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Introduction to Business 2e

Working the Net

Introduction to Business 2eWorking the Net

Working the Net

  1. Go to the International Trade Administration's Trade Compliance Center (https://www.trade.gov/) and navigate to the Research Center. Choose Research by Country and Country Commercial Guides. Pick a country that interests you. Read the most current available reports for that country. Would this country be a good market for a small U.S. business? If so, what are some businesses that you think might be successful in that country? Why? What are some barriers to trade that a company might face?
  2. While still at the International Trade Administration's Trade Compliance Center (https://www.trade.gov/), click on Trade Agreements and research various types. Select one that interests you, and summarize what you learn about it.
  3. Review the historical data about exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen available at https://www.x-rates.com. Pull up charts comparing the yen to the dollar for several years. List any trends you spot. What years would have been best for a U.S. company to enter the Japanese marketplace? Given current exchange rate conditions, do you think Japanese companies are increasing or decreasing their exporting efforts in the United States?
  4. Visit Foreign Trade Online, https://www.foreign-trade.com, and browse through the resources of this international business-to-business trade portal. What types of information does the site provide? Which would be most useful to a company looking to begin exporting? To a company who already exports and wants to find new markets? Rate the usefulness of the site and the information it offers.
  5. Go to International Trade Centre (https://www.intracen.org/). Go to the Resources tab, then Publications. Select two or three publications and use the information to explain how they could help a U.S. manufacturer that wants to go global.
  6. Go to the World Trade Organization site at https://www.wto.org. Next, click on News and Events. Inform the class about current activities and actions at the WTO.
  7. Go to https://www.worldbank.org and then to https://www.imf.org. Compare the types of information available on each website. Pick one example from each site, and report your findings to the class.
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