Consulting & service
Information for entrepreneurs
Foreign business transactions
Investments and setting up businesses abroad
Anyone who has been successful in business in Germany and who would like to enter the world of international business, look for business partners abroad, set up branches in other countries or set up a new company abroad must remember one thing. Business activities in other countries can bring a wide range of differences compared to business in Germany: tax systems, law, conditions for accessing the market, legal approvals and regulations, etc. may all take a different form. There are also other/different methods of support available to help with investment outside of Germany, depending on the state or region in question.The following internet sites provide details of this and other issues relating to investing abroad:
AuslandsGeschäftsAbsicherung of the Federal Republic of Germany
The AGA portal supplies businesses and financial institutions with extensive information about the protection and development of their foreign activities. It also provides information about opportunities for the guaranteeing or securing of export credits, investments and untied financial credits by order of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The federal government supports German economic activity abroad, securing growth and jobs, through its export credit and investment guarantees as well as its guarantees for untied financial credits. This means that the government assumes the financial and political risk for export businesses as well as the political risk in the case of investment in other countries and projects to secure supplies of German raw materials.
www.agaportal.de
Foreign trade portal of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
Germany has a number of organisations which offer information, development support and services for the foreign trade sector. IXPOS paves the way and improves transparency in foreign trade development. In addition to topical news from the foreign trade sector, iXPOS supplies country and industry-specific profiles, an overview of development subsidies in Germany and abroad, answers to legal questions and an extensive list of links.
www.ixpos.de
Bundesagentur für Außenwirtschaft
The service unit of the Ministry of Economics and Technology employs over 200 experts in Germany and abroad who compile topical news and developments on the foreign trade sector, processing this information in practical presentations and supporting targeted research in different databases on the following subjects: topical and detailed market analyses, economic data and country reports from around 200 countries, legal and customs regulations, project and tendering information, business requests, and contact details. The publication search option allows access to topical and detailed expert reports on the respective countries.
www.bfai.de/DE/Navigation/home/home.html
Foreign trade portal of NRW
In order to help export companies based in North Rhine-Westphalia find their way through the jungle of information relating to foreign trade, the state Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy set up the Foreign Trade Portal for North Rhine-Westphalia cooperation project in 2003 with the help of important players in foreign trade, e.g. the chamber of trade and industry, the chamber of trade, the state foreign trade association and export trading organisation in the state. Here, users can quickly access a wide range of helpful information, services and contacts for exporting companies and companies hoping to engage in foreign
www.nrw-export.de/export
INTER-NED
- Consultancy along the German-Dutch border
The INTER-NED competence network is a network of economic development agencies, chambers of industry and commerce, chambers of crafts, technology centres and universities based in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands. This network combines the expertise of these various consulting bodies to provide owners of small and medium-sized companies in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands with a central contact point for any issues relating to foreign trade. At the INTER-NED consultation centre, financial experts answer individual questions on the topic of ‘business activity in the Netherlands’.
www.inter-ned.info/base/page/index.php
Network of international tax consultants and legal practitioners
International tax consultants and legal practitioners answer your tax questions on setting up a business abroad. Along with an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of companies, this website features an introduction to international fiscal law and information on insolvency law abroad. A number of practical examples show how to find the ideal location and type of company to achieve your goals.
www.firma-ausland.de
Comparison of health insurance and health care systems in Europe
This site is a source of information for individuals planning to work in other EU member states and provides details about the organisation of their health care systems, the services they provide, information on the density of medical practitioners and hospitals etc. in other countries.
www.ess-europe.de
Central business networking service
In close cooperation with the foreign trade portal iXPOS, this e-trade centre links all kinds of business partners under the motto of “finding and being found on a global level” – across national borders. Products and services can be offered and searched for on a national and international level. In addition, specific business requests may be posted on the networking service. It is also possible to search for business partners in databases on specific industries, countries or business, or foreign trade sectors.
www.e-trade-center.com