Multinational company

A business can participate by exporting products to overseas customers or importing materials and finished products from abroad. It may also operate in several countries as a multinational company. AstraZeneca, for example, has its headquarters in Cambridge but carries out research and manufacturing in other countries too.

A multinational company, or MNC, is based in one country but operates facilities, such as factories or outlets, in other countries. Starbucks, for example, is based in the USA but operates coffee shops internationally. Selling products to overseas customers alone does not necessarily make a business multinational: operating overseas facilities is the important distinction.