What you need to know for international trade

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Slowly but surely, international trade is returning to normal as it recovers from COVID and adjusts to world issues. It’s complicated, but here’s an overview of what you need to know.

What is international trade?

Most of the time, international trade means that you and someone in another country trade goods and services in a free and fair way. Unfortunately, when people from different parts of the world try to trade with each other, there are often many things that get in the way. Some services, like ClearBorder, make it easier, though. These services teach people how to follow laws and rules, understand food and animal products, and know how to import and export.

The biggest problems when trading

When it comes to international trade, there are always problems. International business is tricky right now because each country has its own business policies that explain the laws and rules. These include differences in exchange rates, time zones, and inflation rates. All of these problems are getting worse right now because of things like Putin’s war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. Customs and exchange laws can also slow you down or stop you from trading.

Understand the types of international trade

Trading is pretty easy, but there are three main types that you should know about. This is because your business probably fits into at least one of these groups. These are:

• Importing: buying goods from another country because they can’t be made locally.
• Exporting: selling goods and services made locally to other countries.
• Entrepot: goods are brought in from one country so that they can be sent to another.

The pandemic and Brexit had a big effect on international trade. During COVID, international trade fell by 9%. However, trade is starting to get back to where it was before the pandemic.

The trading supply chain

The current supply chain is still getting back to normal after COVID. This is most obvious in the market for computer processors, which was already shaky and didn’t expect shortages. So, the lack of CPUs has an effect on PCs, games, and modern cars. So, when it comes to the supply chain, things like management and logistics become more important when doing global trade. For steady shipments overseas, you’ll need to build a strong supply chain with few weak points.

Knowing the law

International trade may be governed by three different sets of rules. These include the laws of your home country, the laws of the country where you want to set up shop, and international trade laws. To follow all three of these sets of rules, you have to be willing to follow the rules and keep up with changes. It’s very important to hire a strong legal team that knows all the ins and outs of compliance and to talk to people in the country where you want to export to.

Summary

There are some things you need to know if you want to get into international trade. Some of these are how to plan for problems, the different kinds of trade, and how the supply chain works.