ICT and the Trading Negotiation for International Sale Contracts in the Pacific Alliance Firms1

Introduction. Information and communication technologies (ICT) have changed the way firms conduct their international business transactions, as small, medium and large companies are increasingly adopting these tools in order to improve productivity in operational processes, including the internationalization of goods and services. Objective. This paper aims to identify the ICT most commonly used in the international trade negotiation process for the achievement of import and export contracts in Pacific Alliance firms. Methodology. A survey was conducted among 401 internationalized firms in this regional trade bloc formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. A descriptive analysis was also applied to present the results of the study, highlighting the ICT most used in international trade negotiations and, likewise, an ordered logistic regression was applied to explain both the level of importance given to ICT in the negotiation process and the frequency of use within this trade agreement. Results The research reveals that ICT are essential for each phase of the international negotiation, especially in the preparation phase. Conclusion. The use of specialized ICT, such as e-procurement, ERP, CRM, NSS and scenario building software, increases as the size of companies also increases.