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INTERNATIONAL TRADE: GENERAL RESOURCES


This guide was created with Internet accessibility in mind. Wherever possible, freely available resources have been utilized; some sites contain links to restricted databases or fee-based resources, however.

Many meta-sites also contain links to international trade resources. It is also good to remember that since many of these resources are available from multiple sources, there is an inevitable amount of duplication and overlap.


BUBL LINK: Catalog of Internet Resources: International Trade

•  Links to 30 trade-related websites for general resources, “gateways,” news, international trade organizations, research centers, “think tanks,” law, history
•  Each link is annotated; includes a brief description of content, author/sponsoring body, resource type
•  International in scope, with a slight emphasis on UK sites
•  Excellent place to begin research


Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy

•  Sponsored by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), this site is the online companion to the 2002 documentary of the same name
•   “The purpose of this site is to promote better understanding of globalization, world trade and economic development, including the forces, values and ideas that have shaped the present global economic system”
•  Discusses the present global economy by examining the people, ideas and national experiences which are responsible for its development during the 20th century
•   “People” provides interviews/profiles of over 150 men and women from around the world who have been involved in governmental/economic affairs over the latter part of the 20th century; they represent various viewpoints and perspectives on what has shaped the development of the global economy
•   “Ideas” profiles various “schools” of economic theory and development; also examines the different approaches (capitalism, socialism, communism) which nations have experimented with in their attempts to discover a workable economic system
•   “Countries” examines the national experiences of 40 countries from around the world from early 20th century to the present; profiles the effect of the national economy on its political, social and economic development; includes graphs for growth, inflation, unemployment, trade, “well-being”
•  Also includes a timeline (1911 – 2003), links to relevant websites and a bibliography
•  Outstanding; this a well-researched, well-written, balanced resource for anyone interested in how the world economy has changed over the last century; a great starting point


Dictionary of International Trade Terms

•  Sponsored by the International Trade Data System (ITDS), “a federal government information technology initiative”
•  This extensive glossary defines hundreds of trade terms
•  Not cross-referenced
•  Links to ITDS homepage (which includes links to “Harmonized Tariff Schedules,” export/import resources)
•  Complements Glossary of International Trade Terms
•  Excellent; a great place to find definitions of trade terms


ENTERweb: The Enterprise Development Website: Trade and International Trade

•  Created and maintained by Jean-Claude Lorin
•  This sub-page of the ENTERweb “gateway” links to websites for over 40 resources concerned with “… export development, national trade, global markets and international trade”
•  Links to the following resource types: “gateways,” government agencies, exporting resource, regional/country-specific associations/organizations/networks, trade law, tradeshows/exhibitions/conferences
•  Sites are rated
•  Excellent annotations accompany each link
•  Also available in French
•  Outstanding; an excellent resource for all facets of development for “micro, small and medium scale enterprises” on a global level; “Trade and International Trade” sub-page is especially useful for beginning research


ExportNavigator

•  Sponsored by Export Enterprises
•  Provides access to 10,000 free market reports which are “published by reliable sources,” “do not require any registration or password,” “are not older than 2 years”
•  Allows the user to search by product and country
•  Reports generated are arranged by relevance and include country of origin of report
•  Many reports are statistics-based “short memos”; also includes “complete market reports” from other sources; report may be anywhere from 10 to100 pages
•  Searches are most productive when product search is for a broad industry sector (shoes, food, automobiles, clothing, etc.)
•  Not browsable
•  Includes information on Export Enterprises’ consultation services
•  Excellent; a great resource for export marketing information on basic product sectors; would be greatly improved if users had the capability to browse by country, however


Fair Trade Bibliography & Resource List

•  Maintained by the Fair Trade Resource Network (FTRN)
•  This site provides extensive coverage of resources in a variety of print/Internet formats for fair trade issues
•   “Books” is a bibliography of over 30 books dealing with fair trade issues from the mid-1990’s through the present; extensively annotated
•   “Professional Journal Articles and Chapters in Edited Books” lists over 100 citations for pertinent information; no annotations; there are limited links to full-text documents for a handful of these resources
•   “Magazine, Newspaper and Internet Articles” cite over 400 resources from 2003 through September 2005; no annotations; approximately 15% of the citations link to full-text
•   “Links” provides access to the websites of 16 organizations which “… provide technical assistance, education, product development, market information and other services to producers and Fair Trade
•  Searchable
•  Also includes information on FTRN’s initiatives, programs, publications, resources, “Student Action Campaign”
•  Outstanding; this is one of the best resources available for current information and research resources on fair trade issues; highly recommended


Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA)

•   “Fosters international trade by strengthening the role of local, regional, and national associations throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada that have an international mission”
•  Over 450 “independent international associations” are affiliated with FITA; through these associations, FITA links to over 400,000 organizations
•  These include “world trade clubs,” chambers-of-commerce with “regional/bilateral interests,” associations “focused on international logistics,” small business development centers, exporter associations, professional associations/organizations, manufacturers, port authorities, additional trade-related organizations
•  Includes information on FITA’s initiatives, membership, projects, publications, resources, services
•   “Really Useful Links” provides access to over 8,000 trade-related sites organized into 30 topical areas (these include 116 sub-topics); annotations accompany each link; searchable
•   “Country Profiles” examines the trade/economic status of over 80 countries; profiles include information on market access, economic indicators, “doing business,” taxes, labor market, additional links; all sources utilized are identified (includes IMF, World Bank, COMTRADE, government sites)
•   “Tools of Trade” links to additional information (glossaries, currency/finance, directories, publications, etc.)
•  Outstanding; this is one of the best sites not only for information on trade association information but for links to an extensive array of additional trade-related data, articles, and “practical” information; best features are its association/organization links and the unsurpassed “Really Useful Links” feature; highly recommended


Foreign Trade Online

•   “Our commitment is to help manufacturers, exporters and companies planning to export, to market themselves cost-effectively on a global scale by providing qualified foreign buyers with information about their products and services”
•  This commercial site offers extensive links to a wide variety of free trade-related information: directories of importers/exporters and freight transportation companies, measurement/conversion tools, currency converters, daily trade/economic news, harmonized systems codes, worldwide chambers-of-commerce, shipment/package tracking, international organizations, additional calculators/resources for international trade and business travel
•   “Free” directory registration for manufacturers, exporters, importers, distributors, freight forwarders, trade show organizers, etc.;” fee-based “Premium Membership” provides access to a higher level of services
•  Excellent; the free content of this site contains a lot of useful, practical information for anyone interested in conducting or researching international trade


globalEDGE: Resource Desk: Research: Organizations

•  Created and maintained by the University of Michigan State University Center for International Business & Research (MSU-CIBER), globalEDGE is one of the most outstanding resources for international business and trade
•  Links to 53 sites for international trade organizations and regional organizations
•  Links to 116 sites for 97 countries’ chambers-of-commerce/investment promotion centers, exporters’ associations (including 8 sites for the U.S.)
•  Excellent annotations accompany each links; sites are also rated for usability/content
•  Also links to additional globalEDGE resources for additional international trade topics (law, portals, tutorials, trade leads, show/events, directories) and other related topics (globalization, outsourcing, social responsibility, sustainability)
•  Outstanding; with over 160 sites, this page is one of the best places to research international business/trade organizations because of the depths of its offerings and its excellent annotations


Global Issues That Effect Everyone: Trade - Related Issues

•  Created and maintained by Anup Shah
•  With “… over 7,000 links to external articles, web site reports and analysis,” this site provides critical commentary and evaluation for numerous controversial trade-related issues
•  Concentrates on issues which Mr. Shah feels have been given inadequate attention by the mainstream media
•  Broad categories include trade-related issues, geopolitics, environmental issues, human rights issues
•  A total of 35 sub-topics with essays and in-depth links constitute the bulk of the site’s contents; 7 of these are directly trade-related
•  Outstanding; one of the best sites for analysis of worldwide issues/controversies (including trade); analysis is thorough and insightful


Global Trade

•  Maintained by the Horn Library, Babson College
•  Discusses print, database and Internet resources for international trade resources in the Horn Library
•  Resources include “Reports and World Outlook” for global/country-specific information, journals, trade statistics, U.S. government agencies, international organizations, U.S. tariff schedule
•  Print resources may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Databases restricted to the Babson academic community; they may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Excellent annotations accompany citations and links
•  Provides information on copyright and citing electronic resources
•  Excellent; this guide is not comprehensive, but its choice of resources is first-rate and should be user-friendly to anyone researching international trade issues


Global Trade Negotiations

•  Maintained by Harvard University’s Center for International Development, “under the guidance of Professor Dani Rodrik and Professor Robert Lawrence”
•   “Launched in August 1999 to provide a centralized information resource on global trade negotiations”
•   “Does not advocate any specific trade policies or support any ideology;” considers itself to be an “objective entry point to the many trade-related resources on the internet”
•   “Issues Areas” provides analysis for “general” and 20 specific issues concerned with international trade, including anti-dumping, dispute settlement, labor, environment, investment and market access
•  Each “Issues Areas” topic includes a summary of trade policy developments, research papers and “links to additional resources”
•   “Resources” provides access to sites for the following: research papers, international organizations, research institutes, research by “individual trade researchers,” journals, NGOs, data sources
•  Welcomes submissions
•  Excellent; this resource offers a lot of valuable information on many basic aspects of international trade; most content is current, but some parts of the site (especially the research papers in the “Issues Areas” section) need to be updated


Glossary of International Trade Terms

•  Sponsored by TradePort, “California’s Gateway to Global Trade”
•  This extensive glossary defines hundreds of shipping/trade terms
•  One of the best sites available for linking acronyms to numerous trade-related organizations, government sites and industry practices
•  Not cross-referenced
•  Links to TradePort homepage (see below), with its additional features (import/export tutorials, country research, etc.)
•  Complements “Dictionary of International Trade Terms” (see above)
•  Excellent; one of the best resources for acronyms for the industry; easy to navigate


Import-Export Resources

•  Maintained by Peter Stevens, Foster Business Library, University of Washington Libraries
•  Discusses the print, database and Internet resources available in the library
•  Print resources include dictionaries, directories, guides, handbooks, statistical sources, yearbooks; many of these resources may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Databases are restricted to the University of Washington community; they may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Internet resources link to “gateways,” federal agencies/sites, statistical resources, industry/professional association/organizations
•  Excellent annotations accompany print citations, databases and Internet links
•  Offers advice on how to conduct the most productive subject searches in online catalogs
•  Outstanding; one of the best academic library general guides currently available for this field


Import-Export Resources

•  Maintained by the William M. White Business Library, University of Colorado Libraries at Boulder
•  Discusses the print, database and Internet resources available in the library
•  Print resources may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Databases are restricted to the University of Colorado at Boulder academic community; they may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Resources include links to government agencies for trade assistance (federal/state), academic sites, commercial sites, professional/trade associations/organizations
•  Annotations accompany citations and links
•  Excellent; not comprehensive, but its choice of resources is first rate and should be useful to anyone beginning research


International Economic Law

•  Created by Jean M. Wenger, Cook County Law Library (Chicago)
•  This extensive guide (23pp) is a “chapter” in the “ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law”
•   “Aims to present the researcher, whether the academic, practitioner or international business person, with an introduction to important and current sources of information for international economic law”
•  Discusses links to sites for the following categories of international economic law: international trade law (domestic, foreign, international), trade treaties/conventions, international financial law, “regional economic integration,” international development law, international commercial arbitration, international business regulation (electronic commerce, environment, taxation), intellectual property law
•  Excellent (often extensive) annotations accompany each link
•  Also links to sites for “Research Guides and Centers, Reference Materials and Statistics”
•  Offers advice on how to conduct the most productive subject searches in online catalogs
•  Outstanding; this is probably the best general guide to all facets of international economic and trade law currently available, for its comprehensiveness and commentary; it discusses an extremely complex subject and provides an excellent sense of coherence to its organization; highly recommended


International Trade and Business

•  Maintained by Eric Forte, University of California Santa Barbara Library (UCSBL)
•  Part of the “InfoSurf” Reference Guide series
•  Discusses the print, database and Internet resources on international trade available at the library
•  Topics discussed include trade policy information, exporting, international company directories, trade statistics, treaties/international law, “foreign economic information”
•  Print resources may be available in academic libraries and large public libraries
•  Databases are restricted to the University California Santa Barbara community; they may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Annotations accompany print citations, databases and Internet links
•  Outstanding; not extensive, but in keeping with the “InfoSurf” tradition, this page is very well-constructed and easy-to-navigate


International Trade Law Guide

•  Written by Karin Johnsrud and maintained by Bogdan Caprita for the Arthur W. Diamond Law Library, Columbia Law School
•  This pathfinder discusses the print, database and Internet resources for international trade law resources in the Diamond Library
•  Focuses primarily on print resources; gives detailed discussions of the historical, legal and structural development of GATT, WTO, NAFTA, regional trade organizations, United Nations trade bodies, treaties
•  Excellent commentary accompanies each print citation/link
•  Print resources may be found in academic law libraries or large public libraries
•  Databases are restricted to the Columbia academic community; they may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
•  Last updated in January 2006
•  Outstanding; one of the best academic library guides of its kind; it discusses an extremely complex subject and provides an excellent sense of coherence to its organization; highly recommended


International Trade Resources

•  Maintained by the Nanyang Technological University Library
•  Directory of websites for the following trade-related resources: “gateways,” regional trade associations/networks, chambers-of-commerce, statistics, importing/exporting resources, tradeshows/exhibitions/conferences, “publications”
•  Annotations accompany each link
•  Most sites are free-of-charge, with a limited amount of commercial sites
•  Excellent; not extensive, but one of the better short guides to international trade data/resources on the Internet


Intute: Social Sciences: Economics: International Economics

•   “A free online service providing access to the very best resources for education and research”
•  This is the successor site to the Resource Discovery Network (RDN), one of the foremost British meta-sites for quality resources useful to researchers at all levels
•   “A consortium of seven universities working with a whole host of partners bringing together the expertise of people and processes through which we can evaluate web resources and provide a structured approach to help people find and use them”
•   “International Economics” component links to over 900 sites (general, “Sub-categories,” “Related sections”) for the following: European Union, international trade, international trade agreements/organizations, economic geography
•  Each link is accompanied by an annotation and is identified as a “research type”
•  Results are categorized by “resource type” ( “gateways,” companies, professional associations/organizations, government bodies, companies, journals/publications, datasets, papers/reports/articles, research centers/institutes, resource guides/directories)
•  Scope is international but primarily from the UK, European Union, USA
•  Excellent cross referencing
•  Outstanding; one of the best resources of its type currently available due to its subject breadth, excellent organization and quality of site annotations; highly recommended


Lex Mercatoria

•  Online since 1993, this “gateway” was started by the Law Faculty of the University of Tromso, Norway” and “hosted by the Law Faculty of the University of Oslo, Norway, in fellowship with The Institute of International Commercial Law, Pace University”
•   “Provided by Cameron May Ltd”
•   “Dedicated to the provision of information on international commercial law”
•  Directory of links to several hundred sites for the following international trade-related legal resources: economic law, taxation/financial regulation, transport/maritime law, commercial arbitration/dispute resolution, intellectual property, electronic commerce/encryption, treaties (1896 – 2004); also links to international trade organizations, additional resources
•  In addition to links of primary document sites, there is heavy reliance on academic sites
•  Minimal annotations
•  Searchable
•  Outstanding; this extensive, well-organized site is one of the best sites for easy location of all types of international commercial law; a great place to begin research


Revised Guide to International Trade Law Sources on the Internet

•  Created by Marci Hoffman, E.B. Williams Law Library, Georgetown University Law Center, for LLRX.com Resource Center
•  Directory of links to websites for the following trade law resources: “gateways,” research guides, bibliographies, collections of international agreements, multilateral/regional agreements, dispute settlement, “Commentary and Analysis” (academic sites, “think tanks,” NGOs, professional/trade associations/organizations)
•  Also links to “selected” international organizations, U.S. federal agencies, country/regional guides, statistical resources which have components include information/resources on international trade law
•  Excellent annotations accompany each link
•  Almost all sites are free-of-charge; several fee-based sites are also linked
•  Outstanding; this excellent guide connects the researcher to many of the best resources currently online; very well-written and especially useful as a place to begin research


Trade Information

•  Maintained by Government Publications Library, University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries
•  Links to trade information for the following: U.S. government information, international organization information, nongovernmental sources, “related topics”
•  Annotations accompany each link
•  Excellent; not extensive but a great place to begin research


TradePort

•   “TradePort was originally launched in 1996 with federal and state funding, and was the product of an international trade/defense conversion initiative funded by the Economic Development Administration of the US Department of Commerce”
•   “Owned by the Bay Area Economic Forum and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and managed by the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA)”
•  The primary audience for this site is the California business community seeking to expand into the international trade market
•   “Export Tutorial” and “Import Tutorial” provide practical information and links on “getting started,” export strategy, rules of trade, financing exports, logistics, foreign sourcing
•   “Market Research” includes demographic/economic/political/social profiles for 175 countries, trade leads, and trade statistics
•   “Trade Library” includes a glossary, bibliography, currency conversion, additional information
•  Outstanding; while this focuses on international trade resources/information for California, there is much useful information for anyone researching “the basics” of international trade


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any websites linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 8/07

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