The North American Industry Classification System
- North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying businesses for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data on the U.S. business economy. Many of the libraries' databases build off the NAICS industry classification system, so it's important to be familiar with it. - Industries at a Glance (BLS)
A list of industries organized under two supersectors: Goods-Producing and Service-Producing businesses. Each industry profile includes a description, a list of subsectors, and links to relevant data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Professional and Trade Associations
Professional and trade associations can be very helpful in learning more about an industry or type of business. While full access to an association's content is usually reserved for paid members, they will often provide information to the public through summary reports or press releases.
Start finding industry associations with a simple web search. Be more effective by including the country, industry name, and a keyword like "association." For example, try searching for "Italy and Apparel and Association."
Library Databases
- Hoover's OnlineBusiness information, industry news and data, financials, executive contact information, and news on U.S. and international companies. Useful for industry overviews and comparing major competitors.
- Euromonitor PassportExclusive financial data, demographic information major countries and regions, industry trends and forecasting, and company profiles for major international corporations and industries.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowData sources for industries in countries around the world. Visit the Getting Started Guide for more information.
- Business Source PremierFull text articles and reports from top business publications, including newspapers, trade magazines, company profiles, industry reports, and scholarly journals.
Web Resources
- World Bank Data This link opens in a new windowWorld Bank's compilation of data which includes education, health, economics, and more.
- Doing Business - World Bank GroupThe Doing Business project provides objective measures of business regulations for local firms in 189 economies and selected cities at the subnational level.
- United Nations Trade StatisticsFree access to detailed global trade data. UN Comtrade is a repository of official trade statistics and relevant analytical tables. It contains annual trade statistics starting from 1962 and monthly trade statistics since 2010
- Listing of International Statistical AgenciesInternational statistical websites and statistical agencies listed by country.
- World Trade Organization - ResearchTwo broad categories of research and analysis material are produced by the WTO: regular assessments of the global trade picture in the WTO annual publications and research reports on specific topics. The WTO also organizes regular economic seminars.
- Market Research - Export.govAccess the U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.
The Library Includes:
• Country Commercial Guides (read latest “Doing Business In” guides)
• Industry Overviews*
• Market Updates*
• Multilateral Development Bank Reports*
• Best Markets*
• Industry/Regional Reports*
* These market research reports are available only to U.S. companies and students/researchers that are registered with Export.gov. Register above to get access. - GlobalEDGECreated by the International Business Center at Michigan State University (IBC), globalEDGE™ is a knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities.
- Database of International Business Statistics•Access is available for academic, non-commercial use. You will need to register (for free) to use.
•Frequent updates using robust data
•Over 5000 variables
•Over 200 countries
•Data available from mid-1990s to present
More Web Resources
- UNCTADstatComprehensive statistics from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
- EurostatDetailed statistics on the European Union and candidate countries. Some statistical publications here are behind paywalls.
- TradeStats ExpressAnnual and quarterly trade data from the U.S. Office of Trade and Industry Information (OTII). Via Export.gov.
- Plunkett ResearchIndustry reports. Some information is behind a paywall, but the free information is substantive.
Trademarks & Intellectual Property
- Directory of Intellectual Property OfficesIncludes lists of trademark offices by country.
A useful way to identify competitors in a given market is to look at active and pending applications for trademarks in the country of interest. Most countries provide free databases of applications and registered trademarks.
- International Listing of Goods and ServicesFrom the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
