An economics field of study that applies both macroeconomic and microeconomic principles to international trade, which is the flow of trade among nations, and to international finance, which is the means of making payment for the exchange of goods among nations. International economics studies the economic interactions among the different nations that make up the global economy. Often this interaction is viewed in terms of the domestic economy and the foreign sector. The key economic principle underlying international economics is the law of comparative advantage.
International economics is growing in importance as a field of study because of the rapid integration of international economic markets. Increasingly, businesses, consumers, and governments realize that their lives are affected not only by what goes on in their own town, state, or country but also by what is happening around the world. Consumers can walk into their local shops today and buy goods and services from all over the world. Local businesses must compete with these foreign products. However, many of these same businesses also have new opportunities to expand their markets by selling to a multitude of consumers in other countries. The advance of telecommunications is also rapidly reducing the cost of providing services internationally, while the Internet will assuredly change the nature of many products and services as it expands markets even further.
Trade and Finance
International economics is a broad