About This Course
Global commerce has never been more dynamic — or more demanding. Organisations operating across borders must contend with shifting trade regulations, evolving customs requirements, volatile freight markets, geopolitical disruptions, and the relentless pressure to reduce costs while maintaining service levels. Professionals who can confidently manage these complexities are among the most valuable assets any organisation can deploy.
The International Trade and Global Supply Chain Training programme by TrainingComplex is designed to build exactly that capability. Over five intensive days, participants will develop a thorough understanding of the international trade environment — from the foundational principles of trade policy and the World Trade Organization framework, to the operational detail of Incoterms, letters of credit, customs classification, and multi-modal logistics planning.
Beyond technical knowledge, the programme places strong emphasis on strategic thinking — how to design resilient supply chains, evaluate and manage international suppliers, apply trade finance instruments effectively, and respond to supply chain disruptions with speed and confidence. Participants will work through realistic trade scenarios, analyse real-world supply chain failures and successes, and leave equipped with templates and checklists they can apply immediately in their organisations.
Whether you are a procurement professional looking to expand into global sourcing, a logistics manager seeking to sharpen your cross-border expertise, or a finance officer responsible for trade transactions, this programme offers a structured, practical pathway to international trade mastery.
Who Should Attend
- Procurement and supply chain managers involved in cross-border sourcing and purchasing
- Logistics and freight forwarding professionals managing international shipments
- Trade finance and treasury officers handling letters of credit and export financing
- Import and export coordinators responsible for customs compliance and documentation
- Operations managers overseeing global vendor relationships and distribution networks
- Business development and commercial managers entering new international markets
- Government trade facilitation officers and regulatory compliance professionals
- Entrepreneurs and SME owners engaged in or planning cross-border trade
Learning Objectives
- Explain the international trade framework including WTO rules, regional trade agreements, and preferential tariff arrangements
- Accurately interpret and apply Incoterms 2020 to allocate risk and cost responsibilities in international contracts
- Prepare and verify core export-import documentation including bills of lading, certificates of origin, and commercial invoices
- Navigate customs procedures, tariff classification using the Harmonised System, and import-export licensing requirements
- Select and apply appropriate trade finance instruments including letters of credit, documentary collections, and bank guarantees
- Design resilient global supply chains that account for lead time variability, geopolitical risk, and supplier concentration
- Evaluate and qualify international suppliers using structured due diligence and performance measurement frameworks
- Apply risk management techniques to identify, assess, and mitigate disruptions in cross-border supply chains
- Leverage digital trade platforms, e-customs systems, and supply chain visibility tools to improve operational performance
- Develop a practical trade compliance programme that meets import-export regulatory obligations across multiple jurisdictions
Course Modules
Module 1: Foundations of International Trade
- The global trade environment: key drivers, trends, and market dynamics
- World Trade Organization principles, dispute resolution, and the multilateral trading system
- Regional trade agreements, free trade areas, and preferential tariff schemes
- The role of trade in national economic development and organisational strategy
- Comparative advantage, factor endowments, and the economic rationale for specialisation and trade
- Geopolitical shifts, trade tensions, and the impact of protectionism on international business strategy
Module 2: International Trade Policy and Regulation
- Import and export controls: licensing, restrictions, and prohibited goods
- Sanctions regimes, embargoes, and dual-use goods compliance
- Non-tariff barriers: standards, quotas, anti-dumping measures, and technical regulations
- Navigating multi-jurisdictional regulatory requirements for cross-border business
- Export control classifications: control lists, end-user certificates, and catch-all provisions
- Building internal trade compliance programmes: policies, screening tools, and staff training obligations
Module 3: Incoterms 2020 in Practice
- The purpose and legal status of Incoterms in international contracts
- Detailed breakdown of all eleven Incoterms rules and their risk-transfer points
- Selecting the right Incoterm for different modes of transport and trading relationships
- Common Incoterms misapplication errors and how to avoid costly contract disputes
- How Incoterms interact with insurance obligations, freight costs, and export documentation responsibilities
- Adapting Incoterms clauses within sales contracts to reflect specific commercial and operational requirements
Module 4: Export-Import Documentation and Customs Procedures
- Core trade documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and airway bill
- Certificates of origin: types, issuing bodies, and their role in tariff preference claims
- Harmonised System tariff classification: structure, methodology, and practical application
- Customs valuation methods, duty calculation, and import clearance procedures
- Export declarations, advance cargo information requirements, and customs entry audit trails
- Managing customs compliance programmes: record-keeping obligations, post-clearance audits, and authorised trader schemes
Module 5: Trade Finance Instruments and Payment Risk
- Overview of international payment methods: open account, advance payment, and collections
- Letters of credit: types, lifecycle, documentary requirements, and discrepancy management
- Bank guarantees, standby letters of credit, and supply chain finance programmes
- Assessing and managing buyer and country credit risk in cross-border transactions
- Export credit agencies: government-backed insurance, guarantees, and their role in supporting trade finance
- Structuring payment terms to balance cash flow, competitiveness, and exposure across different markets
Module 6: Global Sourcing and International Supplier Management
- Global sourcing strategy: make-or-buy decisions, low-cost country sourcing, and nearshoring
- Supplier identification, pre-qualification, and due diligence for international vendors
- Negotiating international supply contracts: key clauses, governing law, and dispute resolution
- Supplier performance management: KPIs, scorecards, and relationship development
- Managing currency exposure, landed cost variability, and total cost of ownership in international sourcing decisions
- Ethical and regulatory compliance in global supply chains: modern slavery obligations, conflict minerals, and supplier auditing
Module 7: Multi-Modal Logistics and Freight Management
- Modes of international freight: sea, air, road, rail, and multi-modal options compared
- Freight rate structures, surcharges, and strategies for optimising landed costs
- Port operations, container types, and cargo booking and tracking processes
- Working effectively with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and third-party logistics providers
- Dangerous goods regulations, cargo insurance, and liability frameworks across transport modes
- Transit time optimisation, free trade zone utilisation, and consolidation strategies for cost-efficient distribution
Module 8: Global Supply Chain Design and Resilience
- End-to-end supply chain mapping: flows of product, information, and finance
- Supply chain network design: balancing cost, speed, flexibility, and risk
- Concentration risk, single-source dependency, and supplier diversification strategies
- Building supply chain resilience: buffering, redundancy, and agility frameworks
- Inventory positioning strategies: safety stock calculation, decoupling points, and postponement techniques
- Scenario planning and simulation modelling for evaluating alternative supply chain network configurations
Module 9: Supply Chain Risk Management and Business Continuity
- Risk identification techniques: PESTLE analysis, supply chain stress testing, and risk registers
- Quantifying and prioritising supply chain risks using likelihood-impact matrices
- Disruption response planning: escalation protocols, alternative sourcing, and crisis communication
- Lessons from major supply chain disruptions and how organisations rebuilt operational continuity
- Supply chain insurance: cargo, business interruption, and contingent business interruption coverage considerations
- Embedding risk management into supplier contracts: force majeure clauses, audit rights, and minimum stock obligations
Module 10: Digital Trade, Technology, and the Future of Global Supply Chains
- Digital trade platforms: e-customs systems, electronic bills of lading, and paperless trade initiatives
- Supply chain visibility tools: track-and-trace technology, IoT sensors, and real-time data dashboards
- Blockchain, AI, and advanced analytics applications in trade compliance and supply chain management
- Sustainability in global supply chains: carbon footprinting, ethical sourcing, and ESG reporting obligations
- Cybersecurity risks in digitally connected supply chains: data integrity, vendor access controls, and incident response
- Emerging regulatory frameworks for digital trade: data localisation requirements, e-invoicing mandates, and cross-border data flow agreements
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least two years of professional experience in procurement, logistics, supply chain, trade finance, or a related business function. A basic familiarity with commercial contracts and business operations is assumed. No prior specialist knowledge of customs law or trade finance is required, as the programme builds from foundational principles before advancing to complex scenarios.
Training Methodology
- Incoterms contract simulation exercises where participants allocate risk and cost responsibilities across realistic trade scenarios
- Step-by-step documentary trade transactions in which delegates prepare, review, and authenticate a full export shipment file
- Case study analysis of real supply chain disruptions — including pandemic-era shipping crises and port congestion events — to extract practical risk management lessons
- Supplier evaluation workshop using a structured scorecard to assess and shortlist hypothetical international vendors
- Letter of credit scrutiny exercise where participants identify discrepancies in trade finance documents and propose corrections
- Interactive tariff classification practice using the Harmonised System schedule applied to a range of real product categories
- Group supply chain mapping activity to visualise end-to-end flow, pinpoint vulnerabilities, and redesign for resilience
- Digital tools demonstration covering e-customs portals, freight rate platforms, and supply chain visibility dashboards
- Peer-to-peer trade compliance audit simulation in which teams assess a fictional company's import-export programme against regulatory benchmarks
- Take-home trade compliance action plan template completed by each participant and peer-reviewed on the final day
Organisational Benefits
- Reduced customs delays and compliance penalties through better documentation and tariff classification practices
- Stronger negotiating position with international suppliers and freight service providers
- Improved cash flow management through smarter selection and use of trade finance instruments
- Greater supply chain resilience through structured risk assessment and contingency planning
- Faster onboarding and qualification of international suppliers using standardised evaluation frameworks
- Enhanced regulatory confidence across multiple jurisdictions, reducing exposure to trade sanctions and non-compliance risk
- Better alignment between procurement, logistics, and finance teams on cross-border trade processes
- Competitive advantage from optimised Incoterms selection, freight planning, and landed-cost analysis
Where Is International Trade and Global Supply Chain Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Cape Town, Dubai, Nairobi, Kigali, Abuja, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Nakuru, Riyadh, Dar es Salaam, Naivasha, Kampala, Accra, Lagos, Pretoria, Arusha, Kisumu, Addis Ababa, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
17 Oct 2026 – 8 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,500 |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,300 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
+232 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a background in logistics or trade finance to attend this course?
No specialist background is required. The programme is designed for professionals with general business experience who work in or alongside international trade functions. It builds from foundational principles before progressing to more complex operational and financial topics.
Will I receive a certificate upon completing the course?
Yes. All participants who attend the full five-day programme will receive a Certificate of Completion issued by TrainingComplex. This certificate can be used as evidence of continuing professional development for relevant professional bodies.
Is this course relevant for organisations that operate only within Africa?
Absolutely. The programme is highly relevant for African organisations engaged in intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework, as well as those importing from Asia, Europe, or the Americas. Regional trade agreements, customs procedures, and supply chain risk management are covered with African operating contexts in mind.
What materials will participants receive?
Each delegate receives a comprehensive course workbook, copies of all presentation slides, a set of practical templates including a supplier evaluation scorecard, trade compliance checklist, and risk register, as well as a curated reference guide to key trade regulations and Incoterms 2020.
Can this training be customised and delivered in-house for our organisation?
Yes. TrainingComplex offers tailored in-house delivery of this programme, allowing the content to be adapted to your organisation's specific trade lanes, product categories, and compliance obligations. Contact our training team to discuss a customised solution and group pricing.
