Empirical Insights into British Countertrade with Eastern Bloc Countries

Countertrade is a widely prevalent mode of trading among Eastern bloc nations. Countries and companies which wish to export to them can gain a strong competitive edge by incorporating a willingness to countertrade into their product offering. This article reports findings regarding the perceptions of benefits and problems held by British executives whose companies do practice countertrading with Eastern bloc customers. It also sheds some light on why the incidence of East‐West countertrade appears to be inaeasing.