Other State Department Archive Sites

The State Department web site below is a permanent electronic archive of information released online from January 1, 1997 to January 20, 2001. Please see www.state.gov for current material from the Department of State. Or visit http://2001-2009.state.gov for information from that period. Archive sites are not updated, so external links may no longer function. Contact us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

Country Commercial Guides FY 2000: Austria Report prepared by U.S. Embassy Vienna, released July 1999 Note*

CHAPTER I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Country Commercial Guide (CCG) presents a comprehensive look at Austria's commercial environment, using economic, political and market analysis. The CCGs were established by recommendation of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), a multi-agency task force, to consolidate various reporting documents prepared for the U.S. business community. Country Commercial Guides are prepared annually at U.S. Embassies through the combined efforts of several U.S. Government agencies.

Many American executives forget Austria. Not often in U.S. headlines, we tend to think of Austria in terms of skiing, the Von Trapp family and Mozart. Austria is a delightful place to be sure, but it can be just as delightful for hard-headed, serious business. Some companies see that Austria is German-speaking and has a largely Germanic culture, and they hastily reach the conclusion that a representative in Germany can cover the Austrian market. Sometimes they are right, more often wrong. The ways of business in Vienna or Graz can be strikingly different from those of Berlin or Hamburg. Other companies focus on the markets in the headlines and head further east, perhaps flying through Vienna on their way to emerging markets. We've always had a preference for markets that have money, so don't forget to linger in Austria for a business day or two - or more.

Statisticians call it the "Rotterdam Effect" -- the discrepancy in trade statistics that appears when goods are transshipped through other countries before they reach their final destination. If you look at the U.S. export data for sales to Austria in 1998, you will see that we shipped about $2.5 billion of our products to this small market in central Europe. Austrian data, however, shows that we sold $3.5 billion in Austria in the same year. The $1 billion difference is that our own export statistics often measure shipments only to their first foreign port of entry, hence the Rotterdam Effect. The Austrian market may be small, but it's not THAT small, and it can be highly lucrative.

Our competitors certainly think Austria is a profitable market. They are here in force, especially the Germans and Italians, but in such numbers that U.S. companies may find Austrian buyers willing to consider alternatives. German sellers have the advantage of language and proximity, but there is sometimes a backlash that can work in our favor. That said, Austria is a highly competitive market and wrapping a product in the American flag does not guarantee success; quality, service and price have to come with it. The Austrian buyer will insist on that. And don't count on the backlash to make a sale for you. It may get your foot in the door, but when it comes to laying out money, it is awfully easy for the Austrian to decide to go with the seller who is close and who speaks his or her own language. This is particularly true when dealing with the Austrian Government. While there is no "Buy Austrian" or "Buy European" legislation, we have seen several instances in which the Government seems to have bent backwards to be "good" Europeans or to find an "Austrian solution" to politically sticky transactions. Like anywhere else, be on your toes.

Austria's is an economy in which customer service has played little role, but we see glimmers that the Austrian consumer may begin to demand better service from vendors. The few instances in which companies have introduced American-style customer service and support have been well received by sometimes-startled consumers. We think that customer-friendly companies can do very well here in the next few years before most Austrian firms get the idea. The conversion to the Euro will accelerate this trend, making it more likely that Austrians will compare the value-for-money they receive with what goes on in other parts of Europe.

Austria often touts itself as the Gateway to eastern and central Europe. This was true when Vienna was home to the specialist trading companies that navigated the Soviet Bloc, but these firms became dinosaurs after the Berlin Wall fell. The capital of the Habsburgs is making a comeback in East-West trade and investment. Close to 200 American firms use Vienna as a regional base of operations, having found that the city is the natural hub for travel in the region, an ideal location to place expatriate executives to keep their families happy, and a great place to find experienced, educated staff who know the central and eastern European markets well. The dominant days of the Austrian trading companies are gone, but it is still possible to make the right match with Austrian firms that know the eastern markets far better than most American companies do.

The Commercial Service office in the American Embassy in Vienna (CS Vienna) can help you find your niche in Austria. We offer the panoply of programs that have been proven in Commercial Service offices around the world, including Gold Key meetings, considerable market research, assistance at trade shows and much more. More important is that our experienced business specialists can give your company the insights and contacts you need to launch sales in this market. Don't hesitate to ask us your questions about doing business in Austria. We'll probably have the answers and, if we don't, we will have a good idea of where to find them. You can contact us by `telephone (001-(43-1) 313 39 2297), fax (001-(43 1) 310 6917) or E-mail (ovienna@doc.gov). CS Vienna will pass you on to the Foreign Agricultural Service office or the Office of Defense Cooperation, both also in the Embassy, if they are in a better position to help you do a deal. Country Commercial Guides are available for U.S. exporters from the National Trade Data Bank's CD ROM or via the Internet. Please contact STAT-USA at 1-800-STAT-USA for more information. Country Commercial Guides can be accessed via the World Wide Web at http://www.stat-usa.gov, http://1997-2001.state.gov/, and http://www.mac.doc.gov. They can also be ordered in hard copy or on diskette from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at 1-800-553-NTIS. U.S. exporters seeking general export information/assistance and country-specific commercial information should contact the U.S. Department of Commerce, Trade Information Center by phone at 1-800-USA-TRADE or by Fax at (202) 482-4473.