• International Business Communications---
  Crossing the Language Barriers in Exporting-Importing
• Foreign Company Titles
• The Power of Presentations
• Sources of Export Information in the Marketing Research
• Global Business Opportunities
  and the Importance of Trade Commissions Abroad
• Women in Exporting
• Export Destinations---
  Environments, Research Statistics, Analysis, and Market Risks
• Strategy in Export and Import Correspondence
  • Uninvited Inquiries in International Trade
• Introductory Letters and Techniques
• International Selling Techniques---
  Overseas Agents and Distribution Strategies
  • Selecting the Overseas Agents
  • The Chain Stores and Product Distributions
  • Fly-By-Night Importers
• Export Negotiating
• Errors and Omissions Excepted (E.&O.E.)
• Business Entertainment, Customs and Strategies
  • Table Manners and Etiquette: Crossing Socio-Cultural Barriers
  • Entertainment at Home and Local Customs
  • Gift Giving and Cultural Distaste
• International Trade -
  Summary of Export-Import Procedure
• Cost Factors of Export-Import Goods
• International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS)---
  EXW, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP,
  DAF, DES, DEQ, DDU, and DDP
  • Diagram:  International Commercial Terms
• Applicable Trade Terms in Different Modes of Transportation
• Outline of Trade Contract Responsibilities
  of the Seller (Exporter) and Buyer (Importer)
• Export-Import Quotations
  • The Preferred Terms of Import Quotation
  • Export Pricing and Penetrating Strategies,
    Order Quantity (Economics of Scale),
    and Foreign Exchange Risks
• Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS)
  • HS Code References
• The Trend in Customer Base
  and Maintaining Customer Relationships and Satisfaction
• Export and Import Permits (Licenses)
• Methods and Tools of Payment in Exporting and Importing
  • Case Sample:  Hostage in Payment
• Documentary Credits (Letters of Credit)
  • Irrevocable versus Revocable Letters of Credit
  • Confirmed Irrevocable versus
    Unconfirmed Irrevocable Letters of Credit
  • Transferable versus Non-transferable Letters of Credit
  • Assignment of Proceeds
  • Restricted Negotiable versus Freely Negotiable Letters of Credit
  • Revolving Letter of Credit
  • Sample Document:
    Letter of Credit (Documentary Credit)
    --- Open by means of airmail
  • Sample Document:
    Letter of Credit (Documentary Credit)
    --- Open by means of full text cable (in SWIFT format)
• The Parties To and Associated With a Letter of Credit
• Opening, Amendments and Notification of Letters of Credit
  • Means, Costs and Speed in Opening and
    Notification of Letters of Credit
  • Amendments of Letters of Credit
• Letter of Credit Particulars
  Inclusion or Exclusion of a Date or a Period in the Letters of Credit
• Checking the Incoming Letters of Credit
• Export Documentary Requirements
• Bills of Exchange (Drafts)
  • Sight Drafts versus Term Drafts
  • Clean Drafts versus Documentary Drafts
    in the Documentary Collections
  • Sample Instrument:  Draft
• The Parties in the Collection of Drafts
• Documentary Collections
  • Sample Document:  Documentary Collection Instructions and Draft
• Pro Forma Invoice or Sales Confirmation
  • Sample Form:  Pro Forma Invoice or Sales Confirmation
• Commercial Invoice
  • Quantity
  • Unit Price
  • Amount
  • Explanations: Fields in the Preamble
    of the Commercial Invoice
  • Sample Document:  Commercial Invoice
• Packing List
  • Summary of Totals in a Consignment
  • Sample Document:  Packing List
• Inspection Certificate or Report
  • Sample Form:  Inspection Report
• Certificates of Origin
  • Form A in the GSP Program
  • Sample Form:  Form A (GSP Form A)
• Customs Invoice
• Consular Invoice
• Shipping Advice
  • Sample Form:  Shipping Advice
• Other Export Documents
• Dangerous Goods Declaration
• Examination of Export Documents by Bank
• Discrepancies
• Endorsement of Drafts and the Amount Negotiated
• Fluctuations in the Exchange Rates and Risks Management
• Product Samples
• Government Required Pre-shipment Inspection
• Claims for the Defective Merchandise
• Global Market Developments---
  Export Sales Leads, Advertising and Promotion of
  Company, Products and Services Abroad
• Foreign Visits and Crossing Socio-Cultural Barriers
  • Business Hours and Holidays
  • Business Cards
  • How to Greet and Address Foreign Customers
  • Protocol and Etiquette
• Participation in the Foreign Trade Fairs
• ATA Carnet
• Tariff Barriers
  • Customs Duty Assessments
• Non-tariff Barriers
• Free and Preferential Tariff Treatments
• Triangle Trade---The Next Dimension in Export Competitiveness
  • Summary of Triangle Trade Procedure
• Countertrade
• Languages of the World---
  Commercial and Spoken Languages (Dialects) Used Worldwide
• Capitals of the World
• Currencies of the World
• Abbreviations, Acronyms and Symbols
• World Clock---Time Comparison
  of the Selected Commercial Cities (in Real Time)
• Climates of the Selected Commercial Cities
• CATS - Global Trade Forum: Questions & Answers - In Future Expansion
• D+S Network - Worldwide Trade Offers: Buy & Sell Postings - In Future Expansion
• Calculate the length of time needed for a shipment
  between two dates using the Time-Lapse Calculator
• Calculate the distance between ports and/or cities
  using the Distance Calculator
• Check the due date or final date of a shipment
  using the Due Date Calculator
• Check the current time of each country
  using the Time Zone Converter (in Real Time)

English is the principal language of world trade. Knowledge of more than one language is helpful in exporting, but it is not a prerequisite.

In international business, knowing how to speak and write in English is a necessity. However, proficiency in English or any languages is not a guarantee of export success. Being able to speak and write in the buyer's language will be advantageous in countries where the use of the native tongue is of national pride.

Learning a language other than English in order to export is not absolutely required, as translation services are readily available in most countries. Certain countries even have foreign language escort services to accommodate the exporters' needs. The services of the foreign language escorts are to translate for and accompany the foreign buyer on dining and tour. The escort usually knows very little or nothing about the products of the exporter.

English is not the official language in many countries. Learning a language like English can be tedious. It is important to understand that an English word is not always pronounced the same way everywhere. The varied pronunciation is influenced by the native tongue and ethnic background.

There is no such thing as perfect English. It is not uncommon to hear the novice export person say "I don't quite understand what the buyer has said" (in English). Ironically, the export person is often not from the English speaking country, while the buyer is from U.S.A., United Kingdom, or another English speaking country.

The export person may have spent several years mastering the so-called correct English pronunciation. A different accent puts the export person at a disadvantage. The U.S.A., like Canada, is a multicultural society having a diverse ethnic background. The people in the United Kingdom usually speak English, Welsh and Gaelic.

Fluency in a language is merely a tool to facilitate communication. To fully understand what the buyer says and wants is the essence of export communication. An exporter having difficulty in conversation and comprehension seldom arouses the buyer's interest.

Sometimes it may be impolite to say 'No' directly to show disagreement in such countries as the Japan and China. 'Yes' may mean what is said is understood, but not necessarily accepted. In exporting and importing, it is important to say what is meant and to mean what is said.

The exporter must verify with the buyer in case of doubt about the message received. Do not guess or assume, for example, that the word "dinero" in the message "We want to have the dinero at 6 p.m." must be "dinner." The word "dinero" in Spanish means money.

The use of language 'mixtures' in export communication must be avoided because it may generate confusion.

Please click here for the commercial languages and spoken languages (dialects) used worldwide.

The company title usually reflects the form of a business organization. However, in countries where English is not the official language and whose government may not strictly regulate the use of the English company title, the English title used by a company may not reflect the form of business organization it is registered.

The foreign company title does not always have an English language equivalent. It can be helpful to know the form of foreign business organization that the exporter is dealing with, especially when such issues as import decision making and importer's liability are concerned.

Examples of foreign company titles are:

The joint stock company or limited company mentioned above is equivalent to a corporation.