Despite some recent protectionist headwinds, international trade had been chugging along and growing at a decent pace. However, this does not mean business as usual. Firstly, high-growth markets are continuously shifting, motivating companies to access emerging markets that they have not done business in before. Secondly, even in their local markets, companies face stiff competition, which drives them to build business and customer relationships in their regions (like in the EU, for example).