DEVELOPMENT BANK CONFERENCE ON MARCH 30

"We could not think of a better location for holding the `Open the Banks' conference this year than in New Orleans," said Israel Hernandez, Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. "We want to showcase the opportunities and benefits to U.S. companies from successfully bidding on and supplying goods and services through international tenders from the five multilateral banks that bring jobs to the United States. At the same time, we will also be supporting U.S. disaster victims by bringing our conference to New Orleans in support of the local convention and visitor industry."

The 2006 conference will build on the success of the 2005 "Open the Banks" conference. These annual events highlight the activities of the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which are established to improve the living standards of their developing member countries. Each year these financial institutions extend a combined total of $40 billion to $50 billion in loans, grants, and investments to the public and private sectors for economic and social development.

U.S. Department of Commerce Liaison Officers at each of the five Banks will be among the featured speakers at the conference and will work directly with U.S. firms to target major projects, consulting, and procurement opportunities generated from the Banks' grants and lending. They will also guide U.S. project developers in accessing the Banks' private lending and co-financing operations.

With its network of offices across the U.S. and in more than 80 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. In 2004, the U.S. Commercial Service helped U.S. businesses generate export sales worth $26 billion. For more information visit www.export.gov

For registration and the agenda for the March 30 conference, click here.

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO BE FEATURED AT FORUM

"We are holding the Forum in New Orleans this year because we believe in the region's vital role in the global economy and because we want to boost the recovery efforts of a great city in the aftermath of Katrina," said Norman Anderson, President & CEO of CG/LA Infrastructure LLC. "The New Orleans area represents the heart and soul of the U.S. infrastructure business -- with one of the world's largest port complexes along the lower Mississippi River, plus world-class intermodal transportation, shipbuilding, oil & gas, petrochemical, and agro-industries." In 2004, the state of Louisiana did $3.7 billion in trade with Latin America and the Caribbean, up from $3.1 billion the previous year.

Projects in 10 Infrastructure Categories: In its fourth year, the Leadership Forum focuses on the top 5 Latin American infrastructure projects in ten project categories: oil & gas; ports & logistics; water and sanitation; digital infrastructure; electricity; mining & logistics; urban mass transit; tourism; disaster relief; and strategic infrastructure. Project developers will travel to New Orleans to present their projects. Total project value will be in the $35-45 billion range. Projects will be presented from Central American and the Caribbean; Brazil; Mexico; the Andean Region; and the Southern Cone.

Thought-Leading Speakers: The Leadership Forum brings together key leaders and decision makers in the field of infrastructure and project development from both the public and private sectors. Recent speaker confirmations include: Robert Mosbacher, Jr., President & CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); Linda Conlin, Director of the U.S. Export-Import Bank; and Alejandro Gomez Strozzi, Under-Secretary for Foreign Investment in Mexico.

Special Session on Louisiana Opportunities: Michael Olivier, Louisiana's Secretary of Economic Development, will lead a special workshop on "Doing Business in Louisiana" at the Leadership Forum. "We welcome this exciting opportunity to showcase to the world - and to Latin America in particular -- what Louisiana offers in terms of innovative products, services, technology, and reverse investment potential," he stated.

Forum Sponsors: The 4th Annual Latin American Leadership Forum features a number of returning sponsors, including SAS, the market leader in Business Intelligence software and the Forum's Platinum Sponsor. Gold sponsors include the AON Corporation, Banco do Brasil, Black & Veatch, Control Risks Group, Felsberg & Associates, Fowler Rodriguez & Chalos, MIGA (World Bank Group), Soluziona, Taylor-DeJongh, Uni-n Fenosa, and Zenteno-Lira Mora.

In addition to the "Doing Business in Louisiana" workshop, other Forum opportunities include a CEO breakfast organized by MIGA; "Strategic Risk Management", organized by Control Risks; and "Financing Infrastructure in Latin America" organized by CG/LA Infrastructure.

For more information about the Leadership Forum, contact Alex Shtogren at 202.776.0990, or ashtogren@cg-la.com. For more information, visit: www.cg-la.com or www.lalf4.com

BRAZILIAN AMBASSADOR TO SPEAK AT WTC ON JANUARY 26

Roberto Abdenur was named Brazil's ambassador to the United States by President Lula da Silva in April of 2004. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1942, Ambassador Abdenur studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and later economics at the London School of Economics. A career diplomat, he has held a variety of positions at the Ministry of External Relations in Brasilia, including Deputy Minister for External Relations. He has served as Ambassador to Ecuador, China, Germany, and Austria. He speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, and German. To register for the luncheon, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 or register online at www.wtcno.org/programs (details to be posted shortly).  

LUNCHEON BRIEFING ON NOVA SCOTIA AT WTC

Pamela Rudolph, Trade Development Officer at Nova Scotia Business Inc (www.novascotiabusiness.com), has 11 years of expertise in matching Nova Scotia companies with buyers from around the globe. Ms. Rudolph has an extensive knowledge of the products and services that Nova Scotia companies have to offer. Ms. Rudolph will be available for individual consultations following the briefing.

To register for the program, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 or click here.

AUSTRALIA BRIEFINGS IN NEW ORLEANS AND LAFAYETTE

Australia has long been an ally of the U.S. and is a significant trading partner. The U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect on January 1, 2005 further enhanced this trading relationship. Australia has the 11th largest economy in the world and has one of the world's most open and innovative economies (www.investaustralia.gov.au). This extends to Australian industry which has innovative products and services that can be applied to many industries in the U.S. For example, Australian Industry has a long history of Disaster Recovery and Management dating to Cyclone Tracy, one of the world's strongest cyclones, which struck Darwin in 1974.

Louisiana exported goods valued at nearly $150 million to Australia in 2004 and $770 million worth of U.S.-Australia trade traveled through the New Orleans Port District in 2003. Visit www.austemb.org/PDF/States/Louisiana.pdf to learn more about how Louisiana and Australia are forming a mutually beneficial trading relationship. Australia is already a significant player in the U.S. building and construction market with companies such as Boral (bricks), Hardie (dry wall), and Butler Construction (pre-engineered steel buildings).

Paul Adler, Business Development Manager with the Australian Trade Commission ( www.austrade.gov.au ), will visit New Orleans and Lafayette to discuss business opportunities for Louisiana companies with Australia. Mr. Adler spent 25 years with IBM in a variety of roles, including five years in Japan. His education and experience provide him with a wealth of knowledge about doing business both in the Pacific Rim and the U.S. Mr. Adler will be joined by Marty Cotton, Business Development Manager with the Australian Consulate General in Atlanta.

To register for the January 18 luncheon in New Orleans, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 or register online at www.wtcno.org/programs (details to be posted shortly). To register for the January 20 breakfast in Lafayette, call (337) 291-5474.

EXPORT-IMPORT WORKSHOP IN MONROE ON JANUARY 24

Many companies are finding after Katrina and Rita that they want to rebuild or expand the market base for their goods and services by looking abroad to increase sales, while other firms are interested in sourcing internationally for such products as construction materials. The main topics to be discussed at the workshop are: export marketing and sourcing of imports; logistics and documentation; legal considerations; methods of payment and trade finance; and available resources in Louisiana to assist companies.

The speakers include: Eugene Schreiber of the World Trade Center; Ruperto Chavarri, International Trade Center/SBDC; Larry Collins, Louisiana Economic Development; Pat Holt, Shreveport U.S. Export Assistance Center; and Rudy Remont, International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association. At the conclusion of the program at 4:00 p.m. the speakers will be available for individual consultations with the participants.

For workshop details and to register, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 or click here.

CS FEATURED MARKETS: ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY

Argentina: Commercial Sectors: Electric Power Systems, Agricultural Machinery, Equipment and Parts, Industrial Chemicals, Food Processing and Packaging Equipment and Parts, Medical Equipment and Supplies, Residential Building Materials and Supplies, Information Technology, Mining Machinery and Equipment, Telecommunications Services, Travel and Tourism Services, Plastic Extrusion Machinery, Security and Safety Equipment, Hotel and restaurant. Agricultural Sectors: Animal Genetics (Bovine Semen), Food Ingredients, and Planting Seeds.

Uruguay: Commercial Sectors: Agricultural Machinery/ Forestry, Telecommunications Equipment, Fertilizers, Medical Equipment, chemicals, and IT-Computer Hardware. Agricultural Sectors: Food and Beverages, and Food Ingredients.

Visit the "Market of the Month" section at www.export.gov for details on exporting to Argentina and Uruguay.

TRADE LEADS OPPORTUNITIES IN KUWAIT AND UKRAINE

The Government of Ukraine Announces PSA Tender for Black Sea Offshore Exploration & Production. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine have announced the tender for a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for oil & gas exploration and production in the Black Sea offshore within the Prykerchenska geological area. The tender totals 12.96 thousand square kilometers; sea depth within the area is 70 to 2,000 meters. Interested companies should contact the New Orleans Export Assistance Center at 504-589-6546 for additional details.

JO DAUGHERTY DEPARTS NEW ORLEANS USEAC

REPORT ON WTO CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG

The WTO's 6th Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong began with low expectations for significant progress on the WTO's ongoing Doha Round of international trade negotiations. Aspirations were dimmed prior to the conference when the European Union tabled what many perceived as a less than ambitious offer on agricultural market access (reduction of tariffs on imported agricultural goods) and agricultural subsidies (reduction of trade distorting subsidies to the agricultural sector).

Agricultural market access and subsidies are the two primary pillars of the WTO's Doha agenda, which seeks to reduce trade distorting agricultural policies in an effort to provide special and differential treatment to the WTO's least developed members. The agricultural market access and subsidy programs of the world's largest economies are generally perceived as having the most negative trade distorting impact on the world's least developed economies, in particular the agricultural producing nations of Africa. On the flip side of the coin, these issues are very important to the U.S. and European domestic agricultural industries that generally equate business survival with continuation of import tariffs and agricultural support systems. As Louisiana businesses recall from the fierce debate over market access in sugar in the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), agricultural issues invariably create the most difficult and contentious negotiations. On December 13, 2005 the 150 members of the WTO convened their 6th Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong against this difficult backdrop.

The conference opened with some fanfare as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's accession to the WTO became official and the WTO's Director-General, Mr. Pascal Lamy, personally accepted a petition from Oxfam International containing 17.8 million signatures and urging the WTO to ensure that the Ministerial Conference and Doha Agenda remain focused on poverty reduction. Outside the conference halls, the opening proceedings were greeted by a massive street protest engineered primarily by South Korean rice farmers. Some of the protesters managed to infiltrate the opening ceremony, and disrupting Mr. Lamy's opening address on several occasions.

Inside the halls of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the debate predictably focused on the alleged inequities of United States and European Union agricultural policies. The continuing threat of walkout by developing countries and the entrenched position of the European Union infiltrated the meetings and briefings throughout the week. Fortunately, after marathon negotiating sessions, an agricultural deal was finally reached. Although considerably less ambitious than hoped, the WTO membership did agree to end all agricultural export subsidies by the year 2013 and to allow duty-free, quota-free agricultural access to the world's largest economies for the WTO's 32 least-developed members.

Of particular note to Louisiana, WTO members agreed to end cotton export subsidies by 2006 and to allow duty-free and quota-free domestic cotton access as soon as the full agricultural agreement is implemented. Very little progress was made on trade in services, an area of relative competitive advantage for Louisiana businesses. In the end, most of the substantive work was saved for later negotiations in Geneva. Time is of the essence, however, as President Bush's trade negotiating authority (so-called "fast track" authority) expires in 2007 and Congressional extension is far from certain.

On a personal note, I must acknowledge the kind thoughts and words of encouragement from virtually everyone I met at the conference for all the citizens of New Orleans in connection with the post-Katrina recovery efforts.

CHARLES NELSON RE-ELECTED WTC PRESIDENT FOR 2006

Other WTC officers re-elected for 2006 are: President-elect, Leon R. Fulton, Chairman, Fulton, Johnson, Newman & Pittman Insurance Agency; Vice Presidents - Ronnie Kole, Morrow Management, Inc.; J. Dwight LeBlanc, Jr., Partner, Chaffe McCall Phillips Toler & Sarpy, LLP; Constance C. Willems, McGlinchey Law Firm; Treasurer, Bobby Brannon, Executive Vice President and Treasurer, Ochsner Clinic Foundation; Secretary, Ray Liuzza, President, Holiday Inn Select; Chairman of the Board, Dr. Charles C. Teamer, Chairman, Dryades Savings Bank; and Richard Allen and Eugene Schreiber, Managing Directors.

New Directors elected to the WTC Board are: Philip deV. Claverie, Partner, Phelps, Dunbar, LLP and Honorary Consul of Finland; O. Ray Cornelius, Partner, Adams & Reese, LLP; Luis Carlos Garza, Senior Vice President, Whitney National Bank; Alan T. Heintzen, President, Eureka Homestead Society; Henry Lambert, President, RCB Developers and Honorary Consul of Thailand; and Joseph C. Wink, Jr., Chairman, Wink, Inc.

USTR ANNOUNCES DELAY OF DR-CAFTA IMPLEMENTATION

According to a statement by USTR spokesman Stephen Norton, the US will implement DR-CAFTA "on a rolling basis as countries make sufficient progress to complete their commitments under the agreement." Under this procedure, entry into force would occur on the first day of the month with a country that the USTR determines is ready by the middle of the preceding month. Norton said that several countries have made progress towards implementation. In particular, he mentioned recent legislative action in El Salvador and said he thought El Salvador would be able to complete the implementation process once President Saca signs the implementing legislation. Some sources have speculated that DR-CAFTA could go into effect for El Salvador as early as February 1.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE EVENTS

A U.S. Pavilion is planned to showcase American products and services at Canada's largest oil and gas event. The last show in 2004 attracted over 1,600 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors from 85 countries. U.S. Pavilion participants will receive:

* Exhibitor space in the pavilion
* Four to six prearranged appointments
* A market briefing
* U.S. Consulate hosted reception

Cost: $3,750. For more information or recent oil & gas market research reports, contact the U.S. Commercial Service New Orleans Export Assistance Center at (504) 589-6546.

RIO OIL AND GAS SHOW
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - September 11-14

Petrobras plans to invest US$56.4 billion from 2006 to 2010 to produce 2.3 million barrels of oil a day. Rio de Janeiro houses government-owned Petrobras' headquarters as well as the main offices of foreign oil companies currently prospecting for oil in Brazil. Target these companies and others at the largest oil and gas show in Latin America with the assistance of the U.S. Commercial Service in Rio de Janeiro. CS Rio is offering three customized programs to assist U.S. firms before and during the event. Deadline to register: April 30, 2006

*Gold Key Service: CS Rio will organize a series of pre-screened meetings with potential agents/distributors/end-users the week before the show at the companies' offices. Cost is $685 for one day of meetings.

*Catalog/Product Literature Center
CS Rio will display U.S. companies' literature in the U.S. Commercial Service booth. Cost: $50

*Featured U.S. Exporter listing
CS Brazil is adding an Energy page to their website. U.S. companies exhibiting at the Rio Oil and Gas Show can have their company's information posted in Portuguese on the USCS Brazil website for six months. This site will be used by CS Brazil in pre-event promotions of U.S. Products and Services. Cost: $200

For additional information, please contact the New Orleans Export Assistance Center or Regina Cunha, CS Rio, at regina.cunha@mail.doc.gov.

REBUILD IRAQ 2006
Amman, Jordan -April 3-6

This event will bring together buyers, manufacturers, suppliers and contractors giving them access to project directors, government entities and decision-makers involved in economic development of Iraq. Exhibitors will be able to meet and appoint Iraqi, Jordanian and other Middle Eastern agents and distributors during the show. For details, please see www.rebuild-iraq-expo.com.

SAFETY & SECURITY TRADE MISSION
TO SAUDI ARABIA & EGYPT
March 17-23

Imports of security equipment in Saudi Arabia were estimated at $339 million in 2004 with a market increase of 35-40 percent expected annually over the next two years. The safety and security market is doing well in Egypt and is expected to increase steadily in the coming years. Border control and security is increasingly important in this region. Products ranging from walk-through metal detectors to physical security controls are currently in use. Banks and corporations are concerned about access control and information security technology. Maritime and air transport sectors in this region are increasingly seeking solutions for security concerns and large commercial and residential real estate development projects present important opportunities. Learn more about this trade mission at www.export.gov.

Southeast Asia Environmental
Technologies Trade Mission
Malaysia, Thailand & The Philippines
April 24-May 3

This is an opportunity for U.S. firms to tap into three of the region's fast-growing markets for environmental equipment and technology. Prospects are promising in high-demand sectors such as solid waste and wastewater treatment, air pollution control, industrial waste recycling, and contaminated land remediation. At each stop, trade mission participants will benefit from country briefings and customized appointments with prospective agents, distributors, partners and/or end-users.

Malaysia's US$800 million environmental market offers attractive potential in the public water supply, sewage treatment, and industrial wastewater treatment sectors. Thailand will need to invest approximately US$1.2-1.5 billion to attain universal coverage for safe water and sanitation by 2020. The US$700 million Philippine market for environmental products, technologies and services offers excellent opportunities especially in air pollution and wastewater treatment.

Cost: $2,950 For more information, see www.buyusa.gov/tennessee.

Sign up to receive free market research reports from the U.S. Commercial Service e-Market Express website at www.buyusa.gov/eme/.

WTC LANGUAGE CLASSES TO BEGIN JANUARY 30

EXPORT-IMPORT LUNCHEON WORKSHOP ON JANUARY 31

POST-HURRICANE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ANNOUNCED

ONE-STOP SHOP FOR REBUILDING POST-KATRINA