The subject of this book is the rapidly growing and increasingly important business practices known as countertrade, barter and offsets. While the practice of countertrade has a long history, the author explains how it works now within the context of an increasingly sophisticated international economic system.
Covers the long-established business practices of countertrade, offsets and barter, which - given Third World debt, scarce foreign currency reserves, technology transfer and growing competition for market share - the author argues are likely to be used increasingly in international trade.
Despite their growth, outlined and analysed in this book, the claims and counter-claims that surround offsets have not been subjected to critical scrutiny by economists. This book fills that gap. It brings together a team of internationally renowned specialists to document and evaluate the economic impact of several countries' offset policies. In addition, the papers by industrialists and defence officials yield further insights which help to tease out which of the claims made for offsets do not stand critical scrutiny.
Barter or countertrade is the oldest form of trade--dating back to man's earliest history. During the past ten years, countertrade has become an increasingly important part of international trade. At the same time, interest in countertrade has been growing rapidly. This work, the product of an international conference held in the Spring of 1985, focuses on the managerial aspects of international countertrade. The heart of the book focuses upon such technical aspects of countertrade as financing, law, operations and strategy, and proposes the development of a marketable security for countertrade credits. Also considered are the facilitators of countertrade--countertrade traders, switch traders, and merchants, and accounting and tax aspects of countertrade.
Technology offsets, a nonconventional international trade-financing tool, is used by governments (buyers) to obtain industrial and technological benefits from companies (sellers) as part of international procurement. Offsets deals involve billions of dollars and this practice exists in around 80 countries around the world. Though offsets is a popular practice in defence, it is increasingly gaining popularity in civil sectors. Offsets is often tainted by controversy and receives bad press. What then makes offsets popular? Governments claim that offsets delivers technology and knowledge transfer, skills in high technology sectors and employment, and offsets expands export opportunities through participation in OEM supply chains. For companies, offsets is mainly employed as a tool to obtain a competitive edge and win sales in international business. In the past, there have been mixed results of case studies on the impact of offsets successes and failures. Considering the mismanagement of globalisation, unfair trade agreements and current political and economic discontent, there is a stronger need for governments and companies to use vehicles such as offsets to create a relationship of trust and commitment for sustainable development. This book fills the gap in offsets and focuses on how to manage offsets more effectively by addressing issues of strategy, policy and implementation, technology management, governance and risk. Technology Offsets in International Defence Procurement is designed for those studying international procurement, international trade, international business, technology management, defence policy and industrial policy. This book will also be of interest to practitioners and policy makers in both government and industry.
Over the last fifteen years there have been dramatic increases in both private and public intervention in international trade. Traditional barriers to market-based trade such as commodity cartels and tariffs have been augmented by new developments such as the rise of regional trade blocs and the growth of intra-firm trade. This book argues that the
This important new work is the first comprehensive reference to the rapidly developing field of international political economy [IPE]. Featuring over 1200 A-Z entries, the coverage encompasses the full range of issues, concepts, and institutions associated with IPE in its various forms. Comprehensively cross-referenced and indexed, each entry provides suggestions for further reading along with guides to more specialized sources. Selected entries include: * African Development Bank * benign neglect * Black Monday * casino capitalism * debt management * efficiency * floating exchange rates * General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT] *information society/economy * Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries [OPEC] * Microsoft * multinational corporations, definitions * NATO * patents * rent-seeking * Schellin, Thomas *tax havens * trusts * Value-Added Tax [VAT] * zero-sum games * and many more.
Key Concepts in International Business is one of a range of comprehensive glossaries with entries arranged alphabetically for easy reference. All major concepts, terms, theories and theorists are incorporated and cross-referenced. Additional reading and Internet research opportunities are identified. More complex terminology is made clearer with numerous diagrams and illustrations. With over 500 key terms defined, the book represents a comprehensive must-have reference for anyone studying a business-related course or those simply wishing to understand what international business is all about. It will be especially useful as a revision aid.