Trade & investment

Businesses are often to be heard talking about standards and quality – but what are standards and what does quality really mean? And, more importantly, what is their impact on your business?

Your research is intended to assist you to think through whether you can be competitive in a specific market. If you are competitive, you will thrive; if you are not competitive, you will not succeed.

Many first-time exporters express concern over how they are going to manage the distribution and marketing process in an overseas market. Many are also concerned that the process might be taken out of their hands and that they might have to surrender some control.

International trade is the exchange of goods or services for money between countries; foreign direct investment is investment by a business in another country for the purpose of trade, which could be domestic or international. However, there are many ways in which you can ‘internationalise’ your business.

This note has been prepared to assist you to think about the risks that you might face when engaging in international trade or investment. Whilst some of the risks may apply more broadly, this fact sheet does not attempt to cover all aspects of business risk.