The selection of priority markets is a key question for any firm which decides to sell a part of its production abroad. Also, it is fundamental to the determination of such markets for those national institutions which have taken charge of commercial promotion abroad. This work analyzes, firstly, the characteristics that identify the world olive oil market and, secondly, sets down a systematic process for the selection of export markets on the part of the small virgin olive oil producers that form a strategic sector of the Spanish economy, thereby allowing them to focus their international activities into those markets with more potential so that they are able to maximize their profitability without wasting unnecessary resources.