What consists of business transactions between parties from more than one country?

International business transactions are expanding every day in both developed and developing countries that are engaged in the transfer of goods and services across borders. The trend over the last two decades has seen an attempt to establish international norms of behavior and principles for the way that business is conducted throughout the world. But for these principles to have any impact they must be enshrined in law, international conventions, or be based on universal agreements in the form of voluntary codes.

This article offers a theoretical and practical analysis of principles of international business transactions. International business transactions are deals made between parties from two or more different nation-states. International business transactions can include sales of goods or services, leases, licenses, and investments.

The parties to international business transactions are usually multinational companies, but this is not always the case. Both individuals and small companies can participate in international business transactions. For example, small firms can export or import a small quantity of goods to only one country, or a very large global firm can have integrated operations and strategic alliances around the world. An important distinction should be made among the different types of international firms – there are independent subsidiaries which act essentially as domestic companies and global operations that are integrated subsidiaries, but very well connected with the parent company. And this is vital in understanding the firm’s strategy, organization and functional aspects, such as financial, administrative, operational aspects.

Principles of international business transactions and the means by which the law regulates international business transactions have changed accordingly to the structural changes in the world legal order itself. Today, business is international and there is a general expectation that this will continue for the foreseeable future. The growth of international business transactions in the last half of the twentieth century is due to both liberalization of trade and investment and the growth of technology. For instance, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiation rounds resulted in trade liberalization, and this was continued with the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995. In the meantime, worldwide capital movements were liberalized by most governments. Moreover, the European Union introduced the new European monetary unit, the euro, into circulation in January 2002. This impacted international business economically. In regard to the second point, technological development made global communication and transportation relatively easy and convenient.

The principles of international business transactions are different than the ones of domestic business transactions because the environment changes when a firm crosses international borders. Typically, an organization understands the domestic environment quite well, but is less familiar with the environment in other countries. In order to understand the foreign market, firms have to invest more time and resources and get exposure to the new framework. The economic environment can be very different from one nation to another. Countries are often divided into three main categories: the more developed, the less developed or third world countries, and the newly industrializing or emerging economies. Aside from the economic level, the education, infrastructure, and government control can affect all aspects of doing international business. And a foreign company must be sure it understands such environment to operate successfully.

Contact us, your international business attorney in Florida, to assist you with your international business transactions.

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Consists of business transactions between parties from more than one country

How do you differ between international and domestic business?

Domestic business involves transactions occurring within the boundaries of a single country, while international business transactions cross national boundaries

In what ways does International Business differ from Domestic Business?

  • Countries involved may use different currencies
  • Legal systems may differ
  • Cultures may differ
  • Availability of resources differ

Suppliers are expected to deliver necessary inputs just as they are needed

The selling of products made in one's own country for use or resale in other countries

The buying o products made in other countries for use or resale on one's own country

Merchandise exports and imports

Things like clothing, computers, and raw materials; tangible products

Service exports and imports

Things like banking, travel, and accounting activities; intangible products

International Investments

Capital supplied by residents of one country to residents of another

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Investments made for the purpose of actively controlling property, assets, or companies located in host countries

Country in which the parent company's headquarters is located

Any other country in which the company operates (that's not the home country)

Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPI)

Purchases of foreign financial assets(stocks, bonds, etc.) for a purpose other than control 

Contractual arrangement in which a firm in one country licenses the use of its intellectual property(patents, trademarks, brand names, etc.) to a firm in a second country in return for a royalty payment. Occurs when a firm in one country (franchisor) authorizes a firm in a second country (franchisee) to utilize its operating system as well as its brand names, trademarks, logos, etc. in return for a royalty payment

International Management Contract

Arrangement wherein a firm in one country agrees to operate facilities or provide other management services to a firm in another country for an agreed upon-fee

Any organization that engages in cross-border commercial transactions with individuals, private firms, and/or public sector organizations

Multinational Corporation (MNC)

Firms that have extensive involvement in international business; engages in foreign direct investment and owns or controls value-adding activities in more than one country

Multinational Enterprises (MNEs)

Used to describe some international organizations that are not corporations, like Lloyd's

Multinational Organizations (MNO)

Think International Red Cross; can be used for not-for-profit as well as profit-seeking organizations

Can be defined as the inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies... in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before

Why do firms want to be more global?

  • Leverage core competencies
  • To acquire resources and supplies
  • To seek new markets
  • To better compete with rivals

A distinctive strength or advantage that is central to a firm's operations

Why should a firm seek new markets?

    • Firm may be able to achieve economies of scale, lowering tis average costs as its production increases
    • Expansion diversifies a firm's revenue stream and firm becomes less dependent on one country

What are the environmental causes of globalization?

  • Changes in the political environment
  • Technological Changes

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

Reduced tariffs and quotas on international trade after ww2; successor today is the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey

What are the parties that involved in the business transactions?

Parties of the transaction are applicant, beneficiary and assurance of payment. Applicant is the buyer of goods, beneficiary is the seller of goods and assurance of payment is the bank that substitiues its credit for that of the buyer.

What is business activities that occur between two or more countries?

International business includes all business activities needed to create, ship, and sell goods and services across national borders. International business may also be called global business, international trade, and foreign trade.

What is a transaction between a business and its customers?

The term business-to-consumer (B2C) refers to the process of selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services.

What is considered an international business transaction?

An international business transaction is any type of deal between parties from at least two different countries. These transactions include sales, leases, licenses, and investments; the parties to international business deals include individuals, small and large multinational corporations, and even countries.