For almost any international marketing research project, an analysis of available secondary information is a useful and inexpensive first step.
The principal agencies that collect and publish information useful in international business are presented here, with some notations regarding selected publications.
Useful websites for international marketing
www.usa.gov/statistics. U.S. Data and Statistics is clearly the single most important source of data on the Internet. It is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration, produces and distributes at a nominal subscription fee the most extensive government-sponsored business, economic, and trade information databases in the world today, including the National Trade Data Bank, Economic Bulletin Board, and Global Business Procurement Opportunities.
www.census.gov/foreign-trade. The U.S. Census Bureau provides a variety of international trade statistics.
www.cia.gov/resources/publications. Find the CIA World Factbook here, as well as other pertinent trade information.
www.cpb.gov. The U.S. Customs Service provides information regarding customs procedures and regulations.
www.federalregister.gov/agencies/overseas-private-investment-corporationgov. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) provides information regarding its services.
www.exim.gov. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) provides information related to trade financing services provided by the U.S. government.
www.imf.org. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides information about the IMF and international banking and finance.
www.oecd.org. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides information regarding OECD policies and associated data for 29 member countries.
www.euromonitor.com. Euromonitor is a company providing a variety of data and reports on international trade and marketing.
www.hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/web-of-culture-worldsmart. The Web of Culture provides a variety of data on cultural dimensions such as language, gestures, and religion for a large number of countries.
University-based websites. Notable sites connected to several data sources include the Michigan State University Center for International Business Education and Research (www.globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp) and the University of California at Berkeley (www.lib.berkeley.edu).
www.globaltrademag.com. The magazine for U.S. companies doing business globally. It provides online its annual resource guide to products, goods, and services for international trade.
www.ipl.org/ref/RR/static/bus4700.html. The Internet Public Library provides Internet addresses for dozens of sources of trade data worldwide.
www.wtca.org. The World Trade Centers Association provides information about services provided by the World Trade Centers in the United States, including export assistance, trade leads, training programs, and trade missions.
Although there are information gaps, particularly for detailed international marketing information, the situation on data availability and reliability is improving.
