ABSTRACT
International trade is the exchange of goods and services across national boundaries. It is the most traditional form of international business activity and has played a major role in shaping world history. It is also the fi rst type of foreign business operation undertaken by most companies because importing or exporting requires the least commitment of and risk to the company’s resources. For example, a company could produce for export by using its excess production capacity. This is an inexpensive way of testing a product’s acceptance in the market before investing in foreign production facilities. A company could also use intermediaries, who will take on import-export functions for a fee, thus eliminating the need to commit additional resources to hire personnel or maintain a department to carry out foreign sales or purchases (Daniels, Radebaugh, and Sullivan, 2013).
