Bartering is exchanging items without money . It was a common form of trade between people before currency was common . It is used for international trade between countries as well . It is called countertrade. It can be used for smaller purchases as well as for larger ones. For example, in the late 1980s, the USSR traded military ships (a Soviet cruiser, a frigate, a destroyer, 17 submarines, and a handful of oil tankers) for Pepsi soft drinks.

Situation

A buyer in Thailand wants to purchase goods from a hypothetical company that you own in the USA. The sale has a total landed cost of 100,000 USD. The Thailand buyer wants/needs to use countertrade to pay. What good and what quantity of it do you recommend the US company request from the buyer in Thailand to get 100,000 USD worth?

Valuation

Visit the Observatory of Economic Complexity website. Identify a good that Thailand exports (not including petroleum products or precious metals - like gold or silver). Select carefully as you will need to determine the value of a unit of this good. The World Integrated Trade Solution ( WITS) website or the World Bank Commodity Markets " Pink Sheet " may be helpful in determining the valuation of Thailand's goods. Make sure you clearly state what the good is , the units in which it is sold, and its value per unit . Include information or a supporting image that supports that valuation . Show your calculation .