Canadian exporter checklist: Qualifying international clients and partners

Due diligence process and risk assessment for global success

Due diligence is the process of obtaining reliable information to verify the legitimacy and risk profile of potential clients, suppliers or partners. For Canadian exporters, thorough research is essential to avoid financial, legal, or reputational pitfalls when entering new or international markets.

Conducting due diligence helps protect your business by ensuring you work with credible entities. Skipping this crucial step can expose your company to unforeseen challenges and risks, preventing sustainable global expansion. 

“Too often, exporters rush into international deals without investing the necessary time in due diligence. They underestimate the risks, only to realize later that overlooking this critical step can cost them greatly—financially and reputationally,” says Eugenio Fernandez Aldea, Export Help Hub advisor, Knowledge Business at Export Development Canada (EDC).

Start by confirming the legal name, location and ownership of the company. Review official business registries to establish a factual baseline and ensure you’re assessing the correct entity. It’s also important to ask key questions, including:

• What’s the legal name and address of the company?
• Who owns the company?
• What’s its financial track record?

“It’s surprisingly simple to use digital tools, like online maps to double-check a business’s address. In just a few seconds, you can see whether the location is legitimate—this quick verification can save you from costly mistakes down the road.” says Fernandez Aldea.

Leverage public registries in countries, like the United Kingdom (U.K.), Estonia, Canada or Australia, to validate corporate details. Canadian exporters can use the EDC Company InSight tool for a step-by-step vetting process to find trustworthy information.

After confirming basic details, investigate the company's operations and personnel. Evaluate their website for professionalism, accuracy and up-to-date legal notices and privacy policies. These elements signal legitimacy and operational transparency.

Other key considerations:

• Social media: Check that they’re actively updated and maintained and look for online reviews, testimonials, employee remarks or media coverage.
• LinkedIn: Evaluate the employees’ profiles against the website and your communications. Do their experience, education, interests and network align with the role you expect from them?
• References: Request supplier or customer references directly from the company. You can apply the same steps for them to assess their legitimacy.
• Industry-specifics: In highly regulated industries, like agri-food, health or aerospace, use certifications, registries and regulations to gather additional information.

• Verify legal and corporate information through official registries.
• Review ownership and financial history.
• Assess online presence and operational transparency.
• Use tools, like EDC Company InSight, for international vetting.

• Gather legal and business details from authoritative sources.
• Investigate financial history and ownership structure.
• Examine company websites for transparency and compliance.
• Regularly update your risk assessment process for new markets.

 “In today’s digital world, a few extra minutes spent verifying information can give you the confidence to make smart decisions—and help protect your business from unnecessary risk,” advises Fernandez Aldea.