4
Changing Global Demand
We are on the threshold of a radical realignment in global trade supremacy. Consider these recent developments:
• The world’ s consumer and industrial demand is changing rapidly
95 %
With 95 % of the potential of U. S. goods and services living outside of the United States, exporting provides vast potential for American businesses
• Emerging markets will produce more than one half of world production by 2014, more than two-thirds by 2030
• China will be the world’ s largest economy by 2020.
This new calculus in global trade patterns will spell out a significant change in global consumer and industrial demand. The profit potential is huge for the savvy corporation engaged in international trade. In order to benefit from such a massive change in global consumer and industrial demand the prudent international market participant will need to arm themselves with policies and tools that make them a credible force in international markets.
Currently supply chains stretch across continents and are vulnerable to disruption. Consumer demands and government policies are changing rapidly and will impact your bottom line if your business does not respond.
Against this background of complexity we face a new set of challenges. For 20 years or more we have recognized that the way we do business has serious impacts on the world around us. It is increasingly clear that the state of the world around us affects the way we do business.