About American foreign trade

The United States is now one of the most open markets in the world, with the annual total import volume exceeding 1 1000 billion US dollars.

(1) The American market has a large capacity.

The United States has the largest market capacity in the world, and the United States is also the largest consumer goods market in the world. First of all, because Americans have strong spending power, the average annual income of Americans exceeds 30,000 dollars. Secondly, Americans have a strong sense of consumption. Americans not only save less, but also spend more than they want. Many people have credit cards, even several. Third, Americans update consumer goods quickly. Many daily necessities are not used for more than one year. They often buy new ones not because the old ones are broken, but because they like the new and hate the old. When they encounter new fashions, or discounts on holiday goods will stimulate their purchase intention. Finally, because of the high labor cost in the United States, the government stipulates that the hourly wage is higher than $5, and the hourly wage in some regions and industries is higher than 10. Therefore, most of the production of labor-intensive consumer goods in the United States has been transferred to other countries and regions. Therefore, the daily consumer goods needed by the domestic market in the United States are mainly imported, and the import demand is quite large. For example, clothing, shoes, bags, gifts, small household appliances, furniture, bedding, lamps, stationery, tools, toys, kitchenware, tableware and so on are all imported. And this trend is still rising, and it is unlikely to change. The prosperity index of American economy may affect the sales of high-end goods, but it will not reduce the purchase of cheap and practical consumer goods made in China.

(2) The American market is willing to accept it.

The United States is an immigrant country, and American society is a national melting pot. Most of the 280 million people in the United States are immigrants from different countries and regions and different nationalities or their descendants. They have different cultural traditions and customs, and the diversification of American population structure determines the diversification of American consumer goods market. American immigrants are used to using their own national and traditional goods, and they are also curious and fresh about the goods of other nationalities in the world. Therefore, American mass consumers are very easy to accept all kinds of goods on the market and rarely reject them.

Secondly, because of the great gap between the rich and the poor in the United States, the high, middle and low income classes constitute different levels of consumer groups and different levels of specific markets, and the scale is considerable. Therefore, there is a great demand for high, middle and low-grade products from all over the world in the United States. Third, Americans are more realistic. Shopping consumption only pays attention to personal likes or conveniences, regardless of what others think. Few people in society discuss other people's consumption.

(3) American market laws and regulations are sound, and trade associations control the market.

The market economy in the United States is relatively mature, and the government rarely restricts the business scope and mode of operation of enterprises. However, the import and export of products from all walks of life, as well as wholesale and retail, have extremely detailed regulations and licensing requirements, and the law enforcement is very strict. Especially in trademark, environmental protection, safety, taxation, labor and so on. Therefore, to do business in the United States, we should not only learn how to get started, but also handle things according to the law, and also invite professionals to handle them. We must never be self-righteous and copy the habits of Chinese mainland. Enterprises engaged in trade in the United States should hire lawyers as legal advisers, and also have accountants to help them deal with corporate tax, so as not to violate laws and regulations by mistake.

(4) American market emphasizes quality and brand, especially product safety.

The meaning of product quality in the American market has been extended to a broad sense, which is not limited to general product uses, technical indicators and specifications. They believe that these are the things that products should be attached to when they enter the market. It also includes the quality of product packaging, product description and especially after-sales service. And these are often ignored by enterprises in China. Therefore, enterprises in China should have a deeper understanding of product quality requirements. In addition, according to the practice in the American market, large American retailers accept customers' returns. As long as there is an invoice, even if the package has been unpacked and the goods have been used, they can be returned without any explanation. Because the return loss is not borne by the retailer, the import wholesaler should strictly control the product quality. Of course, this can ensure that fake and shoddy products can't enter this big shopping mall, and the reputation of the shopping mall can naturally be improved.

American consumers have a high recognition of product brands, because brands fully contain their concept of quality and accurately express their consumption level, so they buy more branded products and are willing to pay more money. However, branded products are not necessarily expensive. The brands of American products are often aimed at different consumer groups, and their prices can generally be understood through brands. For example, Macy's is in the mid-range, while Wal-Mart is cheaper and more popular.

The competition in the American market is very fierce, and dealers have to bear liability insurance for their own goods. Merchants will encounter huge compensation lawsuits if they are not careful. Therefore, the quality requirements of products in the United States are very strict, and the labels, packages and descriptions of various products must meet the requirements of the American market in order to distinguish responsibilities and responsibilities. Among them, the most prominent is the safety standard. For example, electronic products should meet UL standards, lighters should prevent children from firing, and toy parts should not fall off and be swallowed by children by mistake. The safety requirements for all kinds of food imports are stricter, and some commodities are not allowed to be labeled with medical functions at will.

5) Sales in the American market are seasonal.

The consumer goods market in the United States is very seasonal, which is usually divided into spring (1-May), summer (July-September) and holiday season (1-65438+February). Every season has a seasonal sales climax. For example, Thanksgiving (165438+1the end of October) is the season for Americans to shop in winter holidays, especially Christmas, which is the peak season for American goods sales throughout the year, usually accounting for one-third of the annual sales. The import orders of American importers are organized according to their domestic sales seasons. Therefore, if we miss the peak sales season, these goods will be difficult to sell, which means that they will withdraw from the American market this year, or even be excluded from the market by competitors for a long time. This is why some enterprises in China will be fined if they don't deliver the goods according to the contract date.