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James J. Hill Reference Library Guide to International Business Resources Online “Guide to International Business Resources” is a proprietary product of the James J. Hill Reference Library. Updated July 2008. © 2008. All rights are reserved. The Internet is an important factor in the global economy, and it also makes available to all a wealth of information on international business topics. Online sources can provide leads to business customers or business partners overseas, as well as important information and practical tips regarding importing, exporting, and conducting business in other countries. News and statistical sources will provide you with current data on events in other markets, as well as analysis of international business and economic trends. There are many thousands of websites devoted to business topics, and this research guide highlights just a few of the more popular and useful resources that are available on the free internet. While the Internet is a useful starting point for business research, there are also a large number of excellent print and subscription sources that are not freely available online, and researchers will generally benefit from consulting with a librarian about their information needs. For a complete listing of Hill's preferred “Best of the Business Web” sites, go to http://www.jjhill.org/research_online/best_of_the_business_web.cfm. For more information about subscription and print resources available on this topic, go to the Hill Library web site at http://www.jjhill.org/research_online/publications_and_research_guides.cfm. Census Foreign Trade Statistics http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/ Historical and current import and export data, updated monthly. View data by country, by end-use, by product classification, by state (exports only). For a small fee, you can even order customized reports. CIA World Factbook http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html This annual CIA publication is a comprehensive source of facts and statistics for over 250 countries, covering demographics, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. The online Factbook includes reference maps, a number of useful appendices, and is updated periodically throughout the year.

Statistics and Country Background

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Export.gov: Market Research Library http://www.export.gov/mrktresearch/index.asp A service of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service, Export.gov is the portal to all export-related assistance and market information offered by the federal government. The Market Research Library lets you search for a variety of information useful to exporters, including Country Commercial Guides, Industry Sector Analyses, International Market Insight research reports, and trade organizations. Country Commercial Guides, prepared annually by U.S. embassies, present a comprehensive look at countries’ commercial environments, with economic, political, and market analysis. Free registration required. Foreign Consular Offices in the U.S. http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/ This State Department web site provides access to a directory of foreign consular offices and officers in the U.S. These offices can provide some basic business assistance, such as company directories or import/export assistance. GlobalEDGE http://globaledge.msu.edu/index.asp Created by the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University, GlobalEDGE offers information and resources on global business activities. The section “Country Insights” provides links to documents from a variety of sources, covering current news, political structures, economics and statistical data for 196 countries. The “Selected Articles” and “Special Reports” sections link to articles from Business Week, CIO, the McKinsey Quarterly, and other sources, with some full-text access. International Trade Administration http://www.ita.doc.gov/ This Department of Commerce website is a central clearing house for import and export information, with statistics, industry, and country information, and links to dozens of other trade web sites. U.S. International Trade Commission Interactive Tariff and Trade DataWeb http://dataweb.usitc.gov/ This database provides access to extensive tariff and trade data from 1989-present on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Data is available by product code, tariff program or by country or region. Pre-defined reports are also available. Free registration required. Library of Congress Country Profiles http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles.html Profiles contain brief summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunication systems, government, politics, and national security systems of countries throughout the world. Forty-nine nations are covered and updated annually. Older Library of Congress Country Studies (1988-1998) are still available at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/. NationMaster www.nationmaster.com A compilation of data from such sources as the UN, the CIA, the OECD and others, NationMaster can be used to generate maps and graphs on a wide variety of statistics Population Reference Bureau Datafinder http://www.prb.org/datafind/datafinder7.htm The Datafinder database contains information on 136 population, health, and environment variables, for more than 220 countries, and 28 world regions and sub-regions. (Not all countries have data available on all variables.)

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U.S. Commercial Service – International Offices http://www.buyusa.gov/home/worldwide_us.html This website provides information for exporters of U.S. goods and services, with over 100 links to websites devoted to particular companies and regions. Country web sites vary as to amount of information provided, but they can provide industry highlights, guides to doing business in that country or region, and news about trade events. World Bank Data and Statistics http://www.worldbank.org/data/ Country economic data from the World bank, including selections from publications like World Development Indicators and Global Development Finance; also country and regional rankings on indicators relating to People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets. World Trade Organization Statistics http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/statis_e.htm This web site provides international trade statistics of WTO member countries, accessing their Statistics Database, which includes country trade profiles, or their regular publications online. Also provides links to other sources of international trade data. Alibaba.com www.alibaba.com Alibaba.com claims to be China’s largest e-commerce company. Alibaba.com owns and operates Yahoo! China. Their English language web site primarily serves small and medium size enterprises in the international trade community. Company information can be fairly detailed, but is self-reported. CAROL – Company Annual Reports On-Line Database http://www.carol.co.uk/ The CAROL web site offers direct links to annual reports of listed companies in Europe and the U.S. Free registration required. Kompass http://www.kompass.com/ The Kompass database provides information on 1.9 million companies in 70 countries. Their free service allows you to search by company name, product or service, and country, and listings provide company address, telephone number, turnover, and date established. Only a limited amount of information is available to non-subscribers. Kompass is aimed at professional buyers who deal directly with manufacturers, agents or distributors under standard business-to-business conditions. Thomas Global Register http://www.thomasglobal.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1 This directory of worldwide industrial product information, from the publishers of Thomas Register, allows you to search for over 600,000 industrial suppliers in over 11,000 product classifications. Companies from 28 countries are included. Free registration is required.

Company Directories & Information

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International Business News

The Federation of International Trade Associations – FITA http://fita.org/index.html The FITA trade portal has links to over 8000 international trade related websites. The site provides country profiles, a listing of “Really Useful Links” that point users to sources of information in thirty different categories, such as Business Directories, Trade and Economic Statistics, Trade Shows and Events, Multi-National Trading Areas, Product Licensing, and more. There is also a section on getting started in exporting, with articles and sources for the beginner. Importing into the United States: A guide for commercial importers by the U.S. Customs Service http://www.customs.gov/linkhandler/cgov/newsroom/publications/trade/iius.ctt/iius.pdf This Customs Service publication explains the process of importing goods into the United States, covering informed compliance, invoices, duty assessments, classification and value, marking requirements, and more. Export Documents, Licenses, and Requirements by the U.S. Customs Service http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/export_docs/ This Customs Service web site provides access to the basic information new exporters need on exporting and export licenses. TradePort – Import & Export Tutorials http://www.tradeport.org/index.html This web site covers the basics on importing into the U.S., offering a five step outline of the process. Also provides tips on market research, a glossary of trade terms, trade statistics, and more. U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm The Tariff, Geographic, and Commodity Schedules provide you with the ten-digit number needed to classify your commodities, the port of lading and the port of unlading. A supplemental volume, the Trade Services Directory & Guide, provides a directory of shipping services, information sources, a glossary, trade forms, and a section covering the “how-to” of importing and exporting.

BBC Business News – International News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/default.stm Business news from the UK media giant; international in scope. BusinessWeek.com Global Business – Europe & Asia http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/europe/index.html http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/asia/index.html Business Week provides coverage of global business news on two websites, one focused on Europe and one focused on Asia, with News from other regions found on both websites. Financial Times – World http://www.ft.com/world World business news, much of it available for non-subscribers. Separate web sites for U.S & Canada, Europe, UK, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Americas, and International Economy.

Import / Export Guides

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International Herald Tribune - Business http://www.iht.com/pages/business/index.php The International Herald Tribune covers business and markets around the world. The Tribune provides nice concise coverage of the top international business stories. Competitive Alternatives – KPMG’s Guide to International Business Costs http://www.competitivealternatives.com/ Competitive Alternatives measures the combined impact of 27 significant business cost components that are most likely to vary by location. The study covers 17 industry operations in nine industrial countries. Deloitte-Touche-Tohmatsu International Tax and Business Guides http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/section_node/0,2332,sid%253D11410,00.html Provide a quick summary of key economic indicators, business and financing climate, tax regimes, trade and investment matters, and labor environment for sixty of the world’s leading trading nations. Doing Business In… http://www.doingbusiness.org/ Provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 178 countries. Downloadable PDF reports provide information about the necessary procedures for starting a business, covering such areas as employing workers, getting credit, enforcing contracts, trading across borders, and more. HLB Doing Business in… series Lex Mundi Doing Business in… series http://www.hlbi.com/DBI_list.asp http://www.lexmundi.com/lexmundi/Guides_to_Doing_Business1.asp Many accounting, consulting, and law firms have at one point or another published series of “Doing Business in…” books for individual countries. HLB’s series of booklets, and Lex Mundi’s more legally oriented documents, are still available online for free. Trade Show Week http://www.tradeshowweek.com/ This Web site from the publisher of the Trade Show Week industry journal allows you to search for trade shows and exhibit halls around the world. Trade Show News Network http://www.tsnn.com/ Search for trade shows in various industries; also, search for suppliers and venues, as well as other resources affiliated with the trade show industry.

Doing Business in Specific Regions

Trade Shows, Conventions, and Meetings

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Executive Planet http://www.executiveplanet.com/ While heavy on advertising content, this site provides informative and brief notes on popular international business etiquette topics. Choose a country, then an etiquette topic. Intermundo http://intermundo.net This site contains articles, news stories, forums, book reviews, conference information, and more for those interested in various aspects of intercultural communication. Requires free registration for full access. The International Business Etiquette Internet Sourcebook http://atn-riae.agr.ca/export/4027_e.htm#4 A service of the Canadian Government’s Agri-Food Trade Service, this web site offers a nice collection of links to various sources providing etiquette tips, tips for business travelers, and guides to doing business in different countries or regions.

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