INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OR FOREIGN TRADE

The Meaning and Definition of Foreign Trade or International Trade – Explained!

By Smriti Chand

Meaning and Definition of Foreign Trade or International Trade!
Foreign trade is exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, it represents a significant share of gross domestic product (GDP). While international trade has been present throughout much of history, its economic, social, and political importance has been on the rise in recent centuries.

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All countries need goods and services to satisfy wants of their people. Production of goods and services requires resources. Every country has only limited resources. No country can produce all the goods and services that it requires. It has to buy from other countries what it cannot produce or can produce less than its requirements. Similarly, it sells to other countries the goods which it has in surplus quantities. India too, buys from and sells to other countries various types of goods and services.
Generally no country is self-sufficient. It has to depend upon other countries for importing the goods which are either non-available with it or are available in insufficient quantities. Similarly, it can export goods, which are in excess quantity with it and are in high demand outside.
International trade means trade between the two or more countries. International trade involves different currencies of different countries and is regulated by laws, rules and regulations of the concerned countries. Thus, International trade is more complex.
According to Wasserman and Haltman, “International trade consists of transaction between residents of different countries”.
According to Anatol Marad, “International trade is a trade between nations”.
According to Eugeworth, “International trade means trade between nations”.
Industrialization, advanced transportation, globalization, multinational corporations, and outsourcing are all having a major impact on the international trade system. Increasing international trade is crucial to the continuance of globalization. Without international trade, nations would be limited to the goods and services produced within their own borders.
International trade is in principle not different from domestic trade as the motivation and the behaviour of parties involved in a trade do not change fundamentally regardless of whether trade is across a border or not. The main difference is that international trade is typically more costly than domestic trade.
The reason is that a border typically imposes additional costs such as tariffs, time costs due to border delays and costs associated with country differences such as language, the legal system or culture. International trade consists of ‘export trade’ and ‘import trade’. Export involves sale of goods and services to other countries. Import consists of purchases from other countries.
International or Foreign trade is recognized as the most significant determinants of economic development of a country, all over the world. The foreign trade of a country consists of inward (import) and outward (export) movement of goods and services, which results into. outflow and inflow of foreign exchange. Thus it is also called EXIM Trade.
For providing, regulating and creating necessary environment for its orderly growth, several Acts have been put in place. The foreign trade of India is governed by the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992 and the rules and orders issued there under. Payments for import and export transactions are governed by Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. Customs Act, 1962 governs the physical movement of goods and services through various modes of transportation.
To make India a quality producer and exporter of goods and services, apart from projecting such image, an important Act – Exports (Quality control & inspection) Act, 1963 has been in vogue. Developmental pace of foreign trade is dependent on the Export-Import Policy adopted by the country too. Even the EXIM Policy 2002-2007 lays its stress to simplify procedures, sharply, to further reduce transaction costs.