# Commercial Diplomacy Index

> Commercial Diplomacy Index is a National Data System research publication for comparing international markets, exploring Sister and Friendship City possibilities, and finding U.S. community connections.

Public site: https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/
Canonical domain: CommercialDiplomacyIndex.com. The Places & Business Directory is hosted separately at https://places.commercialdiplomacyindex.com/.
Publisher and research foundation: National Data System, https://nationaldatasystem.com/.
Publication lead: Christopher C. Herring.

## What readers can do
- Compare places to export goods or services.
- Investigate city partnerships using community evidence, existing relationships, industry context, and the NAICS–ISIC classification bridge.
- Explore where people born in other countries live in covered U.S. areas. Birthplace, ancestry, Mexican origin, and Indigenous identity are separate measures.
- Read country-specific economic, travel, transportation, language, and relationship evidence.
- Find diplomacy organizations, recorded programs, and routes to an introduction.

## Published editions and meaning
- Country Readiness V1.0.0: 121 scored reporting economies in a 2024 reference edition, using equally weighted trade, foreign investment, internet-use, and logistics percentiles. The observation periods differ by input and are documented. All 251 discovery geographies remain visible.
- Country Economic Opportunity V1.0.0: 150 scored economies using 2024 import demand (50%), real GDP growth (25%), and price stability (25%). This is an NDS editorial component; the supplied release is not independently certified.
- Sister City research release: all 69 country-to-U.S.-market leads are included: 56 Sister City research leads and 13 diaspora outreach leads, spanning 10 countries and 48 U.S. market areas. The displayed Global Consumer Opportunity score is a source component, not a newly completed international-city ranking.
- The broader six-pillar Commercial Diplomacy Index and the proposed Sister City Partnership Performance Index are not completed combined rankings.
- NDS-derived scores are separate from official source observations and source-provided rankings. Missing observations remain missing, never zero.

## Start here
- [About and purpose](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/about)
- [Compare export markets](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/export-markets)
- [Country Readiness rankings](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/country-rankings)
- [Economic Opportunity component](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/economic-opportunity)
- [Sister City research](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/sister-city-opportunities)
- [Shared community and city pathways](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/sister-city-pathways)
- [Existing source-listed relationships](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/existing-relationships)
- [NAICS–ISIC industry bridge](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/industry-code-bridge)
- [U.S. community rankings](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/us-communities)

## Evidence and context
- [Methods and release boundaries](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/methodology)
- [Source coverage](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/coverage)
- [Country observations](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/country-data)
- [Country travel histories](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/travel-history)
- [Historical Doing Business reference](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/market-entry-history)
- [Global Chamber case study](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/global-chamber/case-study)
- [Global Ties U.S. diplomacy model and 2026 Community Impact Study](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/global-ties)
- [Media Room](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/media-room)
- [Country and site directory](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/sitemap)
- [XML sitemap](https://commercialdiplomacyindex.com/sitemap.xml)
- [Connected Places & Business Directory](https://places.commercialdiplomacyindex.com/)
- [Places XML sitemap](https://places.commercialdiplomacyindex.com/sitemap.xml)
- [Business profile sitemap index](https://places.commercialdiplomacyindex.com/business-sitemap.xml)

## Interpretation
Scores are research screening measures, not predictions of sales, investment returns, or diplomacy-caused growth. Existing city relationships are source listings, not verification of present activity. Industry classifications do not establish buyer demand or partner willingness. Tourism departures count trips abroad, not unique travelers or necessarily trips to the United States. Historical data retain their periods. The strongest citation is the relevant country or research page with its named source, date, geographic definition, comparison denominator, and method.

Private notebooks and inquiry submissions are not public research sources. The workspace is excluded from the XML sitemap. This optional text guide does not register the site with an AI service or guarantee search inclusion.