It was while completing his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calgary that Rob Howard was drawn to international business. Not inclined to go down the conventional path, Rob found himself more interested in the lesser-known opportunities that the university provided, especially those that entailed doing business in developing countries.

With the rise of China in global economics, increased trade in the Americas, the ratification of free trade agreements like NAFTA, and a mounting demand for petroleum products from Alberta in the United States and overseas, Rob envisioned a whole new world of potential for Canadian business professionals.

The highlight of his academic journey was the opportunity to complete five terms abroad (Mainland China, Taiwan, Peru, Spain and the Amazon) prior to earning his degree, funded mostly through university scholarships and government research grants. These experiences further whetted Rob’s penchant for International Trade, along with providing him with a cultural understanding of Asia and Latin America -precious insights that were soon to prove invaluable to him.

Not long after graduation, during one of his early roles, Rob was assigned a new challenge with the American oilfield services and supply giant National Oilwell Varco (NOV) in their international employee development program. These three-month projects spanned Alberta, Texas, and Beijing, introducing him to the company’s operations in China and Houston.

The short-term project then extended to a two-year expatriate assignment in China with NOV, further strengthening his Mandarin communication skills and building on his prior experience from his university days.

Self-initiating an immigration pathway

Having faced more than his fair share of immigration hurdles while applying to live and work in the U.S, Rob decided to leverage his knowledge as a graduate from a Texas law school to interpret the complicated US immigration laws. After figuring out an immigration pathway, he became his own attorney to successfully complete the necessary paperwork to support his application. His efforts bore fruit and he was finally granted the right to live and work in the US when not back home in Canada.

Dealing with the pandemic situation while working in a foreign land

Another favourite career story happened when Rob was working and living in Argentina for a Canadian international business consulting firm and the pandemic hit. It was a unique experience witnessing the country initiate its lockdown, being stranded indefinitely from his family back home, and doing virtual interviews with the local Calgary news stations that he had watched growing up.

“I had four different flights consecutively cancelled before I was eventually able to escape on one that was granted a special flight permission from the Argentinian government.”

Rob’s proudest professional accomplishments include:

His contributions to his firm’s recent work, providing counsel on whether certain goods are eligible for USMA/CUSMA benefits, reorganizing corporate supply chains away from China to avoid section 301 tariffs, and offering a wide range of legal advice regarding US Customs law (including classification, valuation, penalties, and prior disclosures).

Working in China for two years as an expatriate employee of a major American oilfield service company and an entirely Chinese team as a twenty-five-year-old. In that role, he was responsible for negotiating with and supervising the American company’s Chinese joint venture partners, conducting sales calls to remote industrial areas of China that had rarely seen foreigners, and aiding in recruitment efforts at Chinese universities in both Mandarin and English.

The importance of finding the right mentor to guide you

According to Rob, the value of good mentors can hardly be overemphasized. He wishes he had understood earlier the crucial role a great mentor can play in shaping a young professional’s career trajectory.

“My biggest mentor in international business would definitely be my father. He has been travelling to China on business since the 1980s, convinced me to major in international business in university, was my main influence in studying Mandarin, and is someone that I still work with today.”

Rob also feels lucky to have met such a great group of lawyer mentors at the firm Givens & Johnston where he currently works.

“They’ve known me for years and have coached me since my law school days when I was first clerking with them in international trade law.”

Opting for trade training to get equipped with practical skills and knowledge

Rob decided to formalize his knowledge by signing up for FITTskills courses and was happy with the positive experience. The trade education helped him better understand the nuances and rules governing business internationally.

Another advantage the training offered was the convenience of doing the courses remotely, even while travelling for work.

“I took the courses early in my international business career and they provided me with a helpful set of practical skills that I’ve found useful over the years.”

The next logical step for Rob was proceeding to apply for the elite, industry-backed CITP®|FIBP® designation. He had been looking for a professional designation that was specific to international trade. The CITP®|FIBP® matched that requirement perfectly and he earned the prestigious credential in July 2020.

Rob believes that the designation will enhance his credibility in international business and connect him to a network of like-minded international business professionals.

“I felt honoured to have earned the CITP designation for my work in international trade and humbled to join the network of international business professionals at FITT who also carry the designation.”

He is especially excited at the prospect of networking with Canadian international business professionals that deal with US Customs and US trade regulations.

Work trends and career goals for the years ahead

1. Remote work

As does everyone else, Rob envisions remote work as the new professional norm for the foreseeable future.

“Not only has it provided me with more flexibility and a better quality of life, but I think it also makes me a better international business attorney. Now with remote work, theoretically I can be wherever the client needs me to be rather than where the firm happens to pay rent.”

2. Canadian law licensing

Within a year, Rob plans to finalize his law licensing in Canada (in addition to currently being licensed as an attorney in the US). This will be a valuable qualification as it will distinguish him from his professional counterparts.

“Because of how complicated the licensing process is generally, it’s very rare for lawyers to be licensed in both countries and to understand the legal systems on both sides of the border.”

3. Working with CITPs

As a new CITP, Rob hopes to develop his network within the FITT community.

“By keeping engaged with other international business professionals, I’m able to better understand the issues that they are facing in international trade and I think it makes me a better attorney.”

Rob’s expertise, clear vision for the future and single-minded focus are the very qualities that are sure to lead him to accomplish everything he aims for. We wish him a bright and fulfilling career!

The post CITP Spotlight: Rob Howard – International Business Attorney appeared first on Trade Ready.

Experts weigh in on the pros and cons of the TPP intellectual property policies

The release of the details contained within the 6000 page Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement released in October 2015 has prompted much debate.

These debates, while often heated, can provide a resource for those of us trying to make sense of all the minutia that will have real, lasting consequences for the citizens of the countries ratifying the deal.

We believe it’s important to look at this dense, far-reaching document from all applicable angles and engage in a healthy back and forth on the key issues that will affect Canadians if and when it comes into law.

It is in that spirit that we have taken a look at what two of the most outspoken Canadian voices have to say on an issue that is near and dear to many of us – intellectual property and the rights and freedoms that surround its protection as outlined in the TPP.

Barry Sookman is a Senior Partner at prominent Canadian international law firm McCarthy Tetrault based in Toronto. He was Co-Chair of McCarthy Tetrault Technology Law Group and was the head of the firm’s Internet and Electronic Commerce Group. He has also been head of its Intellectual Property Group.

Michael Geist is a Canadian academic, law professor and the Canadian Research Chair in internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa.

1. Internet providers in Canada will be required to take down infringing content as soon as notice is given by rights holders – or will they?

In October, 2015, prior to the full text of the TPP being released, Michael Geist published blog posts outlining his concern that under the agreement Canada would be required to adopt the U.S. system of “notice and takedown”.

Barry Sookman contradicted Geist’s concerns, stating that the TPP annex in question clearly states that an exception has been provided for Canada to be exempt from this policy.

The conditions closely tracked provisions in Canadian law that are unique in the world. In other words, far from creating a requirement that Canada adopt a notice and takedown system, the draft of the TPP provided that Canada was the only party to the treaty who doesn’t have to do so.

Michael Geist argues that while the exemption and similar allowances were made for Canada and Chile after strong negotiations, any other country agreeing to the deal would be subject to the U.S. notice and takedown policy.

He views this as a worrisome harbinger of the U.S.’s efforts to enforce its own regulations on other countries in the agreement, giving the U.S. a marked advantage in trade.

That compromise highlights one of the major sources of trouble with the TPP, Geist argues.

More than a mere trade agreement, the TPP is a clear effort by the U.S. to export its regulatory framework to other countries, creating a competitive advantage for its companies.

Sookman states,

“Any other country is free to adopt notice and notice (the Canadian system). In fact, several countries already have a notice and notice or a graduated response notice-based regime along with notice and takedown, the worldwide standard for the hosting provider safe harbour and an extremely useful public policy approach to dealing with online piracy.”

“Geist may well have intended to say that since Annex E of the TPP can only be fulfilled by Canada, all other parties must have notice and takedown, whether or not they also want to implement a notice and notice system. If that was the case it could have been said in a clear and less misleading way,” contradicts Sookman.

2. Canada will have to add new criminal sanctions to the Copyright Act

This will prohibit willful commercially-motivated breaking of digital locks (““technological protection measures” or “TPMs”) – or will it?

Michael Geist:

One of the most controversial aspects of the 2012 Canadian copyright reform process involved the anti-circumvention provisions, often referred to as the ‘digital lock rules’.

They feature legal protections for technological protection measures (TPMs, a broader umbrella that captures digital rights management or DRM) and rights management information (RMI).”

“The TPP will require Canada to make further changes to its digital lock rules and lock Canada into a “WIPO+” model that removes the ability to restore the flexibility found in the WIPO Internet treaties. In other words, once the TPP takes effect, the restrictive digital lock rules will be locked into Canadian law.”

Barry Sookman:

“The Canadian Copyright Act provides criminal sanctions for knowingly and for commercial purposes circumventing TPMs – in other words, for breaking digital locks. (Sec. 42(3.1))”

Accordingly, Geist’s claim that the TPP would require Canada “to add new criminal provisions to its digital lock rules” is not accurate.

3. A new requirement will add a criminal sanction for violations of the rights management information (RMI).

The provision requires sanctions against digital pirates who carry on businesses directed at content theft, who act wilfully and for purposes of commercial advantage. Nothing to be concerned with here – or is there?

Barry Sookman:

“The provision requires sanctions against digital pirates who carry on businesses directed at content theft, a sanction that as a matter of public policy is hard to argue with. It might be argued that Geist’s claim that “Canada is required to add new criminal provisions to its digital lock rules” was intended to refer to RMI and not TPMs. This would contradict the plain meaning of the word “lock”.”

Michael Geist:

“Article 18.69 of the TPP requires Canada to add criminal liability to the list of potential remedies. This marks a significant change from the 2012 copyright reform package, reflecting U.S. desire for increased criminalization of copyright law. Canada opposed the change during the TPP negotiations, but ultimately caved in the final draft.”

“The long-term implications of the TPP digital lock rules is to lock Canada into the more restrictive, less flexible standard. If the TPP takes effect, it will trump other agreements for Canadian law purposes by requiring a different standard for digital lock protection.”

4. The TPP is a digital policy failure for Canada

Barry Sookman:

“Geist claimed that the TPP is a “digital policy failure,” because Canada failed to persuade other TPP parties to adopt particular Canadian exceptions to copyright such as the user-generated content exception where Canada is, frankly, an international outlier.

This misunderstands the nature of the TPP. It’s a trade agreement, not a copyright exception agreement.

“In any event, nothing in the treaty prevents parties from maintaining existing exceptions or establishing new ones (in accordance with already existing international frameworks).”

Michael Geist:

Canadian policies that promote user generated content, limit statutory damages, or establish consumer exceptions are all missing from TPP.

“Similarly, Canadian net neutrality regulations and anti-spam rules cannot be found in the TPP, which instead features watered-down versions of each. The agreement even reverses the longstanding Canadian hands-off approach to the Internet.”

“Failure to fully comply with the agreement would subject the Canadian government to potential lawsuits under the TPP’s investor-state dispute settlement rules. The TPP could usher in a wave of claims focused on challenges to flexible copyright rules, privacy protections, and net neutrality regulations.”

“Digital policies form the backbone of the innovation economy, which may be hamstrung by an agreement that does little to advance Canadian law and policy.”

5. The extension of the term of copyright from 50 to 70 years, will “lock down” content

This will cost the Canadian economy millions, and harm Canadian heritage – or will it?

Barry Sookman:

“This hasn’t been problematic in the more than 90 countries that have terms of 70 years or more. It’s mostly an argument for use of works without paying. In fact, Canadian creators could benefit from a term extension in countries (such as EU member states) which only provide longer terms of protection for foreign works on a reciprocal basis.”

Micheal Geist:

“The term of copyright in Canada is presently life of the author plus an additional 50 years, a term consistent with the international standard set by the Berne Convention. This is also the standard in half of the TPP countries: Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Brunei, and Vietnam.

From a policy perspective, the decision to maintain the international standard of life plus 50 years is consistent with the evidence that term extension creates harm by leaving Canadians with 20 years of no new works entering the public domain with virtually no gains in terms of new creativity. In other words, in a policy world in which copyright strives to balance creativity and access, term extension does not enhance creativity but it does restrict access.”

Barry Sookman:

“Geist also claimed that the extended term will cost Canadians in excess of $100 million per year.”

The reality is that determining the net benefits or burdens of a term extension is a complex task. Yet, the only Canadian study on the economic impacts (published by Industry Canada) found that user costs of a 20 year extension “may increase slightly.

Michael Geist:

“The negative effects of term extension have been confirmed by many economists, including in a study commissioned by Industry Canada, which have concluded that extending the term simply does not create an additional incentive for new creativity.”

“Moreover, studies in other countries that have extended term have concluded that it ultimately costs consumers as additional royalties are sent out of the country. In the case of the TPP, the term extension is a major windfall for the United States and a net loss for Canada (and most other TPP countries).”

“In fact, New Zealand, which faces a similar requirement, has estimated that the extension alone will cost its economy NZ$55 million per year. The Canadian cost is undoubtedly far higher.”

The damage caused by the term extension involves more than just higher costs to consumers and educational institutions. It also creates a massive blow to access to Canadian heritage.

Do you think Canadians should be concerned with the intellectual property protection measures in the TPP?

The post FACE OFF: Two sides of the TPP appeared first on Trade Ready.

Looking back, my interest in international trade began when I first crossed the U.S./Canada border as a six year old in the back seat of our bright red Chevy.

Our family was moving from Chicago to Montreal because my dad had taken a job there.

When I was growing up in Montreal in the 1960s and 1970s, my father traveled extensively for business, selling industrial valves. His foreign business associates visited our home frequently.

A childhood exposed to international travel and culture

My mom was, and still is, a fabulous cook, and the businessmen also wanted to learn English by spending time with our family.

Can you imagine watching “Hogan’s Heroes” with German men who had been conscripted into the Hitler Youth?

In the meantime, my maternal grandparents took a months-long voyage from Chicago, through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway to the North Atlantic and then proceeded to sail all around South America.

Upon their return, they brought me porcelain dolls dressed in their folk costumes from the various countries – for example, an Argentine gaucho and his wife. When my dad traveled, he would bring back foreign dolls too.

I amassed a beautiful collection to go along with my hockey gear – since I was obsessed with hockey at a time when I was the first and only girl playing on a boys’ team at the local rink.

In addition to the dolls and hockey sticks, my parents purchased the entire set of World Book encyclopedias and a globe for me. I became fascinated with maps and would gently place my tracing paper on top of the maps of countries and trace their rivers and boundaries for hours on end.

Early influences set me on the path to global trade

In fact, I won the prize for the highest marks in geography in the Quebec provincial exam the year I graduated from high school.

I am not saying this to brag – it is just that early influences for children can be so important.

I was fortunate to have many positive ones – such as traveling with my dad to Italy and Germany, and being allowed to drink a stein of beer in Hamburg as a 15 year old.

In college, my favorite professor was an international lawyer who was a leader in the creation of the UN’s Law of the Sea Treaty. He encouraged me to go to law school.

The plan was that I would then do legal work for my dad’s company in Montreal. That plan was never hatched. Our family left Montreal as part of the “Anglophone Exodus” of the late 1970s, after Bill 101 established French as the province’s official language, and the language of business, education and commerce.

Instead of Montreal, I pursued my legal career in the United States, but have always kept my connections with Canada.

As a new lawyer, I worked in international banking in Chicago. I was married there, but soon my husband’s business took us to Dallas in the early 1980s. This was an exciting time, as Dallas was fast emerging as a global city.

Gaining experience and overcoming gender bias overseas

I spent ten years working as an in-house lawyer for Texas Instruments (TI) in Dallas. I traveled to Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. My work involved negotiating international purchase and sale agreements, technology licensing agreements and working on issues involving foreign governments.

On a couple of occasions, I had to leave for an international flight immediately and did not have much time to pack.

In some male-dominated countries, it was especially challenging to project authority as a female lawyer, so I had to invest in what were then known as ‘power suits.’

After TI, I worked with two large law firms in Dallas, mostly representing technology companies.

I was still traveling frequently, and especially enjoyed a week I spent working in Taiwan, a country of very friendly and gracious people. Although, I was a bit disoriented by all the signs everywhere – none of which I could read!

Eventually, I switched gears from a two-decade-long technology practice to work for Walmart in Arkansas.

I was asked to provide legal support for the company’s global procurement operations, and then moved over to a food merchandising, food and product safety and private label development legal counseling role.

Both of these positions involved many global legal issues.

Becoming a business leader and entrepreneur

In 2008, I opened my own law firm and became an advisor to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise America’s Beachheads program. I also joined the Arkansas World Trade Center.

This is where I first met Leroy Lowe, who flew down from Nova Scotia to introduce the FITTskills curriculum.

Seeing how comprehensive and pragmatic the FITTskills courses are, I immediately jumped into completing all the courses and exams for my FITT diploma, and applied for my elite CITP®|FIBP® designation. I was elected to the FITT Board, and taught FITTskills courses in Arkansas.

One cannot be an effective business lawyer without understanding how the clients’ businesses operate. This is why the FITTskills curriculum is so unique and valuable.

It gives you a 360 degree view of international trade, not a narrow, specialist-only perspective.

Through my involvement with FITT, I met leaders of the Ottawa chapter of Organization of Women in International Trade. This led me to become a co-founder of the Arkansas chapter.

I now serve as a director of the Tampa Bay chapter. There is no question that FITT has helped me to expand my network of valuable business colleagues and connections.

Giving back to international communities

I also have a passion for helping those in need. In addition to my legal work for businesses, I have spent many years assisting refugees and helping children injured in war zones receive U.S. medical treatment. I worked with many Bosnian refugees in the aftermath of the civil wars which destroyed Yugoslavia.

I was in Sarajevo after the Dayton Peace Accords were signed and the city was still devastated and on edge. There, I ran into some brave Canadian peacekeepers and was photographed standing with them.

My career has been successful, with some failures and setbacks along the way, of course.

But through it all – the keys to my success have been the people who helped me before the term mentor came into vogue, as well as perseverance, curiosity and lifelong learning.

I think it’s important to give back, and I try to help students by hiring them for summer legal jobs, volunteering at local schools, speaking at colleges about careers in international business and sponsoring robotics and Model UN teams.

One of the advantages of growing up in Canada as an American is that I love both countries equally. Whenever the two countries play against each other in international hockey tournaments, I am always happy no matter which team wins.

For those in international trade, I highly recommend engaging with FITT – no matter what your profession, industry sector or stage of your career. You’ll broaden your knowledge and you’ll meet great people.

Go for it!

The post How following my childhood passion led to a thriving career in international law appeared first on Trade Ready.

One of my favourite childhood movies was The Wizard of Oz. The classic American film, an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was an annual television event during the second half of the 20th century.

“The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with bright yellow brick,” said the Good Witch of the North.

“So you cannot miss it, and when you get to Oz, please do not be afraid, but tell Oz your story, child, and ask Oz to help you.”

Although the road is painted in bright glowing yellow, the road itself is not entirely straight. It is a very long one, running across vast landscapes until reaching its ultimate destination. Even though the majority of the road is polished and smooth, the road has areas where many bricks are broken or have been uprooted from their foundation.

Many people would wish to avoid such areas when it curves and swoops through dark abandoned forests and jungles, no doubt full of wild beasts:

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

My own personal road

When I look back on my own journey, the road that I followed looped by steep cliff edges, and was riddled with its share of missing bricks and potholes.

However, I would not trade it for anything.

That long and convoluted path has molded me into an agile advisor who is able to work in dynamic environments, with confidence that I can surmount any challenge in front of me.

On my last business trip in the Philippines, my boss reminded me that consultants wear many different hats. Despite my role as a lawyer, managing the legal aspects of my company’s global operations, he briefed me on how to read technical drawings of a rail design in preparation of an engineering meeting with the heads of two government departments.

The outlook I’ve had on my career hasn’t always been like this. Even though my motivation for pursuing a legal education was to become an international jet-setting lawyer (it’s less glamourous than it sounds), I struggled with finding an appropriate job during and after law school.

I stayed true to my interest in learning more about international business and enrolled in the FITTskills program to pursue the CITP designation. An overwhelming majority of my peers from law school were working and I was still in school, accumulating more debt. It was a dark period for me.

Suddenly the road turned a corner

However, my investment in the FITTskills program eventually paid off. I poured my passion into project work, studying long hours, networking to get my name out on the job market, and taking on extra-curricular activities to develop leadership skills.

In doing this, I made many social and financial sacrifices, but I kept my eye on the prize, which was to build a successful international career.

Eventually, my hard work began to pay off as I landed the coveted EDC-FITT Internship position at Canada’s export credit agency, EDC.

I also received the FITT Achievement Award in recognition of my community involvement and academic success in the FITT program.

My yellow brick road did not end there, though.

It winded through three different departments at EDC: business development, legal services and project finance. As the term of each contract came to an end, I stated a business case to support my transition to another team.

The multidisciplinary nature of my rotation in both customer facing and business support roles ultimately prepared me for my current job as Senior Consultant and Legal Counsel for CPCS. I provide legal advice to support the day-to-day operations of the international consulting firm.

On the transaction side, I advise on legal/regulatory reform to create enabling environments for public-private partnerships, and draft commercial agreements for public-private partnership projects.

This variety keeps me on my toes.

Meeting the Wizard

The lesson behind all of this, for all of you out there, aspiring to kick your career into full gear, is to be patient and open-minded to the opportunities that present themselves to you over time.

Occasionally, you may get lost in the woods, and the route back to the yellow brick road is acknowledging that you can change directions and leave with the knowledge that was gained in the process.

Life is organic and one experience builds upon another. When I was completing the FITT program, I certainly did not know that I was going to move to Canada’s capital to work for the Government of Canada, let alone continue on to work for a consulting firm in the infrastructure sector.

Research has shown that the majority of jobs are created through word of mouth and networking opportunities.

I certainly can attest to that, as I made contact with EDC employees at an event hosted by the Organization of Women in International Trade, following up with them by e-mail and phone, before landing an interview for the EDC-FITT Internship.

My current job flowed from an introduction to the Chairman of CPCS by a trusted colleague at EDC. Taking a genuine interest in getting to know new people and honing in on commonalities such as hobbies, where you studied, and so on, will help make networking a pleasant experience.

I will leave you with an anecdote from my EDC-FITT Internship days.

My business development manager at the time would always point out that I was wearing my “Dorothy shoes” whenever I came to work in my red heels with grosgrain bows on the front.

Dorothy’s ruby slippers were actually silver in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book, and Hollywood only changed them to ruby red to take advantage of the new Technicolor used in the 1939 film.

Therefore, whether silver or red, put on your Dorothy shoes, take pride in crafting your own personal journey and follow the yellow brick road!

The post Following the Yellow Brick Road to a successful international career appeared first on Trade Ready.

But ask yourself as a business person—have you ever heard a lawyer talk about the adventure and joy of engaging in international business?

If not, here is your first time!

How this lawyer came to love global trade

I started working in international trade during my summers in high school and college. I was fortunate that my dad owned an international valve company based in Montreal.

Back in the days of telexes instead of email or text messages, I used to deal with international customers while working as a clerk in the accounts payable department.

I travelled to several countries with my dad on business and was able to meet foreign businessmen who came to our home for dinner. In those days, all the business people were men. I sure am glad that has changed!

That early experience whetted my appetite for a career in international business.

I studied international relations and European, Russian, Asian and North American history in college.

I went on to law school and took all the international law courses available at the time. Why?

The answer is that as a teenager, it was an adventure to travel on Air Canada, BOAC or Lufthansa to Europe and have your passport full of stamps from different countries.

It was fun to be an underage minor as far as Canadian law was concerned and still be able to legally drink beer in Hamburg, Germany. Did you know that some Caribbean Islands are not just great beach destinations but centers of energy development and international banking?

The mental and physical benefits of doing business abroad

[Tweet “Doing business with people from other countries is intellectually stimulating.”]

It is a lifelong learning process. You never get bored when you struggle to understand a different language or accent or when you learn how to drive on the left hand side of the road.

Your entire brain is engaged along with your hearing and your motor skills.

Foreign travel for international business also stimulates your digestive track for good and for ill, depending on your destination. Even if you have to constantly pop Tums or make some unscheduled trips to the bathroom; it is usually enjoyable to navigate foreign menus and try different cuisine.

However, I always travel with a jar of peanut butter and a package of crackers to tide me over if the local dishes are unpalatable.

Some people are more comfortable living in the same place their entire life and not moving around their own country or the globe. That’s perfectly fine—there is nothing wrong with putting down deep roots.

Taking on the challenge of foreign trade and reaping the rewards

On the other hand, some people like the challenge of operating in different cultures and places, outside of one’s comfort zone. If you are one of these people, then go for it—develop your professional skill-set and dive into international trade! You will never regret it.

Yes, being an international business person entails more risks than dealing domestically.

There are currency fluctuation risks, logistical risks, delays in getting paid sometimes, and even personal risks if the country you are traveling in has civil unrest, dirty water or diseases that Canadians and Americans don’t have to contend with because of our climate and public health advances.

Economists and stock market traders know that risk and reward are inter-related. The greater the risk, the greater the potential reward!

Does this line of thinking suit you too? What has made your international business experiences well worth the risks?

The post A lawyer’s perspective on why the risks are worth the rewards of doing international business appeared first on Trade Ready.