And there are anti-trust laws to protect American consumers so that they benefit from products, and to also protect American export and investment opportunities. There are also anti boycott laws which prohibits unauthorized boycotts. This means that a country can not boycott another country from getting products or services unless there is an official boycott. The text, Production and Operation Management , says that when a company decides to start global sourcing, they can use either primary sources which are firms that manufacture the products or produce the services or that they can use intermediaries which are middlemen that stand between the seller and the buyer. Unless the company is experienced in international sourcing, making deals through an intermediary is the best way to start in the international market.
Primary sources are the actual manufacturers.
If a company has experiences in the international market, it would be best for the to deal with them directly. It is cheaper and the chances for a communication error is lessened. The text, Productions and Operations Management , says that small specialty firms are usually the best choice. Once a relationship is developed in could be satisfactory. Intermediaries can either be a distributor, a manufacturer's representative, a broker, or a trading company.