Tradeport

TradePort, an excellent site for anyone involved in importing or exporting, provides practical information and advice, as well as detailed business information on the countries of the world. The "Trademaker" section, perhaps the most uniquely valuable part of the site, serves as a detailed guide to starting or expanding an import/export venture, covering planning, market research, buyers, leads, financing, and logistics. It's also where you'll find accurate, detailed and abundant country information, including everything from basic demographics to summaries on foreign trade barriers, the investment climate and the economic outlook in particular industries. (TradePort is an "authorized distributor" of information from the U.S. Department of Commerce's STAT-USA service.) Click on "Market Research," under "Trademaker" on the front page of the site to access the "Country Library." The other sections of the site, "Trade Directory", "Trade Signals", and "Trade Assist," combine to provide a library of events, company information, news, statistics, and networking. While the site has a California focus, those not working in that state should not be put off. This a valuable site on international trade from any perspective.