The land and water trade routes that covered more than 4 thousand miles and connected the Mediterranean with Asia.

Export intermediaries who represent the company in the foreign market.

An independent company that performs for a fee or commission the duties a firm's own export department would execute such as handling the necessary documentation, finding buyers for the export, and taking title of the goods for direct export.

The granting of permission by the licenser to the licensee to use intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, patents, brand names, or technology, under defined conditions

Granting rights on an intangible property, like technology or a brand name, to a foreign company for a specified period of time and receiving a royalty in return.

A contractual strategic partnership between two or more separate business entities to pursue a business opportunity together, each partner contributes capital and resources in exchange for an equity stake and share in any resulting profits.

A country that has very advantageous (low) corporate income taxes.

The situation in which companies trade goods and services for other goods and services; actual monies are only involved to a lesser degree, if at all.

The direct exchange of one good for another, with no money involved.

The situation in which the seller receives cash contingent on the seller buying local products or services in the amount of (or a percentage of) the cash.

Buying raw materials, components, or services from companies outside the home country.

A measure of the impact that activities like transportation and manufacturing have on the environment, especially on climate change. Includes daily activities, such as using electricity or driving, because of the greenhouse gases produced through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation, and so on. The higher the Carbon footprint, the worse the impact on the environment.

The company delegates an entire process (e.g., accounts payable) to the outsource vendor. The vendor takes control of the operations and runs the operations as they see fit. The company pays the outsource vendor for the end result; how the vendor achieves the end result is up to the vendor.

• Reducing costs by moving labor to a lower-cost country
• Speeding up pace of innovation by hiring engineers in a developing market at much lower cost
• Funding development projects that would otherwise be unaffordable
• Liberating expensive home-country-based engineers and salespeople from routine tasks, so that they can focus on higher value-added work or interacting with customers
• Reducing costs and operational issues by moving a business process that is not core to a company's main business
• Putting a standard business practice out to bid, in order to lower costs and let the company respond with flexibility. If a new method of performing the function becomes advantageous, the company can change vendors to take advantage of the new development, without incurring the delays of hiring and training new employees on the process.

The outsourcing of manufacturing.

A contract that specifies the service levels that an outsourcer must meet when performing the service to ensure quality and performance.

• Scope of services
  • Frequency of service
  • Quality Expected
  • Timing required
• Cost of Service
• Communications
  • Dispute-resolution procedures
  • Reporting and governance
  • Key contracts
• Performance-improvement objectives

The official forms that must be presented to satisfy the import and export regulations of countries and for payments to be processed.

The entity handling the physical transportation of the goods, such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.

A governmental agency that monitors imports and collects import duties on goods coming into the country.

Entity that typically prepares the documentation, suggests shipping methods, navigates trade regulations, and assists with details like packing and labeling.

The contract between the exporter and the carrier (e.g., UPS or FedEx), authorizing the carrier to transport the goods to the buyer's destination; acts as proof that the shipment was made and that the goods have been received.

The bill for the goods shipped from the exporter to the importer or buyer.

Documentation that provides the contact information of both the exporter and the importer (i.e., the buyer) as well as a full description, declared value, and destination of the products being shipped.

Documentation that declares the country from which the product originates.

Documentation that shows the amount of insurance coverage on the goods and identifies the merchandise. Not required.

Purchased permission to export goods from a country.

A legal document issued by a bank at the importer's (or buyer's) request in which the importer promises to pay a specified amount of money when the bank receives documents about the shipment.

The document by which the exporter tells the importer to pay a specified amount at a specified time. It is a written order for a certain amount of money to be transferred on a certain date from the person who owes the money or agrees to make the payment.

A bill that is due to be paid upon receipt (i.e., when is it "seen")

A bill that is payable 30, 60, 90, or 120 days in the future.

The situation in which an exporter sells a tie draft at a discount to an intermediary (often a bank) that will pay the exporter immediately and then collect the full amount from the importer at the later date.

An agreement in which the exporter requires payment from the importer before shipping the goods.

An arrangement in which the exporter ships the goods and then bills the importer.

Financing granted against collateral, which can be the imported/exported goods.

• A loan from a commercial bank
• A loan from an intermediary, such as an export management company that provides short-term financing
• A loan from a supplier, for which the buyer can make a down payment and ask to make further payments incrementally
• A loan from the corporate parent
• Governmental or other organizational financing

An organization that assists foreign companies in exporting their products to Japan by providing free-market entry information and business-partner matching as well as some subsidies. Also works to attract foreign direct investments into Japan.

• market-entry information,
• business partner matching,
• expert business consulting (through bilingual business consults who are experts in various industries), and
• access to a global network of executives and advisors.

An organization that helps US businesses invest overseas, particularly in developing countries, by providing direct loans and loan guarantees to projects that meet its guidelines. OPIC also provides exporters' insurance.

An organization that helps exporters who have found a buyer, yet the buyer is unable to get financing for the purchase in their own country. Can provide credit support (i.e., loans, guarantees, and insurance for small businesses) that cover up to 85% of the transaction's export value.

• How people communicate
• How culture impacts how people view tie and deadlines
• How they are likely to ask questions or highlight problems
• How people respond to management and authority
• How people perceive verbal and physical communications
• How people make decisions