MITC Trade Bulletin
The Maine International Trade Center's Electronic News Service
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Sponsored by
MITC PROGRAMS
Export Licensing & Compliance
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Maine International Trade Center, Portland
Many commercial items without an obvious military use are subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This program will cover everything exporters need to know in order to comply with federal export license requirements for commercial goods. Topics will include what items are subject to the EAR; steps to determine if you need an export license; how to find your Export Control Classification Number (ECCN); regional considerations and denied persons lists; and applying for an export license with the Bureau of Industry and Security. Export Licensing & Compliance will be held at MITC's Portland Office on February 23rd from 2:00-4:30 pm. For more information, contact Ashleigh Arledge at (207) 541-7455 or arledge@mitc.com.
OTHER PROGRAMS
Chinese New Year Fair
Sunday, January 29, 2006 ~ 11 am to 4 pm
Catherine McAuley High School, 631 Stevens Ave, Portland
An exciting cultural & economic program, including:
For more information, go to http://cafammaine.org or call Susan Lieberman at (207) 773-4691.
The Power of Relationship Management
From the Maine Marketing Association
Join keynote speaker Marc Pierce of Stonegate Strategic Advisors, LLC as he discusses how to strategically build and manage relationships and what tools you can use to leverage relationships to benefit your business. The seminar will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2006 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm (registration & networking from 8:30 - 9:30 am) at the Glickman Family Library, University Events Room, University of Southern Maine. Cost is $35 for MMA members; $45 for non-members; and $15 for students. Visit www.portlandmarketing.org for more information or to register.
TRADE ALERTS
UN bans global trade in caviar: The global trade in legal caviar has been stopped by the United Nations, leaving gourmands gasping and conservationists cheering. Alarmed by the plunging number of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea, a UN agency dedicated to preserving endangered species has put the onus on wild-caviar exporting nations to prove that their conservation methods can protect the fish stock. The UN agency said yesterday that years of lowered quotas had not taken into account illegal fishing. The World Wildlife Fund welcomed news of the UN ban in a statement, saying that the sturgeon population has been in "dire straits" for years now. To read full article please go to: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20060104/CAVIAR04/TPNational/TopStories
Revisions to the Import Certificate Requirements in the Export Administration Regulations: The Bureau of Industry and Security is removing the requirement to obtain an Import Certificate in support of an export or reexport license when the ultimate consignee or purchaser is a foreign government or agency of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and India because of their membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and their commitment to export controls. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-23533.pdf
USDA Offers GSM-102 Credit Guarantees for Export Sales to Pakistan: The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of some credit guarantees for sales of U.S. agricultural commodities under the Commodity Credit Corporation's Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) for fiscal year 2006. Total Amount Available is $95 million and the geographical area it will serve is Pakistan. The GSM-102 program helps ensure that credit is available to finance commercial exports of U.S. agricultural products to developing countries, while providing competitive credit terms in these countries. Under this program, Commodity Credit Corporation reduces the financial risk to lenders by guaranteeing payments due from approved foreign banks to exporters or financial institutions in the United States. Exporters may apply for credit guarantees on a first-come, first-served basis. These guarantees are to cover sales of any of the commodities specified in the GSM list of commodities. The latest commodity list can be obtained by accessing the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Web page at http://www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/gsmcommodities.html. Applications will be accepted beginning Dec. 30, 2005.
U.S. to miss CAFTA target: The U.S. on Friday said it would miss its Jan. 1 target date for implementing the Central America Free Trade Agreement, but hoped the countries involved would write it into law in the next couple of months. After a bitter fight, the U.S. Congress last summer narrowly approved the agreement, which groups the U.S., Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. CAFTA eliminates tariffs on U.S. exports to Central American countries and locks in and expands the duty-free access those countries already have to the U.S. market. The U.S. is now looking at Feb. 1 and March 1 as the next targets for implementing the agreement. To read the full article please go to: http://www.joc.com/20051230/sections/trade/w90834.asp
Yuan rises to record dollar level: Although Beijing is still far from letting the yuan trade freely, it is now setting its core daily value from an average of quotes from 13 banks. Analysts say the latest move means the yuan is now more market-based and should slowly increase in value. The US has led the calls for yuan reform, saying China was keeping it artificially low to aid Chinese exports, which have surged over the last few years. Although the yuan will now have a more realistic market value, Beijing will still only allow the currency to rise or fall by 0.3% a day against the dollar. To read the full article please go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4579502.stm
TRADE EVENTS
National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones: 2006 Legislative and Regulatory Seminar
Fulfilling the Promise of Trade - February 7-8, 2006, Washington D.C.
The 2006 NAFTZ Legislative and Regulatory Seminar will provide businesses and NAFTZ members with critical opportunities for education and networking. Key regulators and Policy Makers from CBP, FTZ Board, Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, USTR and the Congress will provide information on the latest policy developments affecting the Foreign-Trade Zones Program. The Seminar will also provide a networking forum in which direct interaction with key officials and others in the Foreign-Trade Zone Community is possible. For more information, visit www.naftz.org.
The 19th Annual Camden Conference: China on the World Stage - February 24-26, 2006, Camden, Maine
The 1995 Camden Conference focused on China, examining its position in the world, how China might evolve over the next ten to twenty years, and the global implications of such developments. Major changes have occurred in China, throughout Asia, and across the globe during the past decade. The 19th Annual Camden Conference will assess the challenges we face both with and from China, the key questions we must address, and our prospects for success in discovering the right answers in a timely fashion. For more information, please visit www.camdenconference.org
Expo USA 2006, Region MERCOSUR - March 27-April 7, 2006, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina
U.S. Commercial Service in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina will promote products and services at "Expo USA 2006 - Region MERCOSUR," March 27-April 7, 2006. In addition to boosting market exposure and identifying trade leads for your client companies, this Tri-State Catalog Exhibition offers an ideal venue for promoting business, travel, and tourism in your state. This is an opportunity to showcase your business in Ribeirão Preto and Porto Alegre, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Rosario, Argentina. We'll welcome your state's participation, but time is running out. Please contact Nancy Hesser at U.S. Department of Commerce at 202-482-4663.
Environmental Protection Technical Equipment Exhibition (EPTEE), April 28-30, Shanghai
This is a great platform to target the Environmental Protection market in China. In 2005 there were over 500 exhibiting organizations and over 25,000 people that moved through the show in 3 days. 2006 will be EPTEE's 7th year. Please contact Boyd W. Christenson at 651 228 1738 or at bwchris@ix.netcom.com with questions.
Technology World 06 - May 17, 2006, UK
A business partnering event aimed at brokering meetings between UK and US companies. New England companies have the opportunity to take part in one-to-one meetings at each of the three locations of London, Manchester and Cambridge. There will be an exhibition of UK ICT companies demonstrating their technology and a full programme of topical seminars. Technology World 05 was a one day event held in Cambridge on May 17, 2005 that attracted 399 visitors, with 1,032 brokered meetings. To build on this success, TechnologyWorld06 has been expanded to cover more centres in the UK and will visit London, Cambridge and Manchester from May 14-19, 2006. Registration deadline is January 27th. For more information please visit www.technologyworld06.com.
1st Melaka International Trade & Investment Fair - June 20-23, 2006, Malaysia
In June 2006 the State Government of Melaka will host an important international event, the "Melaka International Trade & Investment Fair 2006", (MITIF). The 4-day event from 20 - 23 June 2006 at the Melaka International Trade Centre is strictly a business to business (B2B) event. The event will be open to only pre-registered local and foreign visitors and buyers. Key categories of exhibits, among others, include High-Tech Industries, Industrial Products, Cybertrade, Digital World, Transportation, Agro-based Industries & Products, Materials & Supplies, Consumer Goods Trading (B2B only) and Food Products. More than 500 booths have been allocated at the MITIF2006 where 70% of the exhibitors will be foreigners. More than 10,000 trade visitors are expected to attend the 4-day event. www.melakatrade.com.my
TRADE SHOWS
MITC has compiled a list of trade shows of interest to our members based on industry sector and region. To view this list, click on the link below:
http://www.mitc.com/Trade_Bulletin/2006/TBTradeShows.htm
TRADE MISSIONS
U.S. Microelectronics Trade Mission to China: March 20-24, 2006. Shanghai, China
This mission will provide an excellent opportunity for U.S. small and medium-sized microelectronics firms to enter into or to maintain their presence in the lucrative China market. The Office of Global Trade Programs will lead the mission, and work in cooperation with the SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) organization, as well as with other microelectronics industry associations. For more information please visit www.export.gov/eac/show_detail_trade_events.asp?EventID=21988 or contact, Marlene Ruffin, Trade Event Programs Senior International Trade Specialist (202-482-0570; Marlene.Ruffin@mail.doc.gov)
Southeast Asia Environmental Technologies Trade Mission: April 24-May 3, 2006. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Southeast Asia Environmental Technologies Trade Mission, April 24-May 3, 2006, offers timely opportunities for U.S. firms to tap into three of the region's fast-growing markets for U.S. environmental equipment and technology: Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Prospects are promising in high-demand sectors such as solid waste and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, industrial waste recycling, and contaminated land remediation. For more information, visit http://www.export.gov/eac/show_detail_trade_events.asp?EventID=21526.
Gateway to Europe Trade Mission Amsterdam and Brussels May 14-18, 2006
The Commerce Department's International Trade Administration (ITA) and its U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) posts in the Netherlands and Belgium will organize a Gateway to Europe Trade Mission, May 14-18, 2006. This mission will promote U.S. products and services in seven dynamic sectors offering excellent potential for U.S. exports: Environmental, medical, information and communications technology, safety and security, travel and tourism services, automotive equipment, and consumer goods. Both the Netherlands and Belgium offer exceptional possibilities for American companies interested in entering the European market. At each stop, mission participants will benefit from market briefings, networking receptions, and one-on-one business appointments with prospective agents, distributors, partners, and end-users. The mission will provide an opportunity for U.S. companies to gain first-hand market exposure, access to government and industry decision-makers, and one-on-one appointments with qualified business contacts. Please contact Mara Yahnin at 202-482-6238 for further details.
Czech Republic and Poland: May 21-27, 2006
The ETC will sponsor a trade mission to the Czech Republic & Poland in the Spring of 2006, targeting critical industrial sectors such as information technology, environmental, defense/aerospace, and manufacturing. The ETC, with the assistance of the US Dept. of Commerce's Foreign Commercial Service Offices in Prague and Warsaw, will provide customized matchmaking meetings with potential public and private sector counterparts for delegate companies recruited from the Northeast. For more information, visit http://www.csgeast.org/etcmissions.asp.
Healthcare Trade Mission to Southern Europe, May 22-27, 2006
Join the U.S. Department of Commerce's Healthcare Trade Mission to Athens, Greece; Zagreb, Croatia; and Bologna, Italy. Meet with pre-qualified buyers through one-on-one appointments plus exhibit in your own booth at Exposanitia (Bologna), Europe's second largest medical trade show. U.S. participants will benefit from pre-screened appointments, market briefings, networking receptions, and follow-up assistance. If you are interested, please contact Bill Kutson, Project Manager by telephone at 202-482-2839, by fax at 202-482-0178 or by email at William.Kutson@mail.doc.gov.
PRESS RELEASES
Record trade gap: Deficit soars unexpectedly to $68.9 billion in October despite a drop in the cost of imported oil
The U.S. trade deficit widened unexpectedly in October to a record $68.9 billion despite a drop in the cost of imported oil, as the deficits with china, Canada, the European Union, Mexico and OPEC all hit record highs. Economists surveyed by briefing.com had expected the trade gap to shrink in October to $62.8 billion, and the surprising growth in the imbalance suggests fourth-quarter economic growth will likely be even weaker than first thought. To read full article please go to: http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/14/news/economy/trade.reut/
China's 2005 growth rate lifted to 9.8 percent: Survey finds economic output was higher the previously thought
China's economy grew by an unexpectedly strong 9.8 percent in 2005, as a new survey showed that authorities had previously underestimated the economy's size, the official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday. The new figure, up from original estimates of 9.4 percent, accounts for the results of a national economic survey released in December, Xinhua said. To read full article please go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10690844/
South Korea, U.S. to hold talks next week on beef imports
South Korea has scheduled talks with the United States next week on ending its two-year-old ban on American beef. South Korean shut its doors to U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after the first U.S. case of mad cow disease. At the time it was the third-largest foreign market for American beef, after Japan and Mexico. The two-day talks will begin Jan. 9 in Seoul. A ministry advisory committee said last month that U.S. beef could be considered safe to consume if tougher inspection and quarantine measures were taken. Park Hyun-chool, director general of South Korea's livestock bureau, said his country would like to import beef from cows aged between 20 and 30 months. To read full article please go to: www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1464546
China applauds U.S. steel decision and White House, acting against wishes of U.S. producers, won't restrict imports of steel pipes
"The Chinese side believes that the policies the U.S. government has adopted up to now in these special protection cases help the healthy and stable trade relations of the two countries," a spokesman for China's Commerce Ministry said in a notice on its Web site. The other cases it referred to were on clothes hangers, chair height adjustment parts and car brake parts, products the statement said the U.S. had decided not to take measures against. The decision on steel pipes, which was announced Friday, comes as the Bush administration faces pressure from Congress to take a tough line on trade with China. The U.S. trade deficit with China is estimated at about $200 billion for 2005. He also said he suggested to Chinese officials a mechanism for bilateral dialogue on the steel sector to head off potential trade disputes. To read full article please go to: http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/02/news/international/china_steel.reut/index.htm
US joins WCO Protocol
The U.S. has signed on as a member of a new protocol of the World Customs Organization on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures. The protocol, which amends the original 1973 agreement called the World Customs Organization Convention, "represents a blueprint for modernized, efficient and transparent customs administration in the 21st century," the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection said. The U.S. joins 40 other countries that have signed on to the revised customs agreement, which will take effect on Feb. 3. "The revised Customs Convention will not only facilitate trade. Its role in advancing global security is even more significant today than ever envisioned in the pre-9/11 world in which it was drafted," said Deborah Spero, acting customs commissioner. The Brussels-based WCO was established in 1952 with 17 member countries. It currently has nearly 170 members. www.joc.com
USEFUL WEBSITES
International Trade in China
As China's economy continues to grow; it is difficult to ignore the increasing importance of trade relations with the rapidly expanding country. Upcoming trade missions and events are progressively more centered on business with and are located in China.
Taking into consideration current trade and economic trends, the following websites may be particularly relevant and useful. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) was established in May, 1952 and currently is the most important and the largest institution for the promotion of foreign trade in China. It is comprised of VIPS, enterprises and organizations representing the economic and trade sectors in China. It is the main Chinese trade promotion agency and has extensive resources about doing business with China. http://www.ccpit.org/
The China Business Information Center (BIC) is the first comprehensive U.S. federal government resource aimed at helping American businesses take advantage of China's rapid integration into the global economy. The BIC offers clients access to counseling with trade specialists in the United States, referrals to USFCS officers in China, and helps channel trade leads to clients through U.S. Export Assistance Centers. The BIC consists of an 800 number that the public can use to speak with a China specialist; a website with China-focused information and export tools; and a series of outreach events planned throughout the United States. http://www.export.gov/china/
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