GENERAL INFORMATION and PROGRAMS for Imports and Exports (trade):
Public (government) and private resources for export and general trade assistance: (most are general in nature and should be able to meet your needs, some programs are aimed at manufactured goods firms, but programs also exist specifically for service providers).
Are You Ready to Go International?
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Basics (Getting Started):
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How To…
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General sources of information:
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Laws, trade barriers, and treaties (pertaining to United States exporters):
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For Additional General Export Advice, See Also:
Customs & Border Protection publications {U.S. Import Requirements; Informed Compliance Publications, and “Know Before You Go” – regulations for U.S. residents; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)}. | |||||||||
Doing Business in…. {select country, topics (hiring and firing, for example), and related economic data on most of the world’s economies. See also, Select a Topic which provides comparative statistics about starting a business and other topics about ‘doing business in… country’; World Bank Group (IBRD)}. | |||||||||
Doing Business in the EU {See in particular, market information; Europa}. | |||||||||
Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA) {directory of international trade associations in the United States. Also the “International Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce“}. | |||||||||
Free/Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) {USDOC, ITA, Import Administration}. | |||||||||
Glossary of terms:
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National Association of Export Companies (NEXCO) {export information clearing house}. | |||||||||
Product Classifications — Schedule B, CCL, ECCN, NAICS, SIC, SITC, etc., please refer to the Everything international product classification page. | |||||||||
United States federal, state and local economic development agencies {These are divisions of federal, state, and local government, or government agencies, the objectives of which include promoting exports (by providing assistance in various forms to companies located in their state); as well as attracting businesses, foreign direct investment, and other job-creating ventures to their states (by providing market analysis studies, tax incentives, worker training programs, etc.) The level of sophistication and services varies; U.S. Economic Development Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce.} The following are links to international divisions within state economic development agencies and are state-specific counterparts to the U.S. Department of Commerce initiatives listed elsewhere on this web page. See also, the State International Development Organization (SIDO) web site (select a specific state, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) on this page. |
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Directorate of Defense Trade Controls {U.S. agency which regulate commercial transfers of defense articles and defense services, administers and enforces arms export control laws and regulations; and provides foreign policy guidance to persons involved in the export of defense articles}. | |||||||||
US Customs Service Trade {see also antidumping and countervailing duties, drawback (see “What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Drawback” publication (PDF) for explanations), and informed compliance on the importing site; export documents and export licenses on the exporting site}. | |||||||||
World Bank Group for Businesses {financing information, political risk management, and procurement for business projects in developing countries. For region and country opportunities and overviews, view the IBRD list. See also the “Business Partnership” programs (a variety of programs – designed to meet many business needs) and the Doing Business in … which provide comparative statistics about the operating environment in a country (select a topic or nation from the drop-down boxes); World Bank Group (IBRD)}. |
GENERAL INFORMATION and PROGRAMS for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Joint Ventures (JV), and other forms of Investment.
Foreign Direct Investment Statistics (FDI) {FDI Database. Go directly to FDI stat, search country, interactive database, or Download (free), or purchase the 2007 World Investment Report (earlier years: 2006, 2005, 2004) 2006-07 Handbook of Statistics (see in particular, “International Finance” section, Part 6. For entire publication (large PDF files): 2006-07, 2005, 2004, 2003) (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader* — Get reader). Other Investment publications can be found through the UNCTAD publication search vehicle; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)}. | |
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) {F.D.I. and reverse investment data from the U.S. perspective – as investor and as recipient. Some data is provided as web documents (*.htm), some as *.pdf documents (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader* — Get reader), others as spreadsheets. Investment outflows (U.S.) by country and industry (1- or 2-digit product code level). While some data are three years old, most cover periods through last year with some as recent as last quarter, and some time series including data over past 30+ years. Also includes data on the U.S. Balance of Payments, and U.S. imports and exports}. The focus on investment patterns, as well as investment pattern data. The web address changes monthly, so there is no benefit in ‘book marking’ this page. Also available is an archive of selected Survey of Current Business articles on international transactions, international investment, and data (listed in the ‘Guides’ section); Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDOC}}. | |
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) {This is NOT an international court, but on occasion, the ICSID has assisted in mediation or conciliation of investment disputes between governments and private foreign investors. Dispute settlement is voluntary and, in part, contingent upon ratification of the convention through which the ICSID was formed by the nations (or nation’s citizens) involved in the dispute (list of “contracting states” — signators. For more information on the ICSID dispute settlement, see “About ICSID“; International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), World Bank Group (IBRD). See also “Bilateral Investment Treaties.” These treaties are available as web documents, or can be downloaded in *.pdf format}. | |
Enterprise Surveys {foreign direct investment climate – generate custom graphs; see also, Business Planet; Foreign Investment Advisory Service; World Bank Group (IBRD)}. |
General Export Documents:
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Automated Export System (AES) {electronic filing of Shipper’s Export Declaration (SED), replaced the Automated Export Reporting Program (AERP) on December 31, 1999; AES Direct ; US Census Bureau . See also the AES site at U.S. Customs & Border Protection}. | |||||||||||
Carnet {(ATA Carnet: ATA – Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission a.k.a. merchandise passport) {International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)}. For costs and other information, see also Corporation for International Business ATA Carnet site (especially their the Information Kiosk and their list of countries that include those that do and those that do NOT accept ATA Carnets); as well as the United States Council for International Business ATA Carnet site}. | |||||||||||
Export Licenses {See the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) information page. For Commerce Control List (CCL) and Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) information and file application through the Simplified Network Application Process Redesign (SNAP-R) {Note that this is a secure network and that SNAP-R is meant to provide increased security over the previous SNAP version. For additional information and to read more about the redesign, visit the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Office web site.; contacting a BIS representative, or from the Export Administration Regulation (EAR) List (to obtain an ECCN for your product, visit the ‘I need an ECCN’ BIS web site to submit a request). For CCL, select “Part 738” and “Part 738Spir”. For ECCN, select “Alphabetical Index to the Commerce Control List,” “Numerical Index to the Commerce Control List,” “Part 774,” the individual categories.)}. | |||||||||||
Shippers Export Declaration {(SED or Export Dec); US Department of Commerce}. | |||||||||||
Trade Tutor {documentation and financing; Mantissa}. |
General financing options for U.S. exporters. See also Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters {for financing, insurance and grants; Export.Gov (U.S. government export portal)} | |
Export Finance Seminars {primarily for U.S. firms and foreign firms wishing to purchase U.S.-made goods; for working capital, insurance, loan guarantees, direct loans, and other special initiatives.Export.Gov and Ex-Im Bank} | |
Export-Import Bank {primarily for U.S. firms and foreign firms wishing to purchase U.S.-made goods; for working capital, insurance, loan guarantees, direct loans, and other special initiatives. See also, their “Useful Links” page for other assistance, information, and programs}. | |
FinData {Export Credit Finance Directory contains contact information for major banks, credit insurance agencies, export credit agencies and other financial institutions, both in the public and private sectors, by country, type of product offered (for example, commercial credits, letter of credit advising, and catastrophe risk coverage), or by name or type of institution in developing and transition nations; Trade Information Service, International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO} | |
International Finance Corporation (IFC) {loan & equity financing in developing countries; IFC, World Bank Group (IBRD)}. | |
Letter of Credit Glossary {‘click’ on a letter. Registration required for some services; Mantissa}. | |
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) {corporate and project financing for U.S. exporters}. | |
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) {export trade financing; SBA}. |
FREIGHT, SHIPPING and TRANSPORTATION:
BuyUSA {freight forwarder and customs broker services explained; US Commercial Service, USDOC}. | |
Export Management Companies {Requires registration – but no fee – directory of EMCs. See also, Export Trading Companies versus Export Management Companies; Federation of International Trade Association (FITA)} | |
Cargo news and information for Air and Maritime/Ocean shipments {ClearFreight, Inc.}. | |
Trade and shipping terms {Tradeport. See alsoglossary of shipping terms (UPS). | |
Transportation Directory {associations, customs brokers, directories, freight & transportation brokers, freight forwarders, expediting services, shipment tracking, truckload carriers, and other information}. |
INSURANCE (commercial and political risks): [Back]
Types of risk:
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TRADE CONTACTS, LEADS and TRADE SHOWS:
World Trade Indicators {126 indicators measuring at-the-border and behind-the-border trade policy performance and outcome for 208 countries; See also Trade Restrictiveness Indicators; Trade Barriers; and “other research;” World Bank Group (IBRD)}. | |||||||||||
Trade Contacts:
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Trade Leads:
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Trade shows, conventions and seminars:
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SEE ALSO:
Barter News {countertrade – trade involving non-monetary exchange includes barter and many other forms of exchange. Countertrade in some form is common, often a requirement when trading internationally. This site provides many articles on examples of how firms have engaged in barter, as well as lists of U.S. and foreign traders that specialize in barter; BarterNews}. | |||||||
Centers for International Business Education, and Research (CIBERs) {U.S. government, federally-funded international business centers, the primary mission of which is to provide a bridge between higher education and business by provide all sorts of assistance from consulting, workshops, networking, etc. Although, services differ by location}. | |||||||
Economic and trade sanctions {U.S. government trade and economic sanctions — restricted goods and trading partners; U.S. Office Of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of Treasury}. | |||||||
Export Certificates of Review (CoR) {provides antitrust protection to U.S. firms for a variety of export related activities including joint export activities by two or more firms; U.S. Department of Commerce}. | |||||||
Export Controls:
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U.S. Commercial Service Directory {US national and international; Export.gov}. | |||||||
Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs) {see FTZ Basics; the FTZ Board; and especially, the list of FTZs by state; International Trade Administration (ITA); U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC)} | |||||||
Globalization Index {measures of interdependence, development and stability – trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product (GDP), as well as telecommunications (Internet and telephone data); See also older reports in PDF; A.T. Kearney }. | |||||||
Glossary of shipping terms (UPS). | |||||||
Interex Markets {basic accounting rules, tax information, market information, trade leads, etc.}. |
Legal Assistance: International Chamber of Commerce {organization information, dispute resolution services, documentation, & information; standard arbitration clause – MS Word 95 documents in Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish … Vietnamese}. | |||||||||||||
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) {MEP Center locations, by state; centers provide assistance to increase competitiveness of American companies. While the focus is on manufactureswith fewer than 500 employees, they do work with larger concerns. Stress is on the word manufacturers because there is also the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) which provide assistance to small US companies, whether manufacturers, retailers, or other type of firm. There is no specific focus on global business, but the goal is to assist manufacturers. Services include evaluation and strategies for becoming leaner, more strategically focused with becoming more lean; and addressing issues in the areas of quality control, the environment and human resources. Many centers also provide guidance with ISO certification. The program is sponsored by the US the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)}. | |||||||||||||
Service Industries and Finance {exporting advice for service industries, USDOC, ITA}. | |||||||||||||
Tariffs and Taxes:
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Trade Data:
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World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) {lists of WTCs by city and services available}. |
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