International trade can be defined as either the buying (importing) or selling (exporting) of goods or services on a global basis.

Thanks in great measure to the Internet, many starting businesses can enrich their prospects of success by incorporating IT into their overall business plan. In some cases, a business can be enhanced by incorporating IT marketing to supplement a domestic operation. In other cases, a business can depend solely on international trade. Let’s review some examples:

Exporting

Quality Naturally Foods, Inc., in the City of Industry, California, manufactures prepared bakery mixes for its sister companies Yum Yum Donuts and Winchell Donuts. These and similar mixes are now sold to outlets in Japan. The added volume has reduced costs of production which has benefited all customers.

Amazon.com, the preeminent online marketer (and inspiration for thousands of online entrepreneurs) has a home page toolbar called “International”. Amazon says: “Around the World, wherever you are, get what you want—fast—from our family of Web sites.”

Read Transcript Importing

Good Tables, Inc. of Carson, California, formerly manufactured furniture in its California plant but was losing sales due to cheaper foreign made products. The manufacturing was moved to Mexico in a “maquiladoras” factory.

Funrise, Inc. Woodland Hills, California, has become a world leading marketer of toys. Design, packaging and production are outsourced, primary to vendors in China.