Export promotion: A framework for finding opportunity in change

Governments view exports as “special” for their macroeconomic impact. As a result, many governments have developed programs to assist exporters. In order to function efficiently and to be permissible under the anti-subsidy rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it is proposed that export promotion programs become the venture capital of international trade by being innovative and iconoclastic. Particular attention is recommended for captive trade among affiliates, the generation of unsolicited orders, the rise of new technology, and the sharing of resources among internationalizing firms.