In This Guide:

International Business: Websites

Suggestions for international market research, and finding information about different countries.

Background Notes from the US Dept of State
Brief, factual profiles.
BBC Country Profiles
CIA World Factbook
A standard source for brief country profiles ...
Country Insights (Centre for Intercultural Learning)
From the Canadian Foreign Service Institute of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. It has a Q & A format.
Travel.State.gov
From the US Dept of State, information about travel: entry/exit requirements, any travel warnings, and more.

Country Profiles from the Library of Congress
These are the profiles that succeed the Country Studies / Area Handbook Series (see next link). Not nearly as lengthy, nor are as many countries covered, but the reports are more current.
Country Studies/ Area Handbook Series
These are online books. They were originally sponsored and published by the U.S. Department of the Army between 1986 and 1998. At present, 101 countries and regions are covered. Each study offers a comprehensive description and analysis of the country or region's historical setting, geography, society, economy, political system, foreign policy, and national security.
Country Analysis Briefs and Country Analysis Notes
From the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
These reports and notes provide information on a country's energy production and/or energy usage. For 39 energy producing countries, the Country Analysis Briefs include: total and crude oil production, oil consumption, natural gas production and consumption, coal production and consumption, electricity generation and consumption, primary energy, energy intensity, CO2 emissions and imports and exports for all fuels.
European Commission - Trade Analysis
IMF Country Reports (by title)
These reports from the International Monetary Fund tend to be more in-depth and topical.

European Commission - Trade
IMF Data and Statistics
For free data in particular, look at their World Economic Outlook database.
We also subscribe to their online data database International Financial Statistics.
Institute for Statistics (UNESCO)
Browse data on the four big themes that UNESCO tracks (Education, Literacy, Science & Technology, Culture & Communication)
UIS.Stat (UNESCO)
This is UNESCO's data extraction website.
UNIDO Statistical Country Briefs
Here you'll find data on several aspects of economic activity in a country, including trade and employment data.
United Nations - Demographic and Social Statistics
Here you'll find tabular data on countries by theme. Some data are in downloadable spreadsheets. Much of this data corresponds to the UN's Demographic Yearbook.
World Bank Data Catalog
The World Bank has recently made lots of their data available free. This includes their World Development Indicators, Global Development Finance, African Development Indicators, and more.

Bureau of Industry and Security (Department of Commerce)
This agency works to "advance U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership."
Foreign Trade Data (Census Bureau)
GATS database from the USDA
GATS stands for 'Global Agricultural Trade System'. It provides international agricultural, fish, forest and textile products trade statistics dating from the inception of the Harmonized coding system in 1989 to present. Also includes BICO (Bulk, Intermediate, and Consumer-Oriented) reports.
Exporter Database (Dept of Commerce)
Provides data on exports of small and medium-sized firms ... data on exports from US metro areas and their trade partners and more.
International Trade Administration - Data & Analysis (ITA)
ITA is part of the US Dept. of Commerce. Lots of data here ...
State Export Data (Export.gov)
TradeStats Express
Also from the OTII, data on US exports at the national and state levels. This is a neat site that allows mapping ...

EuroStat
Registration required for at least parts of the site. This is the EU's main statistical site.
International Trade Statistics (from the International Trade Centre)
UNCTAD and the WTO produce this site.
UNIDO Statistical Country Briefs
Look for the Composition of Trade tables ...
World Economic Outlook database (IMF)
Includes imports and exports data, some commodity pricing, and more.
UNCTAD STAT - Data Centre
From the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Has data for trade, commodities, economic trends, FDI, maritime transport, and more.

GATT Documents (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)
From the WTO (World Trade Organization).
Trade Agreements (ITA, US Dept of Commerce)
Market Access Database (EU)
Parts of this site are not free access, but there's still a lot of information that is readily accessible. Includes a trade barriers database (http://mkaccdb.eu.int/madb_barriers/barriers_select.htm)
NAFTA Secretariat
Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule (USITC)
Trade Compliance Center

Obviously, this is not a comprehensive, nor exhaustive list of international organizations. ...