Importing to export, internationalization of small manufacturing firms in Bogotá, D.C. a comparative study

Abstract

Given the fragile and protracted slowdown in world economic growth, multilateral organizations and governments are calling for policies that can improve effective economic diversification in the long term, promoting industrialization and international expansion. Thus, the objective of this article is to demonstrate the importance of import processes, to leverage the first export of small firms in the manufacturing sector in Bogotá D.C. For this purpose, a deductive case study was developed through applied research in process innovation, in the function of production of goods, distribution and logistics. The theory applied is part of internationalization, seen from the Uppsala model, and the innovation model, assuming that internationalization is a process of business innovation, basic for the internationalization of SMEs. The results allowed us to observe that regardless of the industrial activity carried out, the firms need to import capital goods or inputs for their production process. Setbacks in import customs procedures delay the times in the production processes, affecting the dispatch of merchandise in the export process. The destinations chosen for the first exportable supply of these industries are countries with which Colombia has free trade agreements.