Entering a foreign market is a big step for a value-added agricultural business. In addition, encountering the same issues you have in domestic markets, you will be faced with a host of additional issues. The foreign market is filled with unique problems. Below are examples of issues you will need to deal with.

• Language and translation.
• Currency and exchange rates.
• Economic volatility due to varied monetary and fiscal policies in foreign countries.
• Cultural differences affecting consumer demand and buying habits.
• Unpredictability generated by political whims and instability.
• Tariffs and other trade barriers.
• Distribution systems in the foreign country.
• Questions of who controls off-loading, warehousing and transportation.

For more information on this topic, see the links listed below of articles posted on related Web sites.

Basics of Exporting

• A Basic Guide to Exporting - U.S. Department of Commerce -- An in-depth and comprehensive tutorial on exporting.
• Export 101 – AllBusiness -- An online introduction to the fundamental and logistical aspects of exporting.
• SBA Guide to Exporting – Small Business Administration – A comprehensive guide to exporting.
• 20 Factors to Consider Before Going Global  – Entrepreneur.com -- Before you set one foot on another shore, read these tips from an international business expert to improve your chances of global success.
• International Business FAQs – Business.gov -- Answers to questions frequently asked about the exporting business.
• Trade and Shipping Terms - TradePort.
   

Export Tutorials

• Export Basics Life Cycle – Export.gov – An in-depth and comprehensive tutorial on exporting.
• Global Trade Tutorial – TradePort -- TradePort's Global Trade Tutorial is designed to help exporters of all experience levels.
   

Exporting Readiness Checklist

• Are You Ready to Export? – FASonline, USDA -- An online questionnaire with resources.
   

Deciding to Go Global

• Are You Ready to Go Global? – HBS Working Knowledge -- Don't think of offshoring as just reducing expenses; it's a great way to generate new revenue.
• The New Global Business Manager – HBS Working Knowledge -- What are the critical skills global managers need today compared to ten years ago?
• What is a Global Manager? – HBS Working Knowledge – Charge publication.
• Globalization: The Strategy of Differences – HBS Working Knowledge -- Should your global strategy optimize scale or exploit differences?
• How to Look at Globalization Now – HBS Working Knowledge -- How should smart companies position themselves in the global economy? By training a historical lens on the process of globalization and thinking about strategies that can take advantage of its current, intermediate state.
• Porter's Perspective: Competing in the Global Economy – HBS Working Knowledge -- Clusters, or critical masses, in one place, of unusual competitive success in particular fields.  Porter's ongoing research into clusters confirms that, even in an age of increasing globalization, these local centers of knowledge, relationships and motivation are a vital source of competitive advantage for advanced and emerging countries alike.
• Is it Time to Go Global? - Entrepreneur.com -- Despite the hurdles you’ll have to jump, finding and taking advantage of international opportunities may be a smart way to grow your business.
• International Expansion – Entrepreneur.com – Articles on taking your business abroad.
   

Assessing International Markets

• The South Asian Consumer Market: How Big is the Potential? - HBS Working Knowledge -- Figuring out how to sell a variety of products to the vast population of South Asia is a marketer’s dream—and nightmare.
• The Rise of Innovation in Asia - HBS Working Knowledge -- Asian countries are no longer just a place to get cheap labor or programming skills. Innovation is on the rise.
• Studying Japan from the Inside - HBS Working Knowledge -- What comes next for Japan’s economy?
   

Marketing and Business Plans

• Recipe for Export Success - Foreign Agriculture Service, USDA -- An online tool to assist with the creation of an export marketing plan.
• Market Potential Resources - Global Edge -- Marketers face the challenge of determining which international markets to enter and the appropriate marketing strategies for the countries they are planning to penetrate.
• Your Global Business Partner – U.S. Commercial Service -- Your local Export Assistance Center trade specialist can help you determine if you are "export ready" and assist you with the creation of an exporting business plan.
   

Doing Business Overseas

• Should I Pay the Bribe? - HBS Working Knowledge -- How should you handle corruption in your markets?
• Rethink the Value of Joint Ventures - HBS Working Knowledge -- Why are joint ventures losing favor with transnational companies? Research that suggests globalization makes go-it-alone strategies pay off.
• Negotiating in China - HBS Working Knowledge -- When U.S. and Chinese businesspeople sit at the negotiating table, frustration is often the result. This provides a summary of the historical and cultural disconnects.
• Value Judgments: Business Ethics Across Borders - HBS Working Knowledge -- Teaching business ethics and organizational values at HBS with a focus on U.S. companies brought up against some hard questions from her international students: How do U.S. standards and values apply in other countries? Is a global system of business ethics possible? Are cultural clashes inevitable?

International Terms

• International Business Glossary
• The Language of Trade -- Terms
• The Langugate of Trade – Acronyms
• International Trade Terms
• International Law Dictionary and Directory
• Trade and Shipping Terms Glossary