BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER
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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS RESEARCH GUIDE
This guide focuses on international business information with the first half of the guide organized into general categories and the latter part organized alphabetically by country. Please note that specific attention is devoted to the countries that are part of the EMBA International Trip, the Global Leadership Program, and professors’ assignments. To suggest a country for coverage please send a note to Ask a BIC Librarian indicating what class or trip the country information will be used for.
COUNTRY OVERVIEWS
BBC
News Country Profiles Profiles can include audio/video
clips from BBC archives. Compiled by BBC Monitoring.
Business
Source Complete - Provides quick access to over 1400 full text economic or industry profiles, reviews, career guides, studies
and surveys, plus select country reports, economic competitiveness, and SWOT analysis reports. Select Publications tab and enter country's name in "browsing" search box to find quick results!(SMU Community Only)
CIA World
Factbook The World Factbook provides “national-level information on countries,
territories, and dependencies.” Select a country from the drop down menu at
the top of the page. The World Factbook is currently updated (online) every
two weeks.
Deloitte
Country Snapshots Developed by Deloitte tax professionals working with the
Economist Intelligence Unit, Snapshots cover over 75 countries and are updated
twice yearly.
Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) Viewswire Country analysis on over 200 countries,
with a focus on business intelligence. Content areas include politics, economy,
business, finance, and regulations. (SMU Community Only) For a related free resource, try The Economist's Country Briefings which offers a selection of articles, indicators, forecasts, and profiles of various country's economies.
Europa World Year Book. (Fondren Library
Center Reference, JN1.E85) Includes the recent history
and economic affairs for each country, along with detailed statistics
and listings of organizations and contacts.
View SMU Library Catalog record
Statesman's Year Book. (Fondren Library
Center Reference, JA51 .S7) Provides diplomatic representation
and highlights basic economic and political facts.
View SMU Library Catalog record
U.S. Department of State Background
Notes Find “facts about the land, people, history, government, political
conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies,
and areas of special sovereignty” at this site. Also included are links to “Country
Notes.”
U.S. Library
of Congress Country Studies A good starting point for understanding a country
from a historical, cultural, social, economic, etc. standpoint. Please note—
studies were published between 1988 and 1998 so the information may not be current.
Traveler's
Health Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
with current data for each country and current warnings.
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ECONOMICS
Global Economic Prospects is an annual flagship report of the World Bank, and is free to download in PDF. "Each year the Report focuses on the long-term analysis of issues that are central to development and poverty reduction, including trade, regionalism, migration and remittances, climate change, and technological innovation and their impact on developing countries." (About GEP)
Index to Economic Freedom See a list of countries organized alphabetically or by level of economic freedom. Click on country name to find out more information.
International Monetary Fund Visit the “Country Info” section of the site to find an alphabetical listing of coverage of the 184 member countries. IMF surveys, news briefs, press releases, publications, speeches and transcripts are some of the categories of information included in various country profiles.
The World Bank Click on countries. Find country overviews detailing World Bank programs, news and events, and data and statistics.
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TRADE
COMTRADE United Nations commodity trade statistics database
Direction of trade statistics. Fondren Library HF91 .I65 / by International Monetary Fund.
View SMU Library Catalog record
Export.gov
Find links to online resources including export basics and trade publications.
Select the market research link from the navigation on the right side of the
page to view market research by country (may require registration).
Global Competitiveness Report scores and ranks 134 countries per the Global Competitiveness Index (CPI) which is comprised of twelve business productivity factors. Browse the report to view tables by a category or country and read expert analysis summaries of global business trends.. Or, access the interactive report to make specific comparisons. The World Economic Forum produces this report annually along with additional global ranking resources.
Globus & NTDB International trade leads and market research (access via Stat-USA) (SMU Community Only)
International Trade Center View country level information about ITC activities in the “Countries” section of this Web site by selecting a country from the top of the page. On the left navigation find links to trade contact and trade statisticall information.
International trade statistics yearbook. Fondren HF91 .U473 2004 vols.1 & 2. / by Department of International Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office - United Nations.
Volumee I covers external trade by country and Volume II includes world trade statistics by commodity.
View SMU Library Catalog record
World Trade Organization Use the navigation in the top right corner to access statistics and trade policy information. For example, under 'Resources' click on the 'Trade Statistics' link to access the WTO statistics database which includes trade profiles and time series data; an online version of the publication International Trade Statistics, which features tables downloadable into to MS Excel; and a section of Web links. Under 'Trade Topics' click on 'Trade Policy Reviews' to find information about various countries trade policies.
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DEMOGRAPHICS
Infonation data and statistics about United Nations member countries.
International Data Base (IDB) "offers a variety of demographic indicators for 226 countries and areas of the world."
Eurostat extensive data, reports and statistics about the European Union and individual member nations.
Population Reference Bureau U.S. and International population trends
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COMPANY INFORMATION
Factiva
Search for company information by navigating to the Companies/Markets section.
Limit by country and company using the 'companies' and 'region' tabs
in the advanced search section. See contact information, business description,
key competitors, corporate performance and latest news. (Cox School of Business
IP addresses only) (Internet Explorer is the preferred browser)
Hoover’s A great place to start general company (or industry) research.
Access business information on more than 21.6
million US and non-US companies, industries, and key people.
Use Hoover's Build-a-List to search by company location, then select a country and other criteria (for example, industry or size) to identify specific companies. (SMU Community Only)
Thomson ONE Banker
Access the Worldscope database to locate information on more than 12,000 international
companies. See images of international annual reports from 3/1/97. (SMU Community Only, Internet Explorer is the preferred browser)
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INDUSTRY/MARKET DATA
Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU) Viewswire Analysis on over 200 countries. Select
a country, click on the 'Business' link on the left side of the page, and then click on the 'Industry Overview' link near the top center of the page.
(SMU Community Only)
Export.gov Select the
market research link from the navigation on the left side of the page to view
market research by country (may require registration).
Global Market Information Database (GMID)
The market research reports from Euromonitor provide authoritative analysis on consumer, industrial, and service sectors for many areas around the world. Consumer information and statistics are available as well. [Users will be prompted to log in to GMID both on campus and off campus.] (SMU Community Only)
Globus
& NTDB International trade leads and market research (access via Stat-USA)
(SMU Community Only)
International Trade Center Find internet resources, including market profiles and international trade information,
by using the “Index to internet Information Sources” resource located under
the “References & contact databases” header on the left side of the page.
Mintel Reports These business-to-consumer market research reports focus on consumer packaged goods. Some information is included for areas of the world other than the U.S. with an emphasis on Western Europe. (SMU Community Only)
World Market Share Reporter. Fondren HF5410 .W67 2001/2002
View SMU Library Catalog record
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STATISTICS
Bureau of Labor Statistics Under
the heading "International Statistical Agencies" view a detailed
list of international statistical Web sites.
Demographic
Yearbook- United Nations. Provides demographic information on over 200 countries/areas
in the world. View the version online or see an earlier edition at Fondren
HA17 .D45.
View SMU Library Catalog record
European Marketing Data and Statistics. Fondren HA1107.E87
View SMU Library Catalog record
International Financial Statistics Yearbook. Fondren HG3881 .I626
View SMU Library Catalog record
International Marketing Data and Statistics. Fondren HA42.I56
View SMU Library Catalog< record
UNCTAD GlobStat (United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD). Facts and figures about
developing countries and globalization. UNCTAD handbook of statistics. Fondren HF1016 .U54a 2000-2008.
View SMU Library Catalog record
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization - UNESCO) Analytical reports and publications on member nations' data within the fields of education, science and technology, culture and communication. Data Centre's tables and summary data profiles and rankings of nations include option to create customized tables from statistics provided.
United Nations Statistics
Division Includes demographics, industry and trade statistics. Some content is accessible only by paid subscription.
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ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS
Associations
Unlimited includes information on 23,000 international organizations.
(SMU community only)
Associations on the Net Internet Public Library list of association Web sites.
Type association name in search box or browse by title.
Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA) Global trade portal links to 450 international trade associations and over 8,000 import/export trade Web sites via a searchable directory. Includes annotated leads so international trade market research, country profiles, tools (such as regulations), travel planning, career center, and associations. Use the advanced search or left navigation options to locate articles and links.
International Organizations View lists of organizations by regional, economic, or political treaty names. Summaries of each organization provided by Infoplease.
Yahoo View lists of organizations by country.
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GENERAL WEB SITES
Bloomberg Currency
Rates Monetary Exchange Rates
Chiefs
of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments Alphabetical by country
list of government officials. Maintained by the CIA and updated weekly.
Doing Business Detailed information is presented about the processes
that must completed to establish a business in most of the countries around
the world. Information is provided by the World Bank.
e-Market Express Access market research by topic for various countries. Information provided by the US Commercial Service.
Energy Information
Administration Country Analysis Briefs- Detailed information on energy industry
activity in the country and a very helpful section of Web links.
Factiva
Search for global news, company, and market information. (Cox
School of Business IP addresses ONLY) (Internet Explorer is the preferred
browser)
BUYUSA.GOV- Find sections
on business culture and conducting business in various U.S. Commercial Service
Country Commercial Guides. Use the drop down box labeled "Find Export Information
by Country" to select a country. Click on the "Doing Business In..."
link if available or browse the guide for further information. Please note: information
and organization vary by guide.
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) covers “food and agricultural production, consumer trends, and trade issues
in about 130 countries.” (Factoid from Web site) FAS analysts “prepare production
forecasts, assess export marketing opportunities, and track changes in policies
affecting U.S. agricultural exports and imports.”
Yahoo! Finance International link out to Yahoo! Finance sites for various countries.
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REGIONAL & COUNTRY SPECIFIC WEB SITES
Africa
All Africa News read news and headlines gathered from local, regional, and international media sources reporating about Africa and its diverse countries. Use the site search or drop-down menus to focus on countires and topics related to business - such as banking, capital, manufacturing, biztech (business & technology), stock markets, petroleum industry, and infrastructure development.
Africa Business Pages "exists to promote trade to and from Africa." Includes links to a business guide, markets and market reports,
Business Daily Africa online newspaper focuses on Kenya and East Africa with daily business news updates, with news coverage of investment & banking, economy, shipping, consumer insights, technology, agribusiness, tourism, business life.
Africa-Investor General bussiness news from a variety of sources.
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Argentina
National Institute of Statistics and Censuses view the abridged English version by clicking on the yellow 'English Version' button in the upper right corner.
US
Commercial Service in Argentina Site developed by US Department
of Commerce's Commercial Service.
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Asia Regional Links
Asia Now Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial
Service.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations- Use the navigation on the left to find statistical information on participating nations.
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Belgium
Belgian Federal Government Online Portal
Locate information general information about the country, culture, and government
of Belgium. (English content is limited)
FPS Economy Directorate-general
Statistics Belgium (English content is limited)
US Commercial Service in Belgium Site developed by
US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service.
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Brazil
Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) Official government site. Includes content areas of indicators, population,
economy and geoscience. Click the 'English' button in the upper right corner
to navigate to the English version of the site.
BrazilLink A portal to a variety
of sites containing general information about Brazil. The site is "edited
by experts and maintained by volunteers worldwide."
US Commercial Service
in Brazil (CS Brazil) Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial
Service. See the country commercial guide and market intelligence information.
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Canada
Government of Canada Learn about general
information about Canada and find resources for conducting business in Canada.
Statistics Canada Click on the
'Business Data' link in the left side navigation to explore market, industry,
and trade data. Official government site.
US Commercial Service in Canada
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service.
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Chile
Central Bank of Chile [Banco Central de Chile] Locate reports, policies, and statistical indicators related to financial and economic data.
Doing Business in Chile The World Bank Group compares the "ease of doing business" and ranks key information for starting, funding, or operating a business within Chile, for the current and prior year. Written annual report (.pdf format) includes Chile and compares data with other countries.
Foreign Investment Committee Official site of the Chile's Ministers of Economy provides an overview of the business environment, costs, taxation, and rankings of Chile in the global market. View publications, FDI statistics, and Chile by Regions for current and specific information.
National Institute of Statistics (INE) Provides a variety of statistical, demographic, economic indicators and business news for Chile.
US Commercial Service in Chile The “Doing
Business in Chile Country Commercial Guide” is developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service - in Santiago, Chile. See current business news, "US/Chile Free Trade Agreement", and information by industry sector to identify trade shows and identify business service providers.
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China
China Data Online Some freely
available information. For detailed use, visit the Business Information Center and speak with a librarian to log in.
National Bureau of Statistics
of China Government statistical site. Under 'Related Links' heading, click 'Others' to find links to provincial statistical Web sites.
US Commercial Service in China
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods. Click the link for the China Business Information Center to access another informative Web site developed by Export.gov.
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Cuba
CubaSource The Canadian
Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL)’s Information System on Cuba.
National
Statistical Office Official government site. View information a variety
of statistics including economic, demographic, transportation, tourism and trade.
Office
of Foreign Assets Control- U.S Treasury Sanctions Programs and Country Summaries,
Cuba.
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England/United Kingdom
Directgov Web portal
for locating a wide variety of government information and resources.
General
Register Office for Scotland
National Statistics Official UK
Statistics
Northern Ireland Statistics
and Research Agency (NIRSA)
UK Trade
& Investment Find information about doing business in the UK for companies
located elsewhere.
US Commercial Service in United Kingdom
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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European Regional Links
EUbusiness Select topics or countries for the latest European Union business news.
Europa The online portal to the European Union and Eurostats. Please note: Europa pages may be slow to load.
European Central Bank "The ECB is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro." Access financial and monetary statistics and policies.
Eurostat-OECD manual on business demography statistics. Fondren HB849.4 .E97 2007 / by
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. A compilation of business and entrepreneurship demographics, plus economic indicators for 27 countries in the European Union.
Download current edition's statistics as PDF and Excel worksheets.
View SMU Library Catalog record (SMU Community Only)
Showcase Europe Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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France
National Institute
of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE)
Prime Minister Government
Portal
US
Commercial Service in France Site developed by US Department
of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US exporters of goods.
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Germany
Deutschland Portal "...central, non-commercial access to Germany on the Internet"
Federal Statistical Office Germany
The Press and Information Office of
the Federal Government
US Commercial Service in Germany Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
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Hong Kong
Census and Statistics Department Click on the 'Hong Kong Statistics' link on the left side of the page to find statistics by subject, statistical charts and tables, and economic and social indicators. Provided by the Government of the Hong Kong Administrative Region.
Trade Development Council "the global marketing arm and service hub for Hong Kong-based manufacturers, traders and service exporters" Click on the Industry or Services verticals and find links to industry profiles, statistics, and other informative content areas.
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Hungary
Hungarian
Central Statistical Office Use the links under the 'Data' section on the left side of the page to locate a wide variety of information. Government site.
US Commercial Service in Hungary
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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India
Central Statistical Organization (CSO) Find statistics covering national accounts, consumer prices, energy, and social aspects.
Ministry of Commerce
Information about trade including promotion, policy, and procedural resources. Also find annual reports including analysis and statistical information. Visit the 'Trade Promotion Programme' link to view reports with a regional focus.
National Portal of India The official portal of the Indian Government
US Commercial Service in India Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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Ireland
Central Statistics Office Ireland
US Commercial Service in Ireland
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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Italy
Istat.it Statistical site. (in Italian only)
Italia.gov Government Portal (in Italian only)
US
Commercial Service in Italy From the left side navigation
find 'Doing Business in Italy' link and a little farther down,
also find 'Doing Business in Malta.' Site developed by US Department
of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US exporters of goods
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Japan
Statistics Bureau
US Commercial Service in Japan
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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Korea
Korea National Statistical Office
US Commercial Service in Korea
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
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Latin American Regional Links
Latin
American Network Information Center (LANIC) Browse by individual countries, sub-regions, or subjects. Site may be searched using English, Portuguese or Spanish languages.
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Mexico
Banco
de México Follow links to view currency information,
monetary and exchange rate policy, and economic and financial
indicators. Click the link in the upper left corner to navigate
between the Spanish and English versions.
Ministry
of Finance & Public Credit Select the 'Official Economic
Information' section to access the following useful sub-sections:
Timely Public Finances and Public Debt Statistics, Basic Economic
and Financial Data, Economic Policy Documents and Reports.
Latin America Financial News (Bloomberg.com) Current information about financial markets, sales, and economy within this region.
National
Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI)
(in Spanish only)
US Commercial Service in Mexico
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
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Middle East Region
Business Intelligence-Middle East provides current and archived news and analysis of the region's key market sectors.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a trade block composed of six Persian Gulf countries - excluding Iran and Iraq. GCC coordinates mutual cooperation in economic, political, and social development, foreign policies, and security matters. According to the Arab Times (of Kuwait), GCC launched a new joint common market in January 2008 - similar to the European Union. model. GCC is also known as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG).
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) focuses on cooperation and sharing of information about the oil industy, energy, and development in Arab countries. Site includes annual reports, conference papers, and journal publications.
Organization of the Oil Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) coordinates 13 member countries' policies to maintain economic stability of oil production markets and meet needs of consumers, investors, and producers of petroleum products since 1960. OPEC produces numerous meetings and publications with statistical data and forecasts.
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Russia
Columbia
University Russia Subject Index scroll to the Business & Economics section
to find information on trade and the Russian securities market.
Federal State Statistics Service “The system of state statistics covers district, regional and federal levels,
as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg.”
Russian and East European
Network and Information Center (REENIC)University of Texas at Austin. Search
by keyword, region, or country. Includes links to sites covering a wide variety
of topics including associations, economics, and government.
US Commercial Service in Russia
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
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Switzerland
Swiss
Federal Statistical Office Find regional information and
comparisons of Switzerland to the world. Click the English link
in the corner.
US
Commercial Service in Switzerland Site developed by US Department
of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US exporters of goods.
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Taiwan
Directorate General of Budget,
Accounting and Statistics
Government Information Office Republic
of China (Taiwan)
US Commercial Service in Taiwan Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
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Turkey
Turkish Statistics Institute (TURKSTAT) by the Prime
Ministry Republic of Turkey.
US Commercial Service in Turkey
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
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United Kingdom
Directgov Web portal
for locating a wide variety of government information and resources.
General
Register Office for Scotland
National Statistics Official UK
Statistics
Northern Ireland Statistics
and Research Agency (NIRSA)
UK Trade
& Investment Find information about doing business in the UK for companies
located elsewhere.
US Commercial Service in United Kingdom Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods
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Vietnam
US Commercial Service in Vietnam
Site developed by US Department of Commerce's Commercial Service. Aimed at US
exporters of goods.
Vietnam Business & Financial News
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Updated: 12/12/2008
