The growth of the cross-border trade in goods illustrates the importance of globalization more clearly than almost anything else. It isn’t just that an ever larger proportion of the goods produced worldwide is destined for export. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), real exports have risen an impressive 60 times between 1950 and 2016 and fallen in only six of those years. In 2015 alone, they rose by 1.3 percent — and that trend looks set to continue, given that the International Monetary Fund has forecast global growth of 3.9 percent for each of the next two years.

Maximum security

Against this background, a role in international markets is becoming increasingly important for not just large corporations but small and medium-sized companies too. Internationalization means much more than simply sales of products and services abroad, because at the same time, the supply chains are also becoming more complex and liable to break down. Day-to-day business can be impeded by a number of factors, and not just different languages or commercial conditions. Country-specific legal requirements, political regulations, transportation and customs provisions, and safety requirements can all necessitate an increased use of resources and greater expenditures for logistics management. In advance of their projects, companies must therefore carefully scrutinize the local requirements and compliance rules in order to successfully become established in foreign markets. Arvato Supply Chain Solutions can provide effective support here. We are familiar with the complex legal conditions around the world and have been helping our customers fulfill country-specific requirements for many years.