SEMINAR ON SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL TRADE FINANCING

The World Trade Center, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, Bank One, and other organizations are holding a one-day seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13 on "The Secrets of Successful Trade Financing" at the WTC in New Orleans.

Richard "Chip" Thomas, a global trade and banking specialist and the President of the American Export Training Institute (AETI), will conduct this interactive seminar which will provide valuable techniques and practical knowledge for export financing.

Seminar participants will gain insights on how to:

• Utilize letters of credit and government resources;

• Offer competitive terms and get paid upon shipment;

• Protect balance sheets from the risks of international trade;

• Identify creditworthy prospects; and

• Make banks work for you.

Mr. Thomas will also discuss the 20 Critical Do’s and Don’t’s of Letters of Credit, as well as how to effectively use drafts and acceptances. The seminar is designed for those individuals in companies responsible for export decisions: CEOs and CFOs, international sales and marketing executives, export managers, controllers, accountants, finance officers, and credit managers.

The cost of the seminar is $195 for the first registrant of a company and $165 for additional registrants (WTC members receive a 10 percent discount). The registration fee includes course materials, a continental breakfast, and light lunch. To register, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222, or click here.

GOING GLOBAL INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR ON JANUARY 7

Ruperto Chavarri, Director of the Louisiana International Trade Center/SBDC, and Eugene Schreiber, Managing Director of the World Trade Center of New Orleans, will conduct a luncheon seminar on "Going Global: Getting Started in Exporting and Importing" from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, in Suite 2900 of the WTC.

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 Houma on the evenings of January 13, 14, and 15 and in New Orleans on the evenings of February 3, 5, and 10 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 January 7 luncheon seminar, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222, or click here.

The seminar 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.

WORLDWIDE EXPOSURE WITH COMMERCIAL NEWS USA

Commercial News USA (CNUSA), developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a cost-effective venue to reach worldwide importers of American products. The February 2003 edition will highlight the following industries (the registration deadline is December 17, so act soon):

• Automotive, Aviation, and Marine Products, Equipment, and Supplies

• Electrical and Electronics and Information Technology

• Building, Construction, and Hardware

• Health, Fashion, and Beauty Products

CNUSA gives you three times the exposure for one low price. Here is how it works:

1. -Your product is featured in a magazine that is sent to nearly 150 countries and showcased to approximately 140,000 qualified decision-makers who are looking for American-made products.

2. -Your ad appears on the Commercial News USA website for one year.

3. -Your ad appears in the brand new online PDF version of Commercial News USA.

For details, contact Dale Jury, CNUSA Senior Account Executive; toll free phone 1-888-440-9161; e-mail: djury@tampabay.rr.com; web: www.cnewsusa.com.

SINGAPORE AMBASSADOR TO SPEAK AT DEC. 17 LUNCHEON

The City of New Orleans, MetroVision Partnership, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, the World Trade Center, and other organizations are co-sponsoring a luncheon program at the WTC’s Plimsoll Club at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, December 17 featuring The Honorable Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador of Singapore to the United States. She will be speaking on "The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement: Opportunities for the U.S. and Louisiana." Ambassador Chan has served as Ambassador to the U.S. since 1996. She was previously the Executive Director of the Singapore International Foundation and from 1989 to 1991 served as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and was concurrently High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico. To register for the December 17 luncheon, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext 222, or click here.

NEW UNO COURSE ON E-BUSINESS JAPANESE

The University of New Orleans’ Metropolitan College will offer a course on E-Business Japanese in collaboration with the State University of New York at Buffalo’s World Languages Institute. This is a four-month (January 25-May 17, 2003) cross-cultural and language training program that combines online with classroom instruction. Participants acquire basic conversational skills and develop the intercultural commerce necessary to interact confidently and successfully with Japanese colleagues - here and in Japan. This certificate program is for people whose schedules do not allow them to enroll in traditional courses limited by time and location.

The course is designed for business people and others who wish to improve the quality of their interactions with Japanese colleagues by developing practical intercultural and interpersonal skills. Those signing up should be able to work independently, be disciplined and self-motivated, have good time management skills, a commitment to their education, and a willingness to stay actively involved in the course.

E-Business Japanese utilizes a state-of-the-art web-based course delivery system that is both multimedia and interactive, as well as a proven telephone tutoring system that requires participants to complete weekly "call-in" assignments. The program makes extensive use of the Internet as a resource, a means of disseminating course-related information in digital form, and a forum for communication. For more information, visit the program website at: http://wings.buffalo.edu/world-languages/E-JPN/

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Dec. 6 -Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana luncheon program at the Plimsoll Club of the World Trade Center in New Orleans at 12:00 noon. Featured speaker is New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Call (504) 885-4262 for reservations.

Dec. 13 -Seminar on "The Secrets of Successful Trade Financing" at the World Trade Center in New Orleans from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 for details, or click here.

Dec. 17 -Luncheon program featuring Hon. Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador of Singapore to the United States, speaking on "The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement: Opportunities for the U.S. and Louisiana", 12:00 noon at the Plimsoll Club of the World Trade Center. Call the WTC (504) 529-1601, ext. 222, or click here.

Jan. 7 -"Going Global: Getting Started in Exporting and Importing" luncheon seminar featuring Louisiana International Trade Center Director Ruperto Chavarri and World Trade Center Managing Director Eugene Schreiber at the WTC in New Orleans presents the fundamentals of an international transaction and the basic export-import process. Call (504) 529-1601, ext. 271, or click here.

Jan. 13, 14, and 15 - Export and import seminars series by the Louisiana International Trade Center-SBDC, at Hibernia Bank in Houma, 3:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Seminar topics include Export/Import Strategies and Market Research, Pricing Terms, Quotations and Customs Entry Procedures, International Banking, Financing, Transportation, and Documentation. Call (504) 568-8222. (Note: The same seminar series will be held at the World Trade Center inNew Orleans on the evenings of February 3, 5, and 10.)

REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN’S MAIN HIGHWAY

President Bush has pledged $80 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to rebuild Afghanistan’s main highway from Kabul to Kandahar to Heart. Louis Berger Group, the contracting agent for this USAID Rehabilitation of Economic Facilities Services Program, recently announced contractor and supplier opportunities for construction subcontractors, as well as design and supervision services. Opportunities exist in the following sectors: roadwork; irrigation systems; water and sanitation; power transmission; construction of schools, medical centers, administration centers, and bridges. For a copy of the four-page report outlining the project and the pre-qualification package that companies interested in subcontractor or supplier opportunities with Louis Berger must complete, call the U.S. Export Assistance Center in New Orleans at (504) 589-6546 or in Shreveport at (318) 676-3064.

FREE LISTING IN 2003 LOUISIANA TRADE DIRECTORY

The World Trade Center is in the process of updating the Louisiana International Trade Directory and will publish a new 2003 Directory in January. The Directory will also be posted on the WTC’s website with a free link to your company’s website if you have one. The Directory contains over 1,700 detailed listings of Louisiana exporters, importers, trade services, and organizations.

To see if your company is already listed in the Directory, go to www.wtcno.org/webdata/litdsearch.html. If your company is based in Louisiana and is presently exporting or importing goods or services and is not already listed in the Directory and if you would like to be listed at no charge, fill out the online form at http://www.wtcno.org/webdata/litd-form.htm, or call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 271 and request a Directory questionnaire. The deadline for inclusion in the new 2003 Trade Directory is December 15.

HOUSTON SEMINAR ON CHINA TRADE AND INVESTMENT LAW

The Houston District Export Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of General Counsel, will present a one-day seminar in Houston on Tuesday, December 10, on "China Trade and Investment Law". Senior government and judiciary speakers from China will present a variety of topics including:

• China’s obligations following its accession to the World Trade Organization;

• Provincial and national laws affecting China-U.S. trade;

• Legal dispute resolution;

• Customs/Importing;

• Changes in China’s investment regime; and

• Intellectual property law issues.

The focus of these topics will relate mainly to industries found in the southwest U.S., including petrochemical, high technology, medical, telecommunications, engineering and construction, and other sectors.

This seminar will be useful to those involved in international trade with China, including exporters, importers, lawyers, accountants, government officials, potential investors in China, and transportation/logistics companies among others. While the program will have a legal focus on many of the topics, the discussions will directly impact key trade and transportation issues.

Reservations are required and attendance is limited to the first 100 paid registrants. Contact Baker & Hostetler LLP at (713) 276-1610 or e-mail aarteaga@bakerlaw.com as soon as possible for reservations. The seminar will be held at the Doubletree Hotel Allen Center and the registration fee is $150 (including a reception and luncheon).

JORDAN SEEKS TO ATTRACT U.S. INVESTMENT

Located in the heart of the Middle East, Jordan is undergoing an economic metamorphosis after accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the signing of a Free Trade Agreement with the United States, a Partnership Agreement with the European Union, investment agreements with the Arab countries, and the availability of Qualifying Industrial Zones where manufacturers can also enter the United States market custom and quota free. In addition to benefiting from Jordan’s proximity and high caliber workforce, multinational companies setting up business in Jordan draw on the country’s traditional trade relations with neighboring, regional and international markets that are now solidified with formal trade agreements.

In November 2000, Jordan signed a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. This agreement is only the fourth free trade agreement the U.S. has signed, after Canada, Mexico and Israel, and the first ever with an Arab country. The agreement will phase out virtually all tariffs on industrial goods and farm products within 10 years, (for details, see www.jaba.org.jo or www.justrade.jo).

Jordan, along with ten other Arab countries, signed the Arab Free Trade Agreement and began its implementation in March 1998. According to the agreement, all Arab products moving between Arab member states will be afforded the status of national goods in accordance with principles of gradual liberalization.

Jordan also has an agreement with the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, whereby it will enjoy free trade status with European Union countries (see www.eicc.jo).

Jordan is also a member of the 135-member World Trade Organization, having joined the WTC in April 2000.

As can be seen from the above actions, the government of Jordan has embarked on an aggressive strategy to position Jordan within the global economy. A key initiative within this strategy is the establishment of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) as a liberalized, low tax, duty free, and multi-sector development area. A simplified business environment has been designed with streamlined administrative systems to attract investment and maximize private sector participation in all aspects of zone operations and development. For more information, visit the website at www.aqabazone.com.

Finally, the Jordan Investment Board (JIB) was created in 1995 to encourage and facilitate investment in Jordan. Much progress has been made in the last few years, and Jordan finds itself today among the more attractive investment sites in the Middle East. For further information, contact the JIB via telephone at 962 (6)5608400, fax at 962 (6)5608416, or e-mail at info@jib.com.jo. JIB’s website is www.jordaninvestment.com.

E-MAIL NOTIFICATION OF UPCOMING WTC EVENTS

If you would like to be notified by e-mail about upcoming programs held at the World Trade Center in New Orleans, you can sign up for the WTC’s e-mail announcement list by entering your e-mail address here.

MANAGER SOUGHT FOR HAITI AIRPORT TERMINAL PROJECT

A major United States corporation is seeking a Project Manager to manage on-site the upgrade of the existing facilities of the Port-au-Prince International Airport Terminal in Haiti. The project timeline is estimated at six months, beginning on January 6, 2003. Fluent French and English are required. For complete details, contact James E. Pfeffer, Offshore Engineering Manager, Wink Inc. in New Orleans, by phone at (504) 243-4610 or by e-mail at Jepfeffer@winkinc.com

MARKETING SPECIALIST SEEKS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Jeannine Edwards is seeking a Public Relations/ Marketing administrative position. She has experience in international promotion and dealing with worldwide markets. One accomplishment she made for Lloyd’s of London was writing a strategy brief on the liberalization of the Indian Insurance Market and earned Lloyd’s the right to promote their name in India. Her experience includes legislation, the British Embassy, investments, international markets, and insurance. Jeannine lived overseas in London for a year and has a B.A. in Public Relations and is currently pursuing an MBA. Contact Jeannine at (504) 897-4058 or jeannineedwards@yahoo.com

DEMAND FOR SECURITY PRODUCTS IN EL SALVADOR

El Salvador emerged from a civil war in the 1980s to reach a comprehensive peace accord in 1992. However, crime from common criminals and organized gangs has dramatically increased, creating a substantial need for commercial security products and services. Since very little crime fighting equipment is produced in El Salvador, the country must import the majority of specialized security products it needs. The Commercial Service/U.S. Embassy San Salvador recently prepared a comprehensive, ten-page analysis on El Salvador’s security industry sector and export opportunities for U.S. firms. Call the U.S. Export Assistance Center in New Orleans at (504) 589-6546 or in Shreveport at (318) 676-3064 for a copy of the report.

CHINA EXPERT SEEKS POSITION IN LOUISIANA

A Louisiana native desires to return to the state to be near his family. He is presently employed by a Dow 30 multinational company with extensive living, educational, and work experience in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He is fluent in written and spoken Mandarin Chinese. B.A. and M.A. in Asian Studies and Chinese, MBA University of Michigan. His resume will be supplied upon request to: LaJobSearch@juno.com or c/o Ms. Elizabeth J. Sherman, 8 Honeysuckle Lane, Covington, LA 70433.

ENERGY E-MAIL BULLETIN

In an effort to assist firms in the U.S. energy industry to increase their export sales, the U.S. Department of Commerce has created a pilot "Energy e-Market Express Bulletin." At this site you will find monthly updated market research, trade leads, and trade events for worldwide opportunities. The website address is: http://www.oceac.com/buyusa/energy. Contact Jason Sproule at (949) 660-1688 ext. 151 or via e-mail at Jason.Sproule@mail.doc.gov for questions, comments, or difficulties viewing the online bulletin.