What is a multinational corporation?
Simply put, a multinational corporation is a legal entity that does business in multiple countries. While we may consider them relatively new developments, multinational corporations have existed for hundreds of years. The Dutch East Indies Co., which operated in the Pacific Ocean in the 1600s and traded porcelain, spices, and textiles, is generally considered one of the first multinational corporations.
But just because a company exports goods and services to another country doesn't make it a multinational corporation. The business should have a direct investment in a foreign country, whether through operations, facilities, or employees.