Chapter One.docVIP

Chapter One Part A Text A Brief Introduction to International Trade Trading is one of the most basic activities of mankind. It exists in every society, every part of the world, and in fact every day since the caveman came into being. International trade is a business which involves the crossing of national borders. It includes not only international trade and foreign manufacturing, but also encompasses the growing services industry in areas such as transportation, tourism, banking, advertising, construction, retailing, wholesaling and mass communications. It includes all business transactions that involve two or more countries. Such business relationship may be private or governmental. In the case of private firms the transactions are for profit. Government-sponsored activities in international business may or may not have a profit orientation. In order to pursue any of these objectives, a company must establish international operational forms, some of which may be quite different from those used domestically. The choice of forms is influenced not only by the objectives being pursued, but also by the environment in which the forms must operate. These environmental conditions also affect the means of carrying out business functions such as marketing. At the same time, the company operating internationally will affect to a lesser degree, the environment in which it is operating. 贸易是人类最为基本的活动之一，每个社会都有贸易活动，并存在于世界各地，事实上，从洞穴人开始就已经有了贸易交往活动。国际贸易就是人们跨越国界所进行的商务活动。广义地说，它不仅包括国际贸易及国外生产，同时还包括新兴的服务行业，诸如交通运输业、旅游业、银行业、广告业、建筑业、零售业、批发业以及大众传播业等。它包括的商务活动涉及两个或两个以上国家。这种商务活动，可能是私人间的关系；也可能是国家间的关系。私人企业为盈利从事国际商务活动，而带有国家色彩的国际贸易也可能不仅仅以盈利为目的。 不论是否盈利，企业必须建立起自己的国际贸易形式，其中有些形式与国内贸易形式完全不同。选择哪种形式不仅取决于企业所追求的目标，同时也受企业面临的环境制约。这些环境因素也影响着贸易活动的功能，如销售功能。同时，公司的活动也影响着国际贸易环境，只是这种影响不及环境对贸易影响那样深刻。 Section One Reasons for International Trade（进行国际贸易的动机） International trade, also called foreign trade, or overseas trade, in essence, is the fair and deliberate exchange of commodity and service across national boundar