Business Environment: The International Business And Trade Environment

The international business and trade environment is the backbone of global economy. Trade agreements to buying and selling goods and services internationally give manufacturers in various countries the opportunity to expand beyond the domestic market. Trading across national borders increases sales, creates jobs, balances seasonal fluctuations and provides a variety of products and services. As the global economy continues to strengthen, international trade continues to be in demand.

4.2 OBJECTIVES

Increases Sales

For some businesses, the drop in the value of the dollar increases business internationally. To capture the international market, businesses have launched Internet marketing campaigns and websites targeted at consumers in specific

This is true of domestic as well as international firms. A firm doing business abroad must understand and obey the laws of the host country. For example, the American federal government has put forth a number of laws that regulate the activities of U.S. firms engaged in international trade. However, once outside U.S. borders, American organizations are likely to find that the laws of the other nations differ from those of the U.S. Many legal rights that Americans take for granted do not exist in other countries.

Different laws exist in different countries not only in the area of marketing mix variables but also for other business decisions like location of plant, level of production, employment of people, raising money from the market, accounting and taxation, property rights including immovable property and patent and trade marks, cancellation of

These member countries, or shareholders, are represented by a Board of Governors, who are the ultimate policymakers at the World Bank. Generally, the governors are member countries' ministers of finance or ministers of development. They meet once a year at the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.

The governors delegate specific duties to 25 Executive Directors, who work on-site at the Bank. The five largest shareholders appoint an executive director, while other member countries are represented by elected executive directors.

• World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim chairs meetings of the Boards of Directors and is responsible for overall management of the Bank. The President is selected by the Board of Executive Directors for a five-year, renewable term.

• The Executive Directors make up the Boards of Directors of the World Bank. They normally meet at least twice a week to oversee the Bank's business, including approval of loans and guarantees, new policies, the administrative budget, country assistance strategies and borrowing and financial