Foreign trade specialists with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education (formerly import specialists) are responsible for analyzing customer requirements and ensuring that goods and services are imported and exported professionally and on time, as well as for negotiating with customers and suppliers in different languages and obtaining advantageous conditions. Foreign trade specialists are involved in the planning and organization of shipments worldwide on a wide variety of transport routes and have knowledge of the various trade barriers, rules of origin, country-specific, ecological and economic conditions as well as the special customs clearance procedures for which they prepare and initiate the necessary documents. They are also responsible for preparing quotations and checking profitability after the order has been processed, as well as for team development and training.

Continuing education, further training as an import specialist no longer exists in this form. Since 2012, it has been known as the foreign trade specialist with a federal certificate.

Continuing education, further training to become an import specialist or foreign trade specialist, as it is known today, takes different lengths of time depending on the school and training model. It takes around one to one and a half years and is completed alongside work.

The Federal Professional Examination (FPE) for Import Specialist with Federal Diploma of Higher Education (now Foreign Trade Specialist with Federal Diploma of Higher Education) consists of five parts, which are examined in writing or orally. The "Import and Export" and "Business Administration" sections as well as a case study are examined in writing, while the oral examination consists of an expert discussion on import and export as well as on business administration. Each part of the examination is scored once, with the exception of the case study, which is scored twice.

To be admitted to continuing education, training and further training as a Foreign Trade Specialist with Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (formerly Import Specialist with Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training), applicants must have either a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (Federal VET Diploma), a vocational, technical or Baccalaureate degree, a technical secondary school certificate or an equivalent qualification and at least three years of professional experience in foreign trade.