Research and Course Guides: International Business: Economic/Trade Resources

General Information (multiple countries)

World Factbook
Produced by the CIA, each country's profile includes such information as demographics, political, economic, and geographic data.
Tariff and Import Fees
Information on how to determine tariff and import fees, from Export.gov.
CUSTOMS Info Database
CUSTOMS Info's Global Tariff information. Users of this free service can look up country tariff information for shipments originating in the United States. Registration required.
Export.gov
Government site to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies.

Factiva This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Factiva includes the Economist Intelligence Unit Country Commerce reports (Search for them under All Sources.) They offer a practical guide to the business regulations and business practices in a country, including operating conditions, licensing and trade regulations, tax rates, competition codes, and rules of foreign investment. Limited to 6 simultaneous users.
International Financial Statistics Online This link opens in a new window
Sponsored by the International Monetary Fund, IFS is a standard source of economic and financial data for most countries of the world. Includes many macroeconomic indicators including measures of money supply, exchange rates, trade/balance of payments, prices/inflation, interest rates, employment, and national income & product accounts. Useful for international economics and business statistical data needs. Can search for indicators & countries and download to Excel.

World Bank Countries & Regions
Includes country profiles, statistics, and general reports.
World Bank Data & Statistics
World Bank data sources, including databases, pre-formatted tables, and reports.
IMF Country Information
Includes full text IMF Staff reports, statistical information, reports on issues impacting each country and more.
World Investment Report
Focuses on foreign direct investment trends, at the regional and country level. From the United Nations.
Conference Board International Labor Comparisons
"ILC is dedicated to producing economic indicators that optimize research, comparison, and planning in a global context." Not all data is free.
International Labor Comparisons (BLS)
The International Labor Comparisons (ILC) program adjusts data to a common conceptual framework because direct comparisons of national statistics across countries can be misleading due to differing concepts and methods. ILC data are used to assess U.S. economic and labor market performance relative to that of other countries and to evaluate the competitive position of the United States in increasingly global markets. From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.) PROGRAM DISCONTINUED; data current to 2012.
Export and Trade Statistics (State of Minnesota)
International trade information for Minnesotans, from the Department of Employment and Economic Development.