TABLE OF CONTENTS People have traded surplus goods and produce for centuries. The framework for international trade was laid down at the turn of the nineteenth Century trading although this was one-sided in favour of Britain. During the twentieth Century, as the British Empire in particular diminished, trade between nations evolved on a fairer and more meaningful buyer/seller basis. Some nations possess natural resources in excess of their needs which have a value placed on them by other nations and this forms the basis of trading.
Since the advent of industrialisation the concept of trading has become more complicated. Human expectations have risen such that people are no longer content with the basic essentials of life. Manufacturers have responded by producing goods designed to fulfil these higher expectations. In order for economies to grow and develop, they must earn revenue that comes from outside their own countries. Governments have a vested interest in promoting international trade and to attempt to ensure that their balance of trade is not adverse.
The marketing concept has developed and been accepted as a way of business management that is valid internationally. The pursuit of customer satisfaction that is demanding in home markets requires additional skills when operating in internationally. A new marketing mix that caters for differences in language and culture is often developed to suit foreign markets. International marketing involves precise documentation, and is often frustrating when dealing with problems not normally encountered in home-based marketing, but it can be very rewarding. The late...
