all business activities that involve exchanges across national boundaries
Absolute Advantage
the ability to produce a specific product more efficiently than any other nation
Comparative Advantage
the ability to produce a specific product more effieciently than any other product
Exporting
selling and shipping raw materials or products to other nations
Importing
purchasing raw materials or products in other nations and bringing them into one's own country
Balance of Trade
the total value of a nation's exports minus the total value of it's imports over some period of time
Trade Deficit
a negative balance of trade
Balance of Payments
the total flow of money into a country minus the total flow of money out of that country over some period of time
Import Duty (tariff)
a tax levied omn a particular foreign product entering a country
Dumping
exportation of large quantities of a product at a price lower than that of the same product in the home market
Nontariff Barrier
a nontax measure imposed by a government to favor domestic over foreign suppliers
Import Quota
a limit on the amount of a particular good that may be imported into a country during a given period of time
Embargo
a complete halt to trading with a particular nation or in a particular product
Foreign-Exchange Control
a restriction on the amount of a particular foreign currency that can be purchased or sold
Currency Devaluation
the reduction of the value of a nation's currency relative to the currencies of the other countries
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
an international organization of 153 nations dedicated to reducing or eliminating tariffs and other barriers to world trade
World Trade Organization (WTO)
powerful successor to GATT that incorporates trade in goods, services, and ideas
Economic Community
an organization of nations formed to promote the free movement of resources and products among it's members and to create common economic policies
Licensing
a contractual agreement in which one firm permits another to produce and market it's product and use it's brand name in return for a royalty or other compensation
Letter of Credit
issued by a bank on request of an importer stating that the bank will pay an amount of money to a stated beneficiary
Bill of Lading
document issued by a transport carrier to an exporter to prove that merchandise has been shipped
Draft
issued by the exporter's bank, ordering the importer's bank to pay for the merchandise, thus guaranteeing payment once accepted by the importer's bank
Strategic Alliances
a partnership formed to create competitive advantage on a worldwide basis
Trading Company
provides a link between buyers and sellers in different countries
Countertrade
an international barter transaction
Multinational Enterprise
a firm that operates on a worldwide scale without ties to any specific nation or region
Export-Import Bank of the United States
an independent agency of the U.S. government whose function it is to assist in financing the exports of American firms
Multilateral Development Bank (MDB)
an internationally supported bank that provides loans to developing countries to help them grow
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
an international bank with 184 member nations that makes short-term loans to developing countries experiencing balance-of-payment deficits