Exporting to Latin America: Problems and Opportunities for United States Small Business

Financed by the Small Business Administration, Exporting to Latin America is a useful and timely survey of a relatively little-studied field. The collaborators have packed into it an amazing amount of procedural and marketing data. This information includes an analysis of the social and economic turbulence which characterizes the Latin American area today and specific analysis of foreign competition, transportation, and trade restrictions. It also provides information and sources of information as to how and where an exporter can secure financing assistance and coverage for the political and commercial risks involved in doing business with Latin America. Chapter summaries give the reader an overview of the Latin American market upon which he can base further exploration as his business interests require. It was particularly pleasing to see a chapter (Chapter 13) dealing with the “Western Hemisphere Trade Corporation.” The authors’ recommendation that wider coverage be given to the WHTC is long overdue. As they point out, the advantages of the WHTC are not widely known by the businessman. This reviewer finds fault with the flow between chapters, which are so disjointed that the work resembles a series of staff papers stapled together. Also, one assumes that this book is aimed for the “non-sophisticate” businessman, but the style is rather academic and formidable.