 and rolling top-five market lists so they can pivot quickly when one market contracts. She emphasized contract manufacturing as an option for non-food manufactures but said food exporters should focus on brand and differentiation.

Roxan described a learning curve many exporters experience, invoking the Dunning-Krueger pattern: early overconfidence followed by a “valley of despair” before companies adopt best practices. She said companies that institutionalize compliance, pricing discipline and sales-channel scorecards become resilient and can offer terms and trade-finance options.

Roxan closed with a case study: a manufacturer that grew from $400,000 to more than $20 million in exports after applying a repeatable export playbook. “Reactive exporters survive, strategic exporters scale, and being sustainable is never accidental,” she said.

During questioning, Roxan advised keeping market research current, doing spadework in adjacent markets while visiting top targets, and maintaining a rolling set of options so a company can pivot when needed.