Exportszint

Exportszint is a business term used to describe the profitability threshold for exporting a product to a foreign market. The word combines export with szint, a Hungarian term meaning level, and it is used in some corporate planning discussions to denote the minimum conditions required for exporting to be financially viable. In practice, exportszint refers to the price or price–volume combination at which a firm's contribution margin from exported sales covers its accumulated costs of exporting, including production and packaging, international logistics, duties, and allocated fixed costs for export activities, while accounting for currency risk and market-specific incentives.

Calculation is typically described as the minimum average export price per unit that yields a nonnegative net profit given expected export volume. A simple representation is: exportszint ≈ (fixed export costs / expected export volume) + variable cost per unit + desired contribution margin, adjusted for currency hedges, duties, and potential subsidies. Firms may revise the figure with changes in demand, exchange rates, or capacity constraints.

Uses include guiding market-entry decisions, setting target pricing in new markets, and planning capacity for exporting operations. It provides a framework for comparing domestic and international sales options and for allocating overhead costs to export activities.

Limitations include reliance on assumptions about demand, volume, costs, and exchange rates. Exportszint is not a standardized metric in economics; it is an informal planning tool that may vary across industries and firms.