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Business Owner's ManualFacilitation: foreign business practicesWhen doing business abroad, you will likely need the assistance of third parties to help you get your business done. They can help you find customers, make deals, and finally transport your goods abroad and clear them through customs.
Freight Forwarders The process of actually moving your goods overseas can be quite complicated. You must be concerned with packing, labeling, documentation, insurance, and both foreign and domestic regulations. While you should understand the logistics of export, you will almost certainly need the services of a freight forwarder who handles most of the details for you.
Customs Brokers Once the goods are in the foreign port, a customs broker there can help to get them through customs by handling the necessary paperwork, documentation, etc. Your local U.S. Department of Commerce office, Chamber of Commerce, trade associations, international departments of banks, or an international trade specialist can help direct you to reputable freight forwards. As a start, you can also consult several directories available at the library:
Regulations and Foreign Business Practices When you do business in foreign country, you must of course abide by the laws and regulations of that country, and when you export you must contend with that country's tariffs, import regulations, and documentation requirements. Details of foreign regulations are very hard to obtain, and, as mentioned above, it is the responsibility of the freight forwarder or customs broker to handle these details. While you probably cannot find the relevant regulations yourself, you can get an overview of commercial law, import regulations, and the business climate in a foreign country. This will help you to conduct business overseas, and when it finally comes to moving your goods abroad. As a start, you can find out about business practices in foreign countries, including some legal information, through the Exporters' Encyclopedia, which has a several page entry on almost every country. You can also try a series called Doing Business in..., published by Price Waterhouse. These are book length works, each covering one country. Some information about U.S. trade regulations can also be found at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Web site. The Department of Commerce / Trade Information Center's [TIC] Tariff and Import Fee Information Center has links to a variety of resources about tariffs. The site includes a tutorial on getting started, tips on importing products into the United States, an online tariff database, and tax and tariff information for 97 countries. |