In my case I need phytosanitary certificates, with the complexity and overhead varying by destination. It isn't hardware like electronics or manufactured goods, but sterile plant cultures in jars. The main requirement is having the products and pipeline inspected by the CFIA.

The primary tension and strain comes from deciding where your market is, I think. You can simplify your overhead in obtaining certificates and building your workflows by choosing to sell to a market where these factors are minimally taxing (like just selling in Ontario or across Canada), but in my case this limits my market too much. Not that many people in Canada are buying what I sell, but there are large markets in other countries that are underserved.

I have a feeling hardware is much easier. What you're developing is probably not illegal or considered high risk where you want to sell it. In my case, some of the products I sell are banned outright because the province or state it's going to considers it invasive. Even with the certificates, I can't sell some species in some locations. Figuring out all of these requirements and rules in advance is essential so your shipments don't end up rejected and destroyed at the border.

What kind of hardware are you manufacturing?