Pennsylvania promotes trade for companies within its borders throughout the world. The commonwealth has trade representatives in the Middle East, Australia, South America, China, Japan and Europe. Pennsylvania ranks third in the northeastern United States in the total number of foreign-owned firms — more than 1,400 — which employ nearly a quarter of a million people. As a result, many goods and services manufactured in Pennsylvania are sold overseas, and conversely, many goods and services sold by foreign companies are imported into Pennsylvania.
Transactions with a foreign entity can involve international treaties and different approaches to dispute management and to some legal concepts. This article will examine a few items in each of these categories as illustrative of considerations necessary when conducting international commercial transactions.
