International Business - Topic 5
International Business - Topic 5
International Business - Topic 5
4. 5.
Tariffs or Custom duties Non-Tariff barriers Increased costs of importing and Exporting Excise taxes Currency Fluctuations
1. Tariffs
Companies bringing in the goods from another country to sell in Canada must pay the tariffs.
Tariffs are based on a percentage of the retail value, (i.e. 5% of retail selling price.) or; On another basis (i.e. $6 per kilogram) Money collected goes to the government.
Tariffs
Whose job is it to: 1. monitor Canadian tariff policies? 2. monitor tariff policies of other countries? 3. change Canadian tariff policies to best serve the Canadian economy?
Tariffs
Provide an example of when it may be: beneficial for Canada to reduce tariffs on certain goods imported from outside countries? beneficial to increase or create tariffs on certain goods being imported from outside countries?
2. Non-tariff Barriers
Legal and policy standards for the quality of imported goods are set so high that foreign competitors can not enter the market. Examples: A Canadian law forces an international company to apply for a license to do business in Canada (it may be very time consuming and expensive)
Government will allow some goods into the country only after being inspected and having met certain health and safety standards set out by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency.
6. Environment Canada
7. Transport Canada
Manufacturing (includes wages); storage; Marketing; Shipping; Advertising Overhead (Equipment, Heating etc, Salaries) % of profit the company wants to make on the sale
Depending on the laws of another country and cultural differences, additional costs may be incurred.
4. Excise Taxes
Excise Tax A tax on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of a particular product produced in your country Governments use excise taxes to: 1. Raise money (i.e tobacco related health care costs) 2. Discourage people from engaging in certain activities 3. Increase the costs of imported goods to encourage consumers to buy Canadian products. Examples of excise taxes: 10 cents per litre on gasoline for the federal government 14.5 cents per litre on gasoline for the provincial government Excise tax on tobacco products varies from province to province
5. Currency Fluctuations
Converting the value of $1 Canadian dollar to US currency and other national currencies.
Examples Nov. 2000 - $100 US $157 Canadian Nov. 2007 - $100 US $98 Canadian
Website to research a history of exchange rates http://www.oanda.com/convert/fxhistory
2. Interest Rates
Example: If the Canadian economy is performing better than the US, the value of the Canadian dollar will increase. The demand for the Canadian dollar rises. Demand > Supply, the value rises. If interest rates are higher than those of other countries while inflation remains fairly stable, the value of the Canadian dollar will increase. Foreigners will be attracted to invest in Canadian funds where banks are providing higher interest rates. Demand > Supply, the value rises.
Canadian economy is largely dependent on the value of imports and exports which can be greatly impacted by the value of the Canadian dollar.
When Canadian Exports to US > US Imports = Trade Surplus When Canadian Exports to US < US Imports = Trade Deficit
Exports decrease when:
the Canadian dollar increases in value to the US dollar, it makes exports more expensive. the US economy is weak and the CD dollar is increasing, the US will be purchasing less from Canadian businesses
Note: Canadian consumers also tend to purchase more products from the US because the value of the dollar is higher, and goods are often cheaper in the US, thus making imports higher. Result: Less sales revenue for Canadian businesses which in the long run, can end up hurting the Canadian economy. For example, when businesses are earning less revenue, profits decrease and if significant decreases occur, businesses may start laying off employees.