Selling internationally requires research and study of every component of a country and of course it is not the easiest. But according to  Selectusa.com,“Distribution & Sales,2019” Selling in Italy provides new hurdles for American company representatives, but there are no major issues. Some business procedures may differ from those in the United States, but the majority will be fairly familiar. The retail and wholesale distribution systems, for example, are based on small, family-run businesses. Despite this, the supermarket-type business has grown in popularity, and there are a number of large department shops.

Companies that seek to employ distribution, franchising, or agency arrangements must verify that the agreements they enter into are compliant with EU and member state national legislation. According to Trade.gov,2021 Council Directive 86/653/EEC specifies some basic protection criteria for self-employed commercial agents who sell or acquire commodities on behalf of their proprietors. The Directive specifies the principal’s and its agents’ rights and responsibilities, as well as the agent’s pay and the conclusion and termination of an agency contract. It also specifies the amount of notice to be provided and the amount of indemnity or compensation to be paid to the agent. Companies in the United States should be especially mindful that, according to the Directive, parties may not deviate from specific obligations.

The EU is also working to reduce payment delays. Directive 2011/7/EU applies to all commercial transactions conducted inside the EU, whether in the public or private sectors and is particularly concerned with the implications of late payment. Consumer transactions, on the other hand, are not covered by this Directive. According to Directive 2011/7/EU, a seller who does not obtain payment for goods and/or services within 30 days of the payment deadline is entitled to interest (at 8% over the European Central Bank rate) as well as 40 Euro as compensation for cost recovery.

(Ersilda Vata)