The Internet has created a world economy. Online marketing and investment sites have created an international approach to most business activities. Multinational companies are no longer only larger companies; smaller companies are able to conduct international business without the cost of opening offices or employing international staff.
This international community focus has resulted in foreign relations being established between countries involved in international trade agreements. This has invited foreign investment into many countries, creating market sources for imports/exports, in countries that have traditionally not been trade partners. Many of the world’s ecoonomies have become dependent on the income generated from these trade markets and although protective measures are in place to protect home markets, international trade is encouarged.
Stocks and trades are also accessible and tradable due to online markets both the money markets and the traditional stock markets. Twenty-four hour stock markets around the world mean at any time, there are active stock market activities happening at any time somewhere in the world.
This business activity has a flow on effect internationally. If markets in one country experience a poor trading day, it inevitably affects other countries. The international economical crisis, which affected most industrialized countries, is an example of the domino effects of the markets.
Foreign investment has extended to multinational investment into mineral rich countries. Much of the minerals are either refined or then exported or are exported for offshore refining. These investments have created thousands of jobs for local residents and have provided income for the host countries.
Many question the wisdom of so much foreign investment, but the role of foreign investment and international business trade is considered so important that many countries have special trade and business envoys whose specific role is to travel the world and seek investment for their countries and international business opportunities for the businesses of the countries they represent.
Foreign investment and the web of business relationships between different countries will continue to forge strong international ties and maintain the growing interdependency that the world’s industrialized nations have created with each other.