Resources for Researching International Markets and

So you’ve decided to venture into the global
marketplace. But how do you find the best buyers,
suppliers or markets? Below are resources that can
answer your import/export questions and facilitate your
entry into the global marketplace.

by Kelle Campbell

http://www.Export.gov
The U.S. government has created a Web portal with
export information and services from 14 federal
agencies. You can find information on exporting basics,
trade leads, advocacy services and financing programs
as well as data on specific regions of the world, U.S.
and foreign regulations, tariffs and taxes. The site
even has tips on pricing and preparing quotes.

U.S. Export Assistance Centers
Created by the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Export
Assistance Centers are located in major U.S. cities and
provide small or medium businesses with assistance from
local export and industry specialists as well as an
array of products and services. You can get advice from
trade professionals from the Department of Commerce,
the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other public and
private organizations.

You can search for centers at
http://www.export.gov/comm_svc/eac.html on the Export.gov portal.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural
Service

If you’re involved with agriculture, the FAS has a
worldwide network of specialists who can help you make
contacts overseas. Check with your state or regional
department; look for agricultural affairs offices in
U.S. embassies or for agricultural trade offices in
foreign countries. The FAS Web site (http://www.fas.usda.gov)
has an online field office directory under its "Subject
Expert Search" section.

World Trade Centers Association

Representing 287 world trade centers in 83 countries,
the WTCA supplies information about foreign buyers’
needs and can help you identify business prospects.
Register free as an online guest at the Web site
(world.wtca.org) and you can access their trade
opportunities bulletin board and a catalog database of
member companies’ products and services. Use the online
Business Matchmaker service to receive e-mail alerts of
products and services that match your profile. The site
also offers a library with links to international trade
Web sites.

Contact Information:
60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1901
New York, NY 10165
(212) 432-2626
E-mail: [email protected]

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Federation of International Trade Associations
The FITA provides services specific to trade-related
organizations in the United States, Mexico and Canada,
but anyone can access its Web portal (www.fita.org) for
free information such as searchable member and trade
directories. The FITABuy/SellExchange, a source of
international tradeleads, is available for a monthly or
quarterly membership fee.

Contact Information:
11800 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 210
Reston, VA 20191
(800) 969-FITA (3482) or (703) 620-1588
[email protected]

Journal of Commerce magazine

The journal is a weekly magazine containing articles,
case studies, statistics and analysis on overseas trade
and transportation as well as special reports such as
the World’s Top Ports. Its Web site (http://www.www.joc.com) has
daily news on logistics, a daily e-mail newsletter and
information on other publications and data services
from the journal’s parent company, Commonwealth
Business Media. You can subscribe online or call (888)
215-6084.

National Trade Data Bank

This database shows exactly what the United States is
importing and exporting and also contains market and
country research. You can purchase NTDB information
from the U.S. Department of Commerce online at
STAT-USA/Internet (http://www.stat-usa.gov) or access it free
from federal depository libraries. Another free service
is the NTDB Global Trade Directory
(http://www.wand.com/ntdb/english/html/3_mc.asp) where you can
search for companies, products and services or to
register your own.

Contact Information:
STAT-USA
HCHB Room 4885
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, D.C. 20230
(800) STAT-USA (800) 782-8872

Statistical Resources online
This guide
(http://www.jolis.worldbankimflib.org/Estats/stat690.htm) provides
links to online resources for international statistical
information. It is part of a network of libraries
serving the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Most of the resources are free, but a few are
commercial databases restricted to IMF and World Bank
staff. International data is supplied by U.S. agencies
only, but foreign countries’ statistical resources are
listed on the "Internet Resources" page
(http://www.jolis.worldbankimflib.org/nlsites.htm – Stats).

United Nations Statistics Division
The Statistics Division can supply data on what foreign
countries are importing from various parts of the
world. It also produces books, reports and data updates
on countries’ industries, demographics and more. Most
of the products are available at unstats.un.org for a
fee, but some parts of the Web site, such as the Social
Indicators data set, are free.

For more information, you can send an e-mail to the
general address of [email protected] or look up
specific e-mail addresses at the Web site.

To read this and other related articles online, visit:
http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_19000.html