The Maine International Trade Center's Electronic News Service Monday, April 23, 2007 |
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| MITC Member Status: FY07 Member | |
Sponsored by:
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Upcoming Programs:Tuesday, May 1, 2007 ~ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm EMHS Corporate Offices, Cianchette Building, Brewer Strategies for Success in Latin America Tuesday, May 8, 2007 ~ 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm MITC Office, Portland Save the Date! 27th Annual Maine International Trade Day ~ Innovations 2007: International Partnerships and Technology Solutions for Maine |
| TRADE ALERTS | |
Washington Files WTO Piracy Cases Against China GENEVA - The United States took action on Tuesday at the World Trade Organization against Beijing for piracy and blocking access for U.S. films, books and software. Charging that China was breaking its 2001 WTO entry agreement, Washington sought consultations with Beijing over the twin complaints, which could lead to a formal case being brought if no deal can be struck within 60 days. http://uk.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUKL1031680320070410 European Commission Solicits Input for Revision of the RoHS Directive: Due May 22, 2007 The European Commission has just published notice of a public consultation on the revision of the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive. The Commission has identified certain topics for review and wishes to be provided detailed evidence that is relevant to its consideration of the topics, in particular studies and evaluations of the full costs or benefits of provisions of the Directive and potential changes in the operation of the Directive. The consultation is part of the review process for the Directive, which started in 2006, and will continue during 2007 and 2008. The Commission expects to present a proposal for a revised RoHS Directive in 2008. View the consultation paper . For more information on the RoHS directive, go to the U.S. Mission to the EU WEEE/RoHS web pages. |
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| TRADE NEWS | |
World Bank gives Africa millions for internet - The World Bank has approved financing worth $164.5 million for Kenya, Burundi and Madagascar for high-speed internet connections, the bank said on Tuesday. The region is the only place in the world not connected to the global broadband infrastructure, making telephone calls and Internet access very expensive, the bank said. http://www.sabcnews.com/world/other/0,2172,146657,00.html KOREA-U.S. FTA] No more bargaining for Korea-U.S. The United States is likely to demand Korea adjust terms for labor and environment in a just-concluded free trade agreement, but Korea won't accept the request, one of Seoul's senior trade negotiators said Monday (April 9). http://www.kois.go.kr/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20070409002&part=103&SearchDay=&page=1 US hints at dragging China to WTO over fake-products dispute After months of prodding China to crack down on pirated copies of American movies, music and software, the Bush administration appears ready to escalate the dispute into a legal confrontation. Japan, India start second round of trade talks Japan and India on Monday opened a second round of talks on a free trade deal that the Asian giants aim to seal within two years, officials said. http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/09042007/24/finance-news-japan-india-start-second-round-trade-talks.html Emerging economies notch up strongest growth since 1997 -Asia's 'emerging' economies enjoyed their strongest overall growth since crisis struck the region in 1997 and growth should moderate only slightly this year, the World Bank reported. The report noted that growth in emerging East Asia - defined as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan plus some smaller regional economies - reached 8.1 per cent in 2006. http://news.asiaone.com.sg/bt/bto_20070406_229851.html China trade surplus takes a plunge China's trade surplus slumped last month, as the Government hailed moves to encourage imports and cut tax relief on exports. The surplus, which measures the difference between exports and imports, tumbled by 38.6 per cent to $6.9 billion (£3.5 billion) in March, compared with the same month last year. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article1634257.ece
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| TRADE MISSIONS | |
Building for the Future: 2007 U.S. Green Building Products Trade Mission to Asia (Hong Kong) June 4 – 12, 2007. Hong Kong, Philippines and Singapore all offer good opportunities for U.S. building products suppliers. In all three markets, U.S. high quality building products and components are respected, particularly for environmentally-friendly building projects. The market for green building products is full of potential. The trade mission members will be introduced to potential agents/distributors, architects and end-users, and have an opportunity to learn more about building trends in these key Asian markets. Contact Amy Magat, 213-894-3966, Amy.Magat@mail.doc.gov for more info. Louisiana Trade Mission to the XVIII Latin American Petroleum Show in Caracas, Venezuela, June 25, 2007- June 30, 2007 The Latin American Petroleum Show (LAPS) has, for over 30 years, been the single most important international oil and gas event in Venezuela, and one of the most important oil exhibitions in the Western Hemisphere. The event has traditionally sold out months in advance, with over 90% of past exhibitors renewing participation. For more information please visit: http://www.buyusa.gov/neworleans/
Virtual Trade Missions-USCS The Virtual Matchmaker Program offers the busy executive a cost-effective way to explore an overseas market and meet international business prospects and market experts. Virtual Matchmakers are industry specific and allow companies the opportunity to get answers to their market questions in an interactive, two-hour video conference. FMI: http://www.export.gov/salesandmarketing/virtual_trade_mission.asp |
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| SEMINARS | |
MiNaT - International Trade Fair for Precision Mechanics and Ultra-Precision, Micro and Nanotechnologies Stuttgart, June 12 - 14th, 2007 www.messe-stuttgart.de/minat//2007/english/index.htm
INFO COMM 2007: Audio/Visual, Computer Peripherals, Software and Services Show—the annual conference and exhibition for professional audiovisual sellers and buyers worldwide—will be held in Anaheim, CA. from June 19-21, 2007
Healthcare Opportunities in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt -- Dental Eq., Health Care Services, Laboratory Scientific Instruments, Medical Eq. This event is a premier webinar for U.S. companies serious about the market potential in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt. The development of the Turkish, Jordanian and Egyptian economies are offering tremendous opportunities for U.S. businesses with the right healthcare products and services. http://www.export.gov/eac/show_detail_trade_events.asp?EventID=25476 |
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| USEFUL WEBSITES: Maine and the Future of Emissions Trading | |
The Energy Resources Council http://www.maine.gov/spo/energy/energycouncil/ Efficiency Maine http://www.efficiencymaine.com/ Maine Energy Info http://www.maineenergyinfo.com/whole_house.html Clean Government Initiative http://www.maine.gov/cleangovt/ MGM International Website http://www.mgminter.com/cp/en.html |
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As a reminder, MITC membership includes unlimited trade assistance. We look forward to answering your questions and providing you with market research and statistics. For more information, please contact Trade Assistance Manager Anne Hurst at hurst@mitc.com or 541-7418. |
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For more information about the Maine International Trade Center, please visit our website or contact us today. Website: www.mitc.com Bangor Office: 207-990-3161 Lewiston Office: 207-753-0574 Portland Office: 207-541-7400 |
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Maine International Trade Center 511 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 |
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