Methods for Business Entry into the Global Marketplace

There are a variety of methods businesses can use to enter the global marketplace. Some carry heavier risks than others, and some require firms to give up some of their control. Read about the types of international business and rate them based on risk and control.

Exporting

Exporting is the practice of shipping goods from the domestic country to a foreign country.


LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Explain how exports are accounted for in international trade


KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points
  • This term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country.
  • In national accounts "exports" consist of transactions in goods and services (sales, barter, gifts or grants) from residents to non-residents.
  • Statistics on international trade do not record smuggled goods or flows of illegal services. A small fraction of the smuggled goods and illegal services may nevertheless be included in official trade statistics through dummy shipments that serve to conceal the illegal nature of the activities.
Key Terms
  • export: to sell (goods) to a foreign country
  • import: To bring (something) in from a foreign country, especially for sale or trade.
  • exporting: the sale of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories
  • exporting: the act of selling to a foreign country


This term "export" is derived from the concept of shipping goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer". In international trade, exporting refers to selling goods and services produced in the home country to other markets.

Oil Exports 2006: The map shows barrels of oil exported per day in 2006. Russia and Saudi Arabia exported more barrels than any other oil-exporting countries.


Export of commercial quantities of goods normally requires the involvement of customs authorities in both the country of export and the country of import. The advent of small trades over the internet such as through Amazon and eBay has largely bypassed the involvement of customs in many countries because of the low individual values of these trades. Nonetheless, these small exports are still subject to legal restrictions applied by the country of export. An export's counterpart is an import.

In national accounts, exports consist of transactions in goods and services (sales, barter, gifts, or grants) from residents to non-residents. The exact definition of exports includes and excludes specific "borderline" cases. A general delimitation of exports in national accounts is as follows: An export of a good occurs when there is a change of ownership from a resident to a non-resident; this does not necessarily imply that the good in question physically crosses any border. However, in specific cases, national accounts impute changes of ownership even though in legal terms no change of ownership takes place (e.g. cross border financial leasing, cross border deliveries between affiliates of the same enterprise, goods crossing the border for significant processing to order or repair). Smuggled goods must also be included in the export measurement.

Export of services consist of all services rendered by residents to non-residents. In national accounts, any direct purchases by non-residents in the economic territory of a country are recorded as exports of services; therefore, all expenditure by foreign tourists in the economic territory of a country is considered part of the export of services of that country. International flows of illegal services must also be included.

National accountants often need to make adjustments to the basic trade data in order to comply with national accounts concepts; the concepts for basic trade statistics often differ in terms of definition and coverage from the requirements in the national accounts:

Data on international trade in goods is mostly obtained through declarations to customs services. If a country applies the general trade system, all goods entering or leaving the country are recorded. If the special trade system (e.g., extra-EU trade statistics) is applied, goods which are received into customs warehouses are not recorded in external trade statistics unless they subsequently go into free circulation in the country of receipt.