New E-Commerce Alert from the FTC: Selling Internationally

Selling products or services in the international marketplace is a viable option for businesses looking to expand. Business.go;s guide, Selling Internationally - A Quick Guide to Exporting, will help you get started and navigate the rules and regulations of international trade. As a follow up to that guide, we'd like to highlight a new resource guide from the Federal Trade Commission to supplement this information.

Our quick guide to exporting explains, 'The Internet has helped many small businesses sell their products overseas.' With this in mind, the FTC published a guide, Electronic Commerce: Selling Internationally, for business owners that are selling their services overseas via the world wide web. This guide highlights newly enacted international guidelines that serve to protect businesses and consumers in these markets.

The United States, in cooperation with 28 other countries, created these guidelines through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to answer questions on the topics such as the security and safety of transmitting credit information overseas, additional taxes and duties, and appropriate codes of conduct.

In addition to these guidelines, the FTC provides a checklist to determine if your business ' consumer-friendly' for international e-commerce. It asks business owners to evaluate:

• Advertising and marketing practices
• Consumer protection practices
• Disclosure policies
• Fair information practices

By evaluating these aspects business owners should be able to figure out whether or not they're ready to expand into international market

Related Resources

Get Started in Exporting- Resources and services to help small business start up their exporting operation, including information on required licenses.

Export Financing- Information on financial assistance programs to help businesses expand into export markets.

Do you have a specific question related to exporting? Ask the Community for help!