The term "import" comes from the word "port" because goods are often shipped by sea to other countries.

Imports in the trade balance

If total exports are greater than imports, a trade surplus is created. If imports predominate, a negative trade balance occurs, indicating a deficit. Countries with high levels of imports face trade deficits and need to increase reserves to pay for imported goods.

Advantages and types of imports

• access to better or cheaper goods;
• entry into the market of scarce products, goods that are not produced or are not available in a given territory, raw materials, natural resources that are not available in the country or are insufficient to meet the needs of the population (oil, gas, coal);
• increased competition in the local market, stimulation of production;
• establishing trade relations with external partners;
• development of the technological industry.

State regulation of imports

• protectionism - support and protection of national production from competition by introducing restrictive measures on the import of products, including customs duties, import quotas, tariffs, and providing subsidies to local producers to reduce prices for their products. Import taxes increase the price of imported goods, making them more expensive and therefore less competitive with domestically produced products;

• free trade — country politics, with which The import of products from other countries is not limited to financial instruments (taxes, duties, etc.). In the context of globalization of trade, on the basis of reached bilateral and regional agreements, free trade zones are being formed. In the member states of these associations, customs duties and taxes are abolished, which allows the free movement of goods between countries.

These two concepts are commonplace in the field of international economic relations. However, not all ordinary citizens clearly understand the difference between them.

If the goods are exported from the country

Any country strives to expand its exports. If she sells goods needed abroad, she receives foreign currency. In turn, the country purchases the foreign goods it needs for foreign currency. The one who sells goods abroad is called an exporter, and the one who purchases them is called an importer.

When exporting, goods (services) are taken abroad by the exporter, and he is not obliged to return them back. Together with operations for importing goods, exports form the basis of international trade.

Export can be carried out through:

• Export of products that are manufactured, grown or mined in the exporter’s territory.
• Deliveries of semi-finished products or raw materials to another country for processing there.
• Export of products received from other countries for sale in third countries.
• Providing production or consumer services to foreign companies
• Investing capital in your own foreign production.

The legislation of a particular country may also refer to other products that cross the customs border of the exporter as exports. Often, goods intended for export to one country are adapted for sale in others or for sale on the domestic market. Re-export is also used, which involves the import of raw materials or semi-finished products with their subsequent sale without processing on international markets.

Almost two hundred countries are engaged in export. The share of twelve of them in world trade is about 60 percent. Of these, Germany, China, the USA and Japan export a third of everything these twelve countries sell. The European Union ranks first in terms of export volume.

What is import

Import assumes supply of goods and services from abroad without the obligation to take them back. The difference in the volumes of exports and imports shows the balance of the country's foreign trade, and their sum shows the trade turnover. Import calculations are made taking into account the cost of the goods, freight and insurance costs. Therefore, the value of exports to the world is reduced by the amount of these costs. Foreign suppliers of goods to the country provide high quality and lower prices than local manufacturers. They usually import products that are not available in the importer's domestic market.

Various import schemes are used, including searching around the world for promising products for import and sale, foreign suppliers offering the lowest prices. Today, import schemes involving a local distributor and a manufacturer abroad are common, when goods are purchased without intermediaries directly from the manufacturer.

Usually the state seeks to regulate imports. For this purpose, quotas, duties, minimum import prices, technical obstacles, import taxes, etc. are used. This is usually done to create preferences for domestic producers and replenish the budget. This policy is called protectionist. With a liberal policy, restrictions are minimal.

How are exports and imports regulated?

Exports and imports are regulated in each state and at the international level. In most countries, this is done by the government and the ministry of trade or foreign economic activity. They are governed by special legislation. Companies exporting their products have special foreign trade divisions. Specialized banks usually finance foreign trade operations.

In 1995, the functions of regulating international trade relations were assigned to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is a UN agency. It declares the principle of freedom of exchange of goods and services in the world, which helps ensure economic development and growth in people's well-being. It includes more than one and a half hundred states, together accounting for 95% of the turnover of goods and services in the world.

Its task is to eliminate restrictions and obstacles in trade relations between countries. It is guided by the general agreements signed by all member states regarding trade in goods and services and intellectual property rights.

For this WTO:

1. Analyzes compliance with the requirements of its member policy documents.
2. Considers disputes between states regarding their foreign trade policies.
3. Organizes interaction with other international bodies.
4. Provides assistance to countries with developing economies.

What is the difference

Export is an activity aimed at exporting goods and services produced in it abroad. Such activities are stimulated by the state.

Import means the legal entry of goods from abroad. Often states, in the interests of their companies, set import restrictions.

Gone are the days when countries could live without exporting and importing goods and services. And now no one is forcing anyone to open their countries to goods from other countries, as was the case in the 18th-19th centuries, when European countries forced China, Japan and Korea to open their markets by force of arms. These Asian countries, having seen what import and export were like "European style", banned European merchant ships from entering their ports. But trade wars continue. Countries, on the one hand, are trying to close their markets to protect local producers, and on the other, to obtain maximum favorable treatment for their exporters.

What is import and export

Since ancient times, world trade has been tied to waterways. They tried to send the main flows from country to country by ship, the only transport that existed at that time that could transport a lot of goods. This is how the concept of “export” appeared, which comes from the Latin word exporto, which literally means “to remove goods from the port.” For the concept of import, the Latin word importo was also used, which means “import”.

Now everything that is sold from one country to other countries is called export, and everything that is purchased from other countries is called import. Of course, since the days when ships carried spices from India or Inca gold to Europe, the idea of ​​what imports and exports are has changed a lot. Now not only goods are the subject of international trade, but also services and capital.

Products first, then the rest

Goods still remain the majority of global trade. Every year, more than $16 trillion worth of goods are shipped from one country to another. Information and communication technology products are purchased most of all, followed by fuel, food and agricultural raw materials. In the structure of world exports, the largest share falls on fuel. The largest exporters are China, the USA and Germany, and in the top three importers the USA and China swapped places. These countries trade mainly in products with high added value - machinery, means of production, equipment, consumer goods. The US is also the largest exporter of agricultural products.

In addition, there is regional specialization. Developing countries export minerals, agricultural raw materials, chemical and light industry products, that is, those whose production requires large labor costs or is characterized by harmful conditions. East and Southeast Asia are known as the global center for consumer electronics, while Europe is known for luxury goods.

We sell money too

Capital knows no boundaries; since ancient times it has moved from country to country to obtain a higher rate of profit. The main exporters are developed countries - the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland - and international financial institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others). Capital exports take the form of direct and portfolio investments, loans and any financial instruments that must be paid for in foreign currency. For example, China and Russia are the largest buyers of US Treasuries, which is an example of the export of government capital. The majority of capital exports and imports are in financial services, telecommunications, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and energy.

Service for sale

The fastest growing and knowledge-intensive sector of the economy, services, produces about 65 percent of the world's gross domestic product. The growth rate of exports and imports of services is growing much faster than trade in goods. The volume of global trade in services has reached $5 trillion. Until recently, tourism, transport, hotel, insurance and financial services occupied the first positions in international trade in services.

In recent decades, the first place and a significant share in trade in services is occupied by communication and information services - more than 45 percent in both imports and exports. So far, the tourism industry is in second place in terms of export-import volumes. The largest countries exporting services are the USA, Great Britain and China, importers are the USA, China and Germany.

We help you buy and sell

Long gone are the glorious ancient times when all that was needed to sell a product to another country was courage and business acumen. Now it is an entire industry providing 20 trillion in global trade in goods and services. This service industry probably knows best what import and export are.

Export-import services include: marketing, transport services, insurance and financing, customs clearance, legal support. To import products, except those requiring special permits or licenses, you need to fill out from 2 documents, as in the USA, to 13, as in Uzbekistan. For export in developed countries, 2 documents are required, and in the Central African Republic - 17.

Top 10 in world trade

With the deepening of the global division of labor, international trade is playing an increasingly important role. He who trades better lives better. The top 10 best countries for exports and imports differ slightly. The list of the world's largest exporters includes Hong Kong and Italy, which take the place of Canada and India, which were among the largest importers.

The top 10 largest exporters and importers are 4 Asian, 5 European countries and the United States, and they sell more than 40 percent and buy about 60 percent of all goods and services in the world.

Who is almost absent in world trade

In addition to Tuvalu and Nauru, which are known to all Russians, which recognized the independence of Abkhazia and North Ossetia, there are several more island countries of the same kind that actually live on a subsistence economy and almost do not know what imports and exports are. Exports from such countries range from 60 thousand to 1 million dollars, imports - less than 20 million US dollars. And there is one unique state in the world - Tokelau, which in some years does not sell anything at all to the outside world.

The country is part of the kingdom of New Zealand and lives off fishing and money sent by relatives from abroad. A significant portion of the income comes from aid to New Zealand. But, surprisingly, Tokelau is no stranger to high technology. This is the only country in the world that has completely switched to solar energy.

What does Russia trade?

Russia has the richest mineral reserves in the world and actively trades them on the world market. In the world ranking of international trade, Russia's exports and imports rank 15th and 16th in the world, respectively. The largest export items are oil and petroleum products, natural gas, metallurgical products, chemical products, timber, engineering products, weapons and wheat. Hydrocarbon raw materials account for about 63 percent of the export structure.

Russia ranks second in arms sales and third in grain supplies. The country buys machinery and equipment the most - approximately 51 percent of the country's imports, and 11 percent are passenger cars. The structure of Russia's imports and exports is gradually changing, new large export items are appearing, for example, wheat, liquefied gas, while at the same time it has been possible to almost completely abandon the purchase of pork and poultry meat, and grains.

The difference in the value volumes of exports and imports forms the trade balance. Sum export and import - trade turnover.

Imports are calculated based on prices CIF (CIF - cost, insurance, freight), that is, includes price , insurance , freight, in connection with which the cost of world exports will always be less than the cost of imports by the amount of the insurance premium, freight of the vessel for transportation, and other port fees.

Typically, imports are an important subject of government regulation. Such regulation can be carried out through the following trade policy instruments: specific and ad valorem duties , quotas, “voluntary” export restrictions, establishing minimum import prices, technical barriers, etc. Import restrictions are usually introduced for protectionist purposes (to protect national producers from competition). Taxes imports can also be set for fiscal purposes (treasury replenishment).

The degree of import regulation depends on the chosen type of trade policy of the state ( Liberal politics - Protectionism).

Types of import

There are two main types of imports: imports of industrial and consumer goods, and imports of intermediate products (raw materials) and services.

Foreign companies importing goods and services into the country's domestic market strive to ensure that their quality is as high as possible, while the price is lower than that of products of domestic companies. At the same time, foreign manufacturers strive to import into the country those types of products that for some reason are not available on the local market.

Currently, there are three main types of importers: 1) those searching for products all over the world for the purpose of importing and selling them on the domestic market; 2) engaged in searching for external suppliers in order to obtain products at the lowest price; 3) using foreign suppliers as one of the links in their commodity supply chain.

Direct import refers to a type of trade importation involving a responsible distributor and a foreign manufacturer. This usually happens in the following way: the distributor (retail company) purchases products designed by local companies that can be manufactured abroad. Under a direct import program, a distributor bypasses a local supplier (colloquially known as a middleman) to purchase the final product directly from the manufacturer, saving where possible on additional costs. This type of commercial activity has emerged relatively recently and follows current trends in the global economy.

A-conto

A-conto (Italian a conto - on account of payment) - economic term denoting a method of calculation between importer And exporter. Preliminary settlement between the importer and the exporter for goods sold goods in the form of payment by the importer of the exporter's bills.

see also

• Parallel import (English)Russian

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