Import And Export Strategies In Global Supply Chain

PrefaceWe all know that nature has decreed important and enduring differences between countries. For example, one country is rich in Copper, another in Petroleum, One has Water falls, another a Fertile plain.Some countries have adequate rainfall for some cash crops. Some have too much while others next to none. It is for this reason that we have International Trade.International Fade can generally be regarded as the external sector of our economy It consists largely of the exchange of goods and services, and it has been the main driving force of the Nigerian economy.There is hardly any need to stress the importance of International Fade to a country like ours. Quite obviously our mode of living would have to be different without international trade. While it is conceivable that we could feed ourselves in a fashion if we allocate a greater proportion of our resources to farming. Many of our industries would grind to a halt without those raw materials which are presently being imported. This is because our resources (as decreed by nature) are limited and are rather different from those of the other countries. The country's prosperity and government revenue have been and are still mainly dependent• on external (ie. International) trade.The world is now in an unprecedented era of unified global economic activities consisting of financing, production and distribution of goods and service, as a result of international trade. The contribution of international trade has been a "Sine qua non" to the growth of the economy and its crucial role on the domestic economy is widely acknowledged.There are many ways through which international trade contribute to the country's economic growth and welfare. Firstly, the importation of goods and services into the country has served to supplement domestic production, thus permitting a larger overall supply of goods and services to be available on demand. This has been particularly significant with respect to two main components of aggregate demand viz. the demand for consumption and capital formation.We also know that, transport is an essential facility for the exploitation or development of economic resources on a national or international scale. It allows articles or materials to be conveyed from areas of low utility to areas of high utility. This form of transportation in Shipping economic is referred to as export which procedures varies slightly from country to country.Goods which are subject matter of an Export or Import transaction have to be moved from the place of dispatch to that of destinations or delivery. This carriage has invariably an International Character Depending on the nature of the goods and other circumstances, it may be executed by Sea, Air or Land or a combination of these modes of transportation. If it is done by one of them, the International transport is UNIMODAL: If it is executed by a combination of them, it is MULTIMODAL or what we called a combined transport. Actually the idea of this book grew out of the experience I gathered while working as an Insurance Surveyor with the Firm of Surveyor- Caleb-Breth Nig. Ltd. then of Aerodrome Road Apapa. As a surveyor most importers whose consignment are surveyed showed that they made a lot of documentary mistake while filling their papers and or the terms on which the cargo were accepted is wrong. The paper work were not checked properly before presentation to the Bank.This book captures most lessons learned and for adaptation in import/export and manufacturing companies who are in or intend to go into the exportation business. It is also for those companies who are into importation business. The next is the academician who will find the book useful in the teaching of the act of international trade and payment.The first necessary skill is an understanding of the cultural differences and how they affect import and export business. This is a pervasive issue throughout international trade. The book explain the fundemental differences such as the pattern of communication. After covering culture the book goes on to address skillful use of language including the knowledge of the content of a contract and some important legal aspect of doing business overseas.This book also covered the customs Harmonize tariff system, corruption in customs and their services to the shipping community in Nigeria.The Inco terms as the foundation of global trade tells an importer and exporter what their responsibilities are, their potential labilities and risks, when title transfers, and who is responsible for certain costs in the international trade transaction the thirteen standard Inco terms are explain in this book.A chapter was dedicated to shipping abbreviations and terminology as against the use of such terminology as an appendixes. The idea is to emphasize the importance of these abbreviations and terminologies in international trade transactions.I hope that readers will find the book as enlightening as I found the experiences that enable me to write it.