University Library > International Business

International Business

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Dictionaries & Reference Tools

Acronym Finder (Mountain Data Systems)
This 347,000 entry dictionary is helpful for deciphering acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms used in international business.

Dictionary of International Trade Terms (US International Trade Data System)
Handy for deciphering international trade jargon.

Company & Trade Association Directories

Associations Unlimited (Gale Group) Off-Campus Users access requires UW-W ID number.
Listings for 158,000 regional, national and international associations including business and trade organizations. Search by name, industry, keyword and location.

Corporate Affiliations (National Register Publishing) Off-Campus Users access requires UW-W ID number.
Search for companies by name, industry, geography or size. Includes 174,000 US and international parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and divisions - all the way down to the seventh level of reporting relationships.  All domestic and foreign subsidiaries are included.

LexisNexis Academic (LexisNexis) Off-Campus Users access requires UW-W ID number.
Choose Business, then Company Profiles to search for millions of US, international, public and private companies. To screen for companies by industry and location, use the SIC code instead of Company Name search (look up SIC codes here). In the Narrow Search box, type the city or country (e.g., London). In the Source box, choose a source to search (e.g., International Company Reports) and choose a date range.

Thomas Global Register (Thomas Publishing Company)
Directory of American suppliers and exporters. Search by product/service or by company name.

Europages: The European Business Directory (Euredit S.A.)

Search for information on 500,000 companies in 33 European countries.

Federation of International Trade Associations (Reston, VA)
This association of US, Canadian and Mexican international trade associations. Web site offers resources to help traders with their market research and find contacts in their field.

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Country Information & Statistics

BBC News: Country Profiles (British Broadcasting Corporation)
An excellent source for history, politics and quick facts (including BBC video and audio clips) of more than 200 countries.

Country Background Notes (US Department of State)
Background Notes include a country profile, basic demographics, history, current economic and political conditions and more.

Country Briefings (Economist.com)
Includes political and economic forecasts, economic and political structure data and recent news (some recent news and reports require a subscription, but most are free).

Country and Industry Market Reports (US Department of Commerce, Export.gov)
Includes useful information for those wanting to conduct business in a particular country. Country Commercial Guides cover the economic and political situation, trade regulations and standards, marketing of US products, trade statistics, a trade show calendar and much more. There are other reports to choose from as well such as Industry Sector Analysis. Free registration is required.

Country Factfile (Euromonitor International)
Click on the Country factfile link for a country to find basic lifestyle characteristics and socio-economic indicators (Country factfiles are free; Reports are not).

Country Information (International Monetary Fund)
Find detailed information on the finances of countries. The Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix reports are especially helpful as they contain trade statistics. The PDF versions are usually free, so click on the links to those versions.

Country Market Research (Trade Compliance Center, US Dept. of Commerce)
These reports are designed to help US exporters understand and evaluate opportunities created by US trade agreements.

Country Profiles (International Trade Data System, US Dept. of the Treasury)
These profiles are actually sets of links to key trade resources on country Web sites as well as links to key profiles on other sites.

Country Profiles and Resources (Federation of International Trade Associations)
Get a country profile along with helpful information about market access, economic indicators, country risk, doing business, agricultural data, tax information, labor market, and the media.

Country Profiles from World Trade Press (TradePort)
Select a country and find trade and travel information for 175 countries.

Country Studies (Library of Congress Federal Research Division)
Detailed reports on the history, economy, government, and social conditions of 100 countries worldwide.

globalEDGE (Michigan State Univ.)
Includes country overviews and market potential indicators for developing countries. Has links to media, research and trade resources.

Information for Exporters of US Goods and Services (US Commercial Service)
Select a country and find market research, quick facts, trade shows and travel/visa and other information on doing business in that country.

Kwintessential Company Profiles (Kwintessential Language and Cultural Specialists)
Find brief profiles of 40+ countries that include sections on society & culture, general etiquette and business etiquette.

Walden Country Reports (Walden Publishing Ltd. via LexisNexis) Off-Campus Users access requires UW-W ID number.
These lengthy country reports government, industry, banking and finance, companies, investment, stock exchange, natural resources, energy, agriculture, transport, communications and the media, armed forces, education, health and welfare, geography and climate, visitors' guide, and useful business addresses.

World FactBook (US Central Intelligence Agency)
Country profiles include sections on geography, people, economy, communications, transportation, and military.

Economic Development

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Established in 1991, EBRD supplies project financing, in conjunction with commercial partners, to banks, industries and businesses in 27 countries from central Europe to central Asia.

International Monetary Fund
This organization promotes economic development in its 184 member countries by fostering international monetary cooperation and providing financial and technical assistance.

Inter-American Development Bank
This organization has 184 member countries and was created to foster international monetary cooperation and economic growth.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Economic trends in the free market democracies.

United Nations Economic and Social Development (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
This site links to various offices, programmes, and departments within the United Nations that deal with economic and social development.

US Agency for International Development
The US Government's arm for assisting other countries with disaster relief and economic reform.

World Bank Group
The World Bank Group provides assistance to developing countries, working with governmental agencies and private organizations to eliminate poverty and improve living standards. World Bank affiliates include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Development Association, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

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Financial Markets & Banking

Bank for International Settlements
This organization facilitates the work of central banks and operates as a bank and intermediary for them.

Central Bank Websites (Bank for International Settlements)
Links to the Web sites of central banks for more than 130 countries.

OANDA Currency Converter (Olson and Associates)
Find current exchange rates as well as historic quotes from the 1970s to the present.

Stock & Commodity Exchanges (University Library, UW-Whitewater)
Link to stock and commodity exchanges around the world.

International Affairs & Government

Countries & Regions (US Department of State)
Find chiefs of state of foreign countries, foreign embassies, US embassies and consulates in other countries, country Background Notes and much more.

The Electronic Embassy (TeleDiplomacy, Inc, Arlington, VA)
Information on Washington D.C.'s embassy community including links to all the embassy Web sites.

International Affairs Resources (Elizabethtown College)
World Wide Web Virtual Library resources covering a broad range of international topics, including media, organizations, business & economics, development and country research.

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Labor & Employment

Bureau of Labor Statistics (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Employment, unemployment, inflation, consumer spending, wages, earning, productivity, labor force demographics, foreign labor statistics -- if it has to do with labor -- this site has it!

International Labour Organization (United Nations)
This agency sets standards for international labor and provides technical assistance in areas such as working conditions, social security, employment policy, vocational training & rehabilitation. The Web site features labor statistics and information on all aspects of labor with a global perspective.

Labour History (WWW Virtual Library)
Maintained in Amsterdam by the International Institute of Social History and the Netherlands Economic History Archive, this site provides links to international labor history organizations, conferences, journals, reference tools and more.

Legal & Regulatory Environment

Country and Industry Market Reports (US Department of Commerce, Export.gov)
Includes useful information for those wanting to conduct business in a particular country. Country Commercial Guides cover the economic and political situation, trade regulations and standards, marketing of US products, trade statistics, a trade show calendar and much more. There are other reports to choose from as well such as Industry Sector Analysis. Free registration is required.

Foreign Entry Requirements (US Department of State)
Do you need a visa or vaccination to visit Bosnia or India or Gabon -- or must you register with the police upon arrival? Find out foreign entry requirements on this handy site from the State Department.

International Tax Laws by Country (Internet Law Library)
Find a country-by-country listings of Web sites relating to tax laws.

Juris International (International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO-ITC & LexUM of the Center for Research in Public Law at the University of Montreal)
This site is a collection of 30,000 pages of contracts, conventions and laws on international trade (in English, Spanish, and French). Search by keyword or select from subject menus.

Nations of the World (Law Library of Congress)
This site has pages for more than 240 countries. Each page links to the country's constitution and branches of government as well as to legal guides for the country.

Revised Guide to International Trade Law Sources on the Internet (Marci Hoffman, Law Library Resource Xchange, LLC)
This detailed guide provides links to sites covering topics such as trade agreements, dispute resolution, and international trade organizations.

SICE: Foreign Trade Information System (Organization of American States: Trade Unit)
Includes the fulltext of trade agreements, treaties, dispute settlements. Includes trade data and in-depth information on many trade issues.

Trade Compliance Center (US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration)
Includes sections on understanding trade agreements (such as NAFTA and various WTO agreements), reporting trade barriers, and researching countries.

United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UN Office of Legal Affairs)
This site has the fulltext of international laws, treaties, and agreements dealing with trade.

World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva, Switzerland)
Learn about international protection for patents, trademarks and industrial design.

WTO Legal Texts (World Trade Organization)
Find the text of trade agreements, such as GATT on the WTO site. The WTO Trade Topics section of the WTO site is a gateway to many trade topics.

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News & Articles

ABI/Inform Global (ProQuest: 1971- ) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
Indexes more than 1,300 business publications including 600 journals with full text from 1992 to present. Many international resources are included and coverage is global in scope.

Business Dateline (FirstSearch: 1985- ) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
The prime place to search for regional business news in the US and Canada. Includes searchable fulltext articles from more than 500 North American regional business tabloids, magazines, daily newspapers, and news wire services. This database covers regional business activities and trends with particular emphasis on economic conditions in selected cities, states, or regions, as well as mergers, acquisitions, company executives, new products, and competitive intelligence. LIMITED SEARCHING: The Library is charged per search for this database. Please contact B. Bren (brenb@uww.edu or 262-472-5521) before beginning large research projects requiring many searches.

Business Full Text (WilsonWeb: 1982- )Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
Indexes and abstracts articles from more than 345 English-language periodicals published in the United States and elsewhere, including the leading business magazines and trade and research journals, plus the partial/full text of over 160 of those periodicals. Partial/full text coverage begins in January 1995.

Business Source Elite (EBSCOhost) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
Provides comprehensive access to abstracts and indexing for over 1500 titles, plus searchable full text for more than 750 business periodicals.

Economist.com (The Economist)
Read the latest global economic news from a European perspective. Also search the Economist via LexisNexis (Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number) for an archive of fulltext articles and for current articles that require a subscription.

FT.com (Financial Times)
Get the latest financial news from a European perspective. Also search the Financial Times via LexisNexis (Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number) for the archive of fulltext articles.

LexisNexis Academic (LexisNexis) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
This database covers thousands of magazines, journals, newswires, and newspapers, including foreign language news and many international publications. Choose News or Business to search for news and articles about companies from business magazines, industry trade journals, newspapers and newswires. These are some of the important areas to search:

  • World News (from the News menu) - search regional news from Europe, Asia/Pacific, etc.
  • Business News (from the News menu) - search news from business & finance publications or industry and trade publications
  • Industry & Market (from the Business menu) - search news by selecting publications from a specific industry
  • General News(from the News menu) - search major US and world newspapers and magazines

ProQuest Newspapers (ProQuest) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
Full text articles and citations from more than 500 US and foreign newspapers and newswires including Wall Street Journal, New York Times, London Times, Financial Times, South China Morning Post, Irish Times and Jerusalem Post.

STAT-USA (US Department of Commerce) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
Comprehensive library of international trade resources from 40 US government agencies compiled by the Department of Commerce includes: Bureau of Economic Analysis Economic Information (news releases and data files from BEA's national regional, and international product accounts); the Electronic Bulletin Board (news releases and analyses of markets, products, and economic trends); and National Trade Data Bank (country commercial guides, market research reports, and extensive import and export statistics.

Tablebase (RDS) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number - restricted to 1 user at a time.
TableBase is a database comprised of tables providing information such as: market share, market size, capacity, production, imports, exports, sales, product and brand rankings, forecasts, healthcare statistics and demographics. Tables are drawn from the more than 1000 sources that go into the Business & Industry database and from statistical annuals, brokerage reports, trade association reports, and governmental reports.

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Tools for Trade - Import/Export

APEC Tariff Database (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, World Customs Organization)
Find tariff schedules, concessions, and prohibitions for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation member countries.

FAOSTAT (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
Find import and export values and quantities of food products by country, region, product, and year.

Import Regulations of Major Countries: SME Center (Hong Kong Trade Development Council)
Want to import into Australia, Canada, China, EU, Japan or the United States? This site gives a brief overview for each country as well as links to the appropriate agency Web site for getting the details on importing.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
This non-governmental organization is made up of standards groups from 140 countries. The standards it publishes are designed to help companies trade internationally by applying consistent criteria to their production and provision of services. The site offers lots of information on standards, which may be purchased online.

International Trade Data System Importing/Exporting Resources (US Dept. of the Treasury)
Find the International Trade and Tariff database, metropolitan area exports, exports by state, US tariff schedules, and many other trade, import and export resources.

International Trade (US Business Advisor)
Created by the small Business Administration, the International Trade section of the US Business Advisor serves as a portal for international trade information from dozens of federal government agencies.

Trade Information Center (US Department of Commerce)
Find answers to export questions from the Trade Information Center. Site includes information on countries, industries, tariffs and taxes, export resources and trade events.

USITC Tariff Database (US International Trade Commission)
View tariff information by product type.

Web Resources for International Trade (Federation of International Trade Associations)
The Federation of International Trade Associations' searchable database of hundreds of international trade Web sites.

2006 Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (Office of the United States Trade Representative)
Find reports on trade barriers for more than 50 countries and alliances, including information on tariffs and export subsidies.

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Trade Statistics

Foreign Trade Statistics (US Census Bureau)
A fully searchable database of import and export statistics including data by product, state and country. Includes regulations, trade highlights and historical series.

Global Data Links (US International Trade Administration)
Link to sources of foreign trade data by country or subject.

STAT-USA (US Department of Commerce) Off-Campus access requires UW-W ID number.
Comprehensive library of international trade resources from 40 US government agencies compiled by the Department of Commerce includes: Bureau of Economic Analysis Economic Information (news releases and data files from BEA's national regional, and international product accounts); the Electronic Bulletin Board (news releases and analyses of markets, products, and economic trends); and National Trade Data Bank (country commercial guides, market research reports, and extensive import and export statistics.

Trade and Economy: Data and Analysis (US International Trade Administration)
Find foreign trade highlights, industry sector data, monthly or annual import/export data, and state and metropolitan area export data. Use the US Trade Quick-Reference Tables to quickly locate US exports of specific products by country. From this page, select either full-year or latest month data on exports. After selecting dates, choose a Chapter, then select a Subheading to get data for specific products. The data will be displayed by country.

Trade Stats Express (US Office of Trade and Economic Analysis)
Quickly find US merchandise exports, imports and trade balances as well as US state and regional exports. Data is presented graphically and numerically.

UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade)
Find imports and exports of products for countries worldwide. Search by product and country of import and/or export or view the country's imports or exports worldwide. Includes annual historical data.

USITC Tariff Database (US International Trade Commission)
Type a product name and find tariff, customs and import data for that product. Import data by source country, port of entry and suffix entry (a breakdown of more specific products) are available.

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