AUG. 16 LUNCHEON HONORING THREE DEPARTING CONSULS

On Friday, August 16 the Consular Corps of New Orleans will host a special farewell luncheon for three departing Consuls General: Hon. Bernard Maizeret, France; Hon. Hideto Mitamura, Japan; and Hon. Arturo Puente, Mexico. The luncheon will be held at 12:00 Noon in the Plimsoll Club of the World Trade Center.

Mr. Maizeret is being reassigned to Paris; the new Consul General will arrive in September. Mr. Mitamura is being reassigned to Tokyo; his replacement has not yet been named. Mr. Puente has been named Ambassador to Lebanon. The Mexican Consulate in New Orleans closed on July 31, and Louisiana will henceforth come under the jurisdiction of the Mexican Consulate in Houston.

The cost of the luncheon is $25. To register, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 271, or click here.

AUG. 28 WORKSHOP ON USING AGENTS/DISTRIBUTORS ABROAD

The World Trade Center, Louisiana Department of Economic Development, and other organizations are sponsoring a luncheon workshop from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28 in Suite 2900 of the WTC on "Selling Abroad Through Agents and Distributors". The workshop will be conducted by Glenn Stoudt, President of the International Division of Rochester Midland Corporation.

This workshop is designed for small-to-medium-size businesses and will cover the identification of suitable international markets, conducting market research, selecting overseas sales agents and distributors, and successfully managing a distribution network.

Rochester Midland, a 113-year-old manufacturer specializing in chemical products for industrial maintenance applications, operates internationally through sales agents and distributors in more than 35 overseas markets. To register for the seminar, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222, or click here.

LOUISIANA TRADE MISSION TRAVELS TO HONDURAS

The World Trade Center and MetroVision Economic Development Partnership organized an exciting 70-member trade mission to Honduras June 30 - July 5 which was led by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Secretary of Economic Development Don Hutchinson.

The highlight of the trip was the 4th of July reception at the Tegucigalpa residence of U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Frank Almaguer, attended by more than 1,200 prominent Honduran and international visitors including President Ricardo Maduro. The Ambassador’s reception featured Cajun cuisine prepared by Chef Roy Lyons of the Frog City Café in Rayne, Dixieland jazz music, and as special guests the members of the Louisiana mission.

The mission focused on trade and transportation, tourism, healthcare, and sports management. The business leaders conducted seminars in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa on "Doing Business in Louisiana"; the tourism officials held orientation workshops on Louisiana’s tourism attractions for more than 150 Honduran travel agents and tour operators; the medical doctors discussed neonatal and pediatric issues and brought donations of equipment and medicines to local hospitals; and representatives of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team and the Zephyrs Triple-A baseball team held sports clinics for more than 500 Honduran youngsters in each of the two cities. Another mission highlight was the signing ceremony with Mayor Nagin and Tegucigalpa Mayor Miguel Pastor reactivating the 1992 Sister City Agreement between New Orleans and Tegucigalpa.

GOING GLOBAL SEMINAR ON AUG. 8 AT NEW ORLEANS WTC

Ruperto Chavarri, Director of the Louisiana International Trade Center/SBDC, and Eugene Schreiber, Managing Director of theWorld Trade Center of New Orleans, will conduct a luncheon seminar on "Going Global: Getting Started in Exporting and Importing" from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 8, in Suite 2900 of the World Trade Center. The program is sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center, the Louisiana International Trade Center/Small Business Development Center, and the World Trade Center.

The seminar will focus on the fundamentals of an international transaction and present an overview of the basic import-export process. It is designed as an introduction to the Louisiana International Trade Center’s Export-Import Seminar series, which will next be held in New Orleans on the evenings of August 19, 21, and 26 for a total of 14 hours. At these sessions participants will learn step-by-step the "how to" of international market research, preparing products for export and import, pricing strategies, terms of sale and quotations, export and import documentation, export shipping and import entry procedures, trade financing, and:the bottom line:methods of payment.

To register for the August 8 luncheon seminar, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 271, or click here.

SERVICES: A FAST-GROWING EXPORT INDUSTRY

One of the fastest growing U.S. exports is the services industry. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, services account for 25% of total U.S. exports. These services come from a wide range of industries, such as banking and insurance, travel, entertainment, legal and other business services, information, telecommunications, healthcare, education, transportation, energy and environmental services, architecture, construction, consulting, and engineering.

Service exports from the U.S. are expected to surpass $350 billion by the year 2005. Major markets for U.S. services in 2001 include the European Union ($86 billion), Japan ($32 billion), and Canada ($24 billion). U.S. service sector exports to Mexico totaled $14 billion in 2000. Other countries importing over $1 billion in U.S. services each year include: Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and Venezuela.

Due to the lack of hard collateral (such as products or a manufacturing facility), many banks used to shy away from financing service exports. Now banks tend to consider foreign accounts receivables, the existence of signed contracts, or copyrights as potential substitutes for hard collateral. If the service exporter can secure a government guarantee, the potential for bank financing and working capital loans is greatly increased. The U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC) is working with the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. Small Business Administration to increase availability of financing for service exports, especially to the small and medium-size firms.

For more information on the service industry and links to related websites, log on to the USDOC/International Trade Administration Office of Service Industries and Finance website at www.ita.doc.gov/td/sif, or contact the Office of Service Industries in Washington, D.C. at (202) 482-3575; fax: (202) 482-2669.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ENFORCING SPANISH LABELING

Consumer-ready food exports from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic may be at risk if their labels are not in Spanish. The Dominican Republic government, through its Standards and Quality Control Office (DIGENOR), intends to begin enforcing its standards in mid-August 2002. Approximately 30-40 percent of consumer-ready products in grocery stores in the Dominican Republic are imported from the U.S. and most are labeled only in English. It is possible that some of this market share may be lost by the U.S. and go to other countries if U.S. exporters do not address the Spanish language labeling issue.

Starting August 15, DIGENOR could begin forcing retailers to withdraw food items that do not comply with labeling requirements. Although the U.S. Foreign Agriculture Service in Santo Domingo is not certain that DIGENOR will carry this out, U.S. food exporters are advised to include multiple language labeling for food exports to the Dominican Republic.

INTER-AMERICA E-BUSINESS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The U.S. Commerce Department is seeking companies to host fellows in September 2002 under the Inter-America E-Business Fellowship Program. U.S. firms will benefit by establishing relationships with top managers and decision-makers, and will gain a better insight of the Latin American market. Nearly all costs of the four-week program are provided by U.S. Commerce, including international and domestic airfare, housing, and an expense stipend for fellows. To learn more about the program, contact the Program Officer at (202) 482-0621, or via e-mail at ebusiness_fellowship@ita.doc.gov.

NEW FREE TRADE ZONE IN WESTERN PANAMA

The Government of Panama recently created a Baru Duty Free Zone located in the District of Baru in the western Province of Chiriqui. The Panamanian Government is offering a number of fiscal and economic incentives for companies establishing operations in the Baru Trade Zone, including no taxes on sales, real estate and production, exoneration of re-export taxes, no taxes on capital gains, and reduction in income tax rates depending on the number of local employees hired. The Chiriqui area has great potential for tourism and there is a tourism incentive law (Law 8 of 1994) that provides a number of fiscal benefits for investments in tourism facilities including hotels, restaurants and resorts. Contact Baru Free Trade Zone Manager Carlos Garriod by phone 507-646-7584, fax 507-770-9211, or e-mail: carlos.garrido@eudoramail.com.

WTC FALL LANGUAGE CLASSES TO BEGIN SEPTEMBER 3

The World Trade Center will offer its fall session of foreign language classes starting the week of September 3 at the WTC Building in New Orleans. The classes are conducted by the faculty of Alpha Tech Communications. The emphasis is on business usage and conversation. The fall session will last 11 weeks: classes will meet once a week for two hours. The following languages will be offered: French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and English as a Second Language. Tuition is $130 for WTC members and their spouses and $260 for non-members.(Registration and materials cost $45.) Free parking is available in the WTC Garage. Call Alpha Tech at (504) 454-6554.

FRA CHANGES NAME AND ELECTS OFFICERS

At their annual dinner on June 27, the members of the Foreign Relations Association of New Orleans (FRA) voted to change the name of their organization to the World Affairs Council of New Orleans, and elected the following new board members: Thomas Mantis, Jan Moppert, and Juan Valadez. Officers for 2002-2003 are Kanwal Dhir, President; Dr. Guenter Bischof, Vice President; Natalie Rideau, Secretary; and Stephen Stephens, Treasurer.

CHINA FARM POLLUTION CONTROLS ISSUED

China’s State Environmental Protection Authority recently issued a national standard for pollution control on farms. The new standard will encourage more farmers to develop their waste into resources and reduce the pollutant discharges. The area of waste management and conversion of waste into commercial resources such as high quality organic fertilizer or fuel opens the door for U.S. firms with experience in this area. For more information, contact Commercial Officer Kellie Holloway of the U.S. Commercial Service/American Embassy in Beijing at phone 8610-8529-6655 ext. 819; fax 8610-8529-6559; or e-mail kellie.holloway@mail.doc.gov.

2003 INTERNATIONAL TRADE CUSTOM HOUSE GUIDES

The 2003 Official Export Guide and 2003 U.S. Custom House Guide are now available through the Journal of Commerce at www.cbizmedia.com. Each guide is a three-volume set and provides a full-range of current import and export information. The Official Export Guide includes the Country Trade Sourcebook, U.S. Export Regulations and Trade Services Directory & Guide, while the U.S. Custom House Guide features the Ports of Entry & U.S. Import Regulations, U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule and Trade Services Directory & Guide. Each guide costs $490 ($980 for both guides). To order call 1 (800) 221-5488.

CREATING INTERNATIONAL SALES CONTRACTS ONLINE

A new Internet application offered by Paction allows a buyer and a seller to prepare, negotiate, and complete contracts for the international sale and purchase of goods online. Contracts produced by the application are based on the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) model international sale contract, which provides a clear and concise set of conditions, balancing the interests of buyers and sellers.

The application allows easy access to the ICC’s standard terms of contract and offers help, advice, and further reading related to those contract terms. The contract text produced by the application is concise, delivering only the clauses relevant to the transaction being contemplated. In other words, you get a tailor-made contract.

Other features of the application include:

• Security of ICC approved and designed contracts
• Convenience of making standard terms available to trading partners over the Internet, rather than by paper communications
• Tracking of contract revisions using time and date stamping
• Ability to sign contracts online, using a digital ID
• Secure storage of contracts

Log on to www.modelcontracts.com for a demonstration.

(Note: The article above was provided for informational purposes and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center.)

WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCILS TO MEET IN WASHINGTON

The World Affairs Councils of America’s National Conference will be held next year from January 29 to 31 in Washington, D.C. The title of the conference is "The U.S. & Asia: What Does the Future Hold?" Invited speakers include World BankPresident Jim Wolfensohn, Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, Secretary of State Colin Powell, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, and Economist Daniel Yergin. Meeting locations will include the World Bank, Capitol Hill, the Kennedy Center, various embassies (including the Chinese Embassy), and National Geographic. All World Affairs Council members are invited. Space is limited to the first 350 registrants. Brochures are available at the World Affairs Council of New Orleans (formerly the Foreign Relations Association of New Orleans) office by calling (504) 523-2201.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY IN GERMANY

The Robert Bosch Foundation is accepting applications for its annual nine-month work and study fellowship program in Germany. Fellowship participants complete two internships: one in a federal or regional government institution and one in a private sector industry. Fellows also participate in a variety of seminars featuring high-level civic, business, and academic leaders. The combination work/study program enables Fellows to cultivate a deeper understanding of Germany’s political, economic, and social situation, as well as its relationship with the European Union. Fellows receive a generous monthly stipend and if needed, will be provided with German Language training. The Robert Bosch Foundation was established in 1964 and has sent over 300 Fellows to Germany since 1984 in an effort to strengthen German-American relations.

Applicants should be between the ages of 23 and 34, be a U.S. citizen, and have a graduate degree and/or two years of professional experience in one of the following fields: Business Administration, Economics, Journalism/Mass Communications, Law, Political Science, or Public Affairs/Public Policy. The application deadline is October 15, 2002 for the program beginning in September 2003. CDS International, Inc. is the U.S. representative for the Bosch program and manages a variety of internships, work/study and scholarship programs abroad. For more information or to download an application, go online to www.rbfpintro.html.

WTCA GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NOVA SCOTIA IN FALL

The 33rd Annual General Assembly of the World Trade Centers Association will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 29 - October 2. The gathering of WTC representatives from around the world includes trade seminars and briefings, a trade show, matchmaking appointments with leading Canadian companies, and special post-assembly tours.

The WTC in New Orleans is organizing a delegation to attend the WTCA General Assembly in Halifax. For more information, including registration, trade show, travel arrangements, and post-assembly tours to Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, visit the WTC Atlantic Canada website at www.acwtc.com/wtca2002/index.cfm . If you are interested in joining the WTC New Orleans in time for the Assembly, call Susannah Coolidge at (504) 529-1601 ext. 222.

REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT CONFERENCE OCT. 14-15

World Trade Magazine will host a Critical Cargoes Conference on October 14 and 15 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans for shippers and transportation executives to network within the refrigerated transportation industry. Held concurrently with the International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA) and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit, the conference will address the refrigerated transport of flowers, fruit, fish, meat, poultry, dairy products and other perishables. For more information, go online to www.milestoneshows.com/cc or www.irta.org. To register for the conference, call Mark Stone at Milesteone Presentations, LLC at (800) 996-3233 or e-mail milestone@bod.net.