International trade involves the exchange of capital, goods, and services across national borders, representing a significant portion of many countries' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and growing in economic importance over recent centuries. While the core motivation for trade remains similar to domestic commerce, international transactions are far more complex due to factors like varying currencies, government policies, and legal systems. To ease this complexity, international economic organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been formed to facilitate global commerce.

This global exchange, recorded as imports and exports, allows consumers and countries access to a vast array of products—from food and oil to services like tourism—and is heavily influenced by advanced technology, globalization, and multinational corporations. A key distinction from domestic trade is the higher cost of international trade, stemming from explicit tariffs, border delays, language differences, and cultural barriers. Furthermore, factors of production like labor and capital are less mobile across borders, leading countries to often import goods that embody these factors, such as the United States importing labor-intensive products from China.