|
Developed & Maintained by Lloyd C.
Russow
Philadelphia University
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?
|
| Basics (Getting Started):
 |
Basic Guide to Exporting {older guide -- 1998-99, but
useful general information on developing an export strategy, a market
plan, and other startup activities.}
.} |
| Exporting Basics -
Startup Kit {CITD, Maurice Kogon}. |
|
Export Programs Guide {a little older guide --
2003-2004, but information is still quite useful. International
Trade Administration (ITA)}. |
|
Export Source {Up-to-date/current. How to develop
and export plan, resources and articles. While aimed at Canadian exporters,
information is applicable in nearly all instances, regardless of home nation;
Team Canada}. |
|
Services--Going Global {exporting
advice for service industries, USDOC, ITA}. |
| Small Business:
|
|
| How To...
|
S.B.A. International Trade Program Office {The
International Trade Program Office of the Small Business Administration (SBA)
provides information about training conferences, "how to" seminars,
one-on-one counseling,
trade links, and
export financing -- Export Working Capital Program
(EWCP); SBA}. |
| International Trade Webcasts
{general "how to" information -- "Are
You Ready?" (to 'go international') to area-specific advice (Chile, Chile,
Russia...); Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA)}. |
|
| General sources of information:
| Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), {trade-related
initiatives
to promote and control trade. See: "Resource Links";
USDOC}. See also the
Export
License information page {Export
Control
Basics; USDOC, Bureau of Industry and Security
(BIS), formerly the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA)}
and 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.
|
| Buy USA Program {See also
the US
Commercial Service contacts
in major US trading partner countries (nearly 100
countries); US Department of
Commerce (USDOC), International Trade Administration (ITA), Foreign Commercial Service (FCS)}.
See also the US Export.Gov web site {US Department
of Commerce export portal; and the special site for
European Union and Eastern European export assistance
for U.S. exporters}. |
| Export Assistance Center {For
locations, etc., select state. See also the
site map and the
Trade Specialist Directory
(use
the "U.S. Office list" drop-down menu to locate nearest assistance
center and identify contact information by state) and information about the
Gold
Key Matching Service (service to identify
buyers, partners, agents, and distributors -- select country from "Gold
Key Country List" drop-down menu) and
Platinum
Key Service (broad, long-term marketing services use
the "U.S. Office list" drop-down menu to locate nearest office).
See also the International Company Profile service, and the U.S.
Missions (embassies) Online (select the country, then look for business
or commercial services);
The
Market Research Center; the
Market Research Library; and
the Webcast
Library; US Department of Commerce (USDOC), International Trade
Administration (ITA), Foreign Commercial Service (FCS)}. |
| Manufacturing.Gov {U.S.
manufacturing industries information; see especially the "Assistance for
Manufacturers" section which includes the "Manufacturer's
Toolbox" and other items; ITA; USDOC}. |
| Trade Assistance {accounting,
trade finance, insurance, shipping/logistics...;
US Department of Commerce}. |
| Trade Information Center {The Trade Information Center
(TIC) provides export and general trade assistance,
country
and regional market information, financing information, foreign documentation
requirements, foreign tariff and taxes information, trade leads, trade promotion; USDOC,
ITA; 800-USA-Trade (800-872-8723)
See also their advocacy center
if you believe that you are facing unfair trade practices}.
|
|
| Laws, trade barriers, and treaties
(pertaining to United States exporters):
| Export
Administration Regulations {Export
Administration Regulations Database. See, among other
things "Helpful Hints to Exporters";
U.S. Bureau of Industry & Security
(BIS)}. |
|
Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP) {preferential tariff/tax
treaty for goods from selected developing nations, renewed through 2008}.
|
|
2008 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.
Selected earlier reports:
2007,
2006,
2005,
2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
1998,
1997,
1996; and trade issues
by
geographic area and
by industry
or sector as well as
trade issues pertaining to the environment;
US Department of the Treasury and
US Trade Representative (USTR)}}.
|
|
Market Access and Compliance {Market Access and Compliance
(MAC) includes information on the Trade Compliance Center which assists
U.S. firms to overcome barriers to trade and investment. Among other
initiatives, MAC informs American businesses of rights and benefits under existing trade agreements
and provides comprehensive information on market barriers; USDOC}.
|
| United States International Trade
Commission (USITC)
{includes information on
Trade
Remedy Assistance Office -- dumping, intellectual property infringement,
trade data, and detailed tariff
information (by product description or HTS); The US International Trade
Commission}. |
|
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:
|
|
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.
|
Alabama,
Alaska
(see also the Industrial Development and Export
Authority), Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado
(see also,
Colorado business),
Connecticut,
Delaware (see
also expansion into Delaware),
Florida,
Georgia,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa (see also
site
expansion and development),
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana
(but see also the
general
business economic development pages),
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts
(see also the
Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment (MOITI),
and the
Massachusetts Export Center),
Michigan
(see also the
Michigan District Export
Council),
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri (see also
Missouri
Development),
Montana (see
also Export
Montana), Nebraska (see also
the Business Development site), Nevada,
New Hampshire
(see also main NH
economic development site, and
Business Resource
Network for International Business),
New
Jersey (see also the NJ state web
site), New Mexico,
New
York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon (see
also international trade),
Pennsylvania
(see also
Team PA for site evaluation as well as
supplier and sales leads),
Rhode Island,
South
Carolina (see also the SC
state web site), South Dakota
(see also the
International Business Institute),
Tennessee,
Texas,
Utah (see also the
International Trade
and Diplomacy Office),
Vermont,
Virginia
(see also
Export Virginia),
Washington,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin, and
Wyoming
(see also Wyoming
Business Council, and the "Why
Wyoming" web site). |
| U.S. Commercial Offices, by
state. |
|
U.S. National Export Directory. |
| U.S. Small Business Development
Center {SBDC program;
Small Business Administration (SBA)}. |
|
| 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)}. |
DOCUMENTATION:
| General Export Documents:
| United States
Department of Commerce {common export documents, requirements, forms,
including SEDs, export licenses and certificates of origin, as well as answers to frequently asked questions;
USDOC,
ITA}. |
|
United Parcel Service (UPS) {commercial invoice, certificate of origin,
shipper's export declaration (takes you back to the site above - AES).
Examples which can be downloaded and printed are provided with lists of
information needed for each form --
Invoice,
US Export Declaration (DEC),
US Certificate of Origin,
NAFTA Certificate of Origin; UPS}. |
|
TD Commercial Banking {Letter of credit; documentary collection; export
financing terms and descriptions;
TD
Commercial Banking}. |
| United
States Department of Treasury
{customs forms; see also the U.S. Customs
Trade site
for information on trade
requirements and procedures,
antidumping/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; US Customs
Service; US Department of Treasury}. |
| United
States Postal Service (USPS) {international
mailing instructions, forms (including customs declaration) and other
shipping information}. |
|
| 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 the U.S. Customs/Treasury Department}. |
| 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}. |
FINANCING:
| General
financing options for U.S. exporters. See also
Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters and the
International Finance site {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 [select
search/list all on this
page, and when prompted on subsequent page, enter your e-mail address]. See also,
Export Trading Companies
versus Export Management Companies; Federation of International Trade Association (FITA)} |
|
Freight Resource Guides {including
Air shipments and
Maritime/Ocean shipments; ClearFreight, Inc.}. |
| International
transportation and logistics {including air, truck, ship,
courier services, and general cargo directories, documentation software, and
shipment tracking services; Federation of International Trade Associations
(FITA)}. |
| 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:
|
Commercial and political {See
country risk ratings;
country risk assessment;
and country/sectoral risk;
Coface, NA}. |
|
US Export-Import
Bank (Ex-Im Bank) {Export Credit Insurance Program}. |
| Political risk:
 | The International Chamber of
Commerce (ICC) {The ICC is an organization
that assists with dispoute resolution among firms from different nations.
Find organization information,
dispute resolution
services, documentation, & information,
standard arbitration clause - MS Word
documents in Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek,
Italian, Spanish ... Vietnamese; and other sample clauses, such as an alternate dispute resolution (ADR)
clause are available in a number of languages. See also "Request
for arbitration - bringing
a case before the ICC", the
ICC
Commercial Crime Services, and
arbitration
reference materials. |
| 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 (requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader*
-- Get
reader)}. |
| The Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA) {World Bank Group (IBRD)}.
|
|
US Export-Import
Bank (Ex-Im Bank) {Export Credit Insurance Program}. |
| US Overseas Private Investment
Corporation (OPIC). |
|
|
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; Note that the Global Facilitation Partnership for
Transportation and Trade (GFP) is in the process of taking over the
responsibility of publishing these data; (GFP).
This data can also be found at World Trade Indicators on the World Bank web
site: (WTI);
See also
Trade Restrictiveness Indicators;
Trade Barriers; and "other
research;" World Bank Group (IBRD)}. |
| Trade Contacts:
| International Trade Centre (ITC): {the
Directory of Trade Promotion Organizations includes
national trade promotion organizations (public and private sectors),
such as ministries involved in international trade, export promotion
organizations, import promotion offices, chambers of commerce and trade
associations, as well as regional and interregional organizations. See also
trade contacts for small and medium-sized businesses; Trade Information Service, ITC,
UNCTAD/WTO}.
|
|
| Trade
Leads:
|
| Trade shows, conventions and
seminars:
|
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:
|
Bureau of Industry and
Security (BIS) {United
States offices responsible for trade with restricted areas and products; USDOC, formerly the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA)}. |
| Export
Administration Regulations {United
States EAR web site provides information
about current changes to export regulations, general export prohibitions,
special reporting requirements, applications (classification, advisory and
license) and documentation; BIS}. |
| Wassenaar Arrangement {Export
Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual Use Goods and Technologies (items
that can be used both in sensitive--e.g., military or nuclear--and other,
non- sensitive applications). There are 33 nations who participate:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian
Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States}. |
|
|
Export Directory {for U.S. assistance on federal, state,
regional and local level; both private and public resources; USDOC, ITA}. |
| 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);
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 manufactures with 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:
|
| Trade Data:
|
| World Trade Centers
Association (WTCA) {lists of WTCs by city and
services available}. |
Date of Ev-In site creation:
September 15, 1996.
Date of last update of Ev-In web pages: August 1, 2008.
Date of last hyperlink check of Ev-In web pages: August 20, 2008.
Copyright © 2000-2006.
Over 10 Years of Providing Service to the International Business
Community.
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|
