World TradeWinds

Our dynamic membership is expanding to all points on the globe. This issue reports on the booming economy of the Ukraine with a plethora of opportunity for all industry sectors, reported by MBITA member, Bob Edgren of UkraineConnect.

Malaysia and its 21st Century Super Corridor is offering very attractive incentives for American business to set-up-shop in Asia, especially in the IT and multi-media sectors…and do you want to make high-level connections in China while you are sailing down the Yangtze river, read about TeamChina/California's trade mission.

MBITA New Member:

Online Lead Generation-Nationally and Worldwide

Do you want to generate targeted sales leads through your website? Do you want to increase online sales or generate enquiries for your products or services, nationally or globally?

MBITA new member Vision 2 Detail, helps companies increase sales using search engine advertising on Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and other search engines.

Search Engines are the most popular way for people to locate products and services. Nearly 80% of business to business users type keywords into a search engine to find manufacturers, content, and distributor sites.

With search engines advertising you can reach people:

• When they are searching for your product or service
• Target locally, nationally or internationally
• Track results and manage advertising costs

The Vision 2 Detail marketing team has been certified by Google and Yahoo as Search Marketing Professionals who have created and managed search marketing campaigns to generate leads for many companies including IT and Software, Real Estate, Tour Operators, Hotels, Automotive and many more.

Contact Anil Kewal for a 20 minute free consultation on how you can use search engine advertising to increase online sales or generate leads for your business

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MBITA New Member:
Patrick Mulcahy

After nearly two decades of experience, the company has built strong relationships, providing valuable business introductions to potential Chinese partners.

Patrick Mulcahy would like to announce the upcoming seminar 'The Insiders' Secrets to Doing Business with China'.

Here's how to get your share of the world's fastest growing market. All while enjoying yourself in an in-depth, tax-deductible, Grand Tour of China.

With both meetings and sightseeing in Beijing, Shanghai, and on a spectacular Yangtze River cruise, you'll learn how to make money in China, while visiting and meeting important contacts.

A luxury tour unlike any other, you'll be traveling alongside and hob-nobbing with some of the world's most knowledgeable experts on doing business with China. You'll meet Chinese officials, experienced China trade experts, Sino-USA business representatives, plus U.SA. government trade officials who will smooth your way into the Chinese market.

You'll be staying in world-class 5-star hotels, including the famed Shangri-La in Shanghai, and you'll be personally guided through sites that make China today's most exciting travel destination, including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Three Gorges Dam, and more.

Expert-led seminars in Beijing, Shanghai, and aboard a luxury cruise ship up the Yangtze will teach you…

• How to meet your best China trading partners, including manufacturing, distribution, and sales
• Vital marketing, finance, legal and tax issues for both exporters and importers
• Detailed examples of how to create market entry strategies
• Sourcing and outsourcing (make the connection)
• What are the unique market opportunities (not the obvious),
• How you can capitalize on the opening of China's financial market
• Where to find new investment opportunities
• Find the best sectors for exports of environmental technologies
• What type of legal agreements do you need
• Learn how to jump start your business in China
• Learn from seminars by top legal and accounting experts
• Where to find new investment opportunities; how do you invest in infrastructure
• Learn from trade briefings from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce Foreign Assistance experts in Beijing and Shanghai
• Find new business opportunities in the Middle-Kingdom
• How to follow up on new business leads after you're back home!

The Insiders' Secrets tour is personally hosted by Patrick Mulcahy, the pioneer who helped open doors for countless American companies who have followed him into China trade since 1984. Mr. Mulcahy is in his second term as a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He has recently returned from Beijing, where he was a delegate to the Environmental Roundtable as part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Trade Mission to China.

And remember, this affordably-priced tour will be completely tax deductible for many businesses and individuals. Which means, if you decide to bring your spouse, it's as if two are going for the price of one!

Enroll Today! Special Early Bird Rate
Save $200 by ordering and placing $1000 deposit
before May 15, 2006! Price per person $4895
($4695 if deposit received before May 15, 2006)
Just call, toll-free, 1-800-338-7673

InConTra Travel, Inc.; a division of JAL Japan Airlines
1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036

Presented by Team China/California LLC (714) 424-9999 3138 Madeira Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 patrick@teamchinausa.com www.teamchinausa.com

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MBITA member Bob Edgren, the latest from Ukraine

By Bob Edgren, MBITA Member

On March 23, 2006 President Bush signed a bill normalizing trade relations with the country of Ukraine. So what does this mean? What opportunity does this present? It is not the purpose of this article to provide sources or direct links to trade with Ukraine. Most of my trade knowledge comes from other Americans and foreigners, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, and a few trade consultants and groups who trade with Ukraine.

I have been traveling to Ukraine for seven years. Each year I make a list of items, mainly consumer goods that could be brought over. Every year my list gets smaller as entrepreneurs quickly fill gaps. There exists many opportunities both in trade and investment in this dynamic country. However, I think it is equally important before one takes a business venture, to analyze the political and social temperature before making a move, and of course to be constantly vigilant to any changes. What this article offers is a look into the average Ukrainian person's views, outlook, and beliefs. In order to understand this one must take a short step back into history.

Much has happened since perestroika and glasnost. The end of a cold war signaled a new world order, one based on freedom, democracy and peace between the two major superpowers.

The early years of the end of the cold war was not what all the experts were anticipating. Here in the US, where the military industrial complex was in high gear for decades, most expected to start manufacturing peacetime products. The dismantling of our military complex was felt no more than here in the San Francisco Bay Area with some 10 base closings, thousands of people left jobless and a dramatic collapse of the real estate market.

In the eastern bloc countries the situation was not even comparable. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a short celebration. Following there was virtual lawlessness Thugs and organized crime groups sprung up all over the ex Soviet countries. It was chaos. Old people were thrown out of their apartments. Scientists fled with dangerous and valuable weapons and technology information to be sold to the highest bidder. Even President Gorbachev was kidnapped for a short time as a military coup tried to take charge of Russia.

Approximately 300, 000 young girls were enticed, kidnapped, or dragged off the street, and shipped off to a fast growing prostitute business with buyers around the world. It was virtual anarchy that eventually launched fascists governments in some ex Soviet countries, like Belarus, and could have enveloped many more.

So put your self in the shoes of a former Soviet citizen. Are things better now?

I spent almost a year in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution. In preparing for political interviews, especially one with President Yuschenko that never came to fruition, I spent about 6 months interviewing mainly people in the capital of Kiev. To my amazement and my interpreters, young or old interviewees, were relatively split between pro west candidate Yuschenko and pro Russia candidate Yanokovych.

The spontaneous Revolution yielded Yuschenko as the final president. However, it left Russian President Putin steaming. In early January Putin showed his punishing hand by mandating to quadruple the gas prices to Ukraine, during one of the coldest winters on record.

If the international community did not step in, this would have been a disaster for Yuschenko and his pro west policies. Nevertheless in the most current parliamentary elections, Yuschenko's party followed third behind leading Yanokovych and the flamboyant Hillary Clinton clone Yulia Tymoishenko.

In Ukraine there are basically three countries. One is western Ukraine, which is very open to democracy and joining the west. The other is eastern Ukraine, home of the economic engine of Ukraine of steel and coal, which is pro Russia. The third is a sleeper, and that is a prize in itself, the Crimea region with its famous and important ports to the Black Sea and historic vibrant city of Yalta. Most people in Crimea are pro Russian; indeed, many Russians who vacation there consider it part of Russia.

I think it is clear now that most political analysts realize that President Putin is not for a free and open democracy. Where he will stir the country is unclear. Hopefully, at best, it will be towards some sort of hybrid of free enterprise, socialism and some freedoms . It is quite possible, however, he has intentions to stir Russia into old Soviet era structure, in his own words, "perestroika was a disaster." Any move though, must be watched carefully as it will directly impact trade and political relations with all of East Europe.

If he has a master plan, he is keeping his ideas very closed. The economic success since the free market arose has created much wealth among many individuals. Probably few westerners know that there are now more declared millionaires in Moscow that in New York city, and there are probably that much more undeclared.

Ukraine teeters between Russia's grip and being an independent country. However, bear in mind that at least from this writer's perspective, more people in Ukraine feel a stronger kinship with Russia than the west. As Russia exerts its powerful oil muscle influence over the region, I believe that Ukraine will drift away from the west and into Russia's fold. I hope I am wrong.

So what about trade? What does this new bill mean? Actually it is probably more symbolic than anything. Bush signed it just before the parliamentary elections trying to give Yuschenko a boost.

From the import and export people I have had discussions with, and the westerners who have done business in the Ukraine or live there, one must be ready to go through a myriad of bureaucratic steps, licenses, under the table fees to get anywhere. I don't think this bill will change much of that.

Perhaps, the only salvation for Ukraine to stay westernized is for a swarm of deep pocket businesses to invade the country and set up a shop and start conducting business. This is what Yuschenko promoted almost instantly after becoming president.

This is what McDonalds did early on after the Soviet collapse. I think most Americans are amazed at the popularity of MacDonald's in Ukraine.

As far as future trade, this well remain in the crystal ball category as the political situation evolves. Perhaps the only hope, as mentioned, is for some large corporations to extend their recourses and open businesses. Nevertheless, the actual business climate in Ukraine is very vibrant and exciting. If you go, do not be surprised to see tall modern office and apartment buildings under construction, Walmart and Home Depot like box stores and state of the art new shopping centers.

There is no doubt that free enterprise has a strong foothold in Ukraine and people are enjoying profits that they never imagined they could under the previous system.
The future, both economically and politically probably may also lie in great part with the youth. The new young generation, many nouveau rich, who never even experienced communism are traveling, marrying westerners, and enjoying freedoms their parents and ancestors are baffled at.

Ukraine is a country that has been a boon and can be a success to invest in for the westerner. However, just remember that there are cold north political winds of Siberia blowing down from the north and there still exists corruption at many levels in Ukraine itself.

One great thing, if you make the trip, do not be afraid to wear American flags or American red, white and blue garments. They are a trend there. It is probably one of the few countries one can walk down any main street and see young girls with the stars and stripes on their t-shirts or embossed on their jeans. These I took plenty of pictures of because I thought no one would ever believe it. I even bought and used daily a US flag beach towel while in Yalta.

Most of the fears and anxiety of the world's worst atomic power plant catastrophe have subsided and have become an after thought for many Ukrainians, Europeans, and the world. However, after 20 years, the hastily constructed shield over the reactor has been, and is having problems. There have been plans to construct another shield for some time with European assistance. Chernobyl is about 100 miles north of Kiev, the capital. This is something to maintain a close watch on. It will probably be resolved. There is a new adult generation that were children when it occurred. However, for the people who experienced the panic, the fear, the fleeing, these memories remain as if it happened yesterday.

As a member of MBITA, we are planning a future conference to highlight potential trade opportunities and provide trade promotion services to companies wishing to explore the Ukranian market. Please keep in touch with the MBITA office or myself for any further information.

Bob Edgren
Ukraineconnect
Tel. 831-402-2111
email: agren7@yahoo.com

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Trade & Investment Opportunities with Malaysia

The Monterey Bay International Trade Association is arranging exclusive one-on-one conference calls with BADLISHAM GHAZALI who is the new Chief Executive Officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC), the one stop agency set up by the Government to facilitate the development of foreign companies and their interests in the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). These exclusive conference calls are directed to California companies wishing to explore Malaysia in the following areas:

• Bridge into Asia Pacific market (esp. Middle East & China)
• Conduct profitable businesses with any of over 1400 MSC-status companies
• Start JVs with any MSC-status company
• Become a distributor of MSC products and services in your country/region
• Main site for offshoring activities and/or backup site for current regional set-up
• Set up your R&D centre in the MSC
• Currently in Asia Pac but not in Malaysia
• Currently in Malaysia but not MSC
  

Mr. Ghazali is responsible to provide the leadership to drive the MDC as a high performance organization that is responsible to translate the MSC vision into action. As a one-stop agency, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) has been established to facilitate the development of Malaysia’s national ICT project called the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and to expedite the entry of investors into the MSC. MDC is also empowered to grant MSC Status to companies wishing to locate their operations in the MSC.

Badlisham was the former Director of the new Hewlett-Packard in Malaysia and Country General Manager of HP Technology Solutions Group (TSG). Among his greatest achievements was Badlisham had led HP Services to the No.1 position with a growth rate of 18%, as the largest IT services organization in Malaysia with over 600 IT professionals under his care.

The Malaysian government will also be hosting a breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara at 8am on May 13th to further discuss and present their offerings to US companies.

Please contact the MBITA office if you would like to meet with Ghazali in person on May 11th @ 11:30-12:30 and 2:30-3:30. in San Jose, Ca. or speak with Mr.Ghazali ‘One-on-one’ by conference call.

For more information please visit www.mbita.org/malaysia/msc.ppt

MBITA Luncheon -
Global Trade & Investment in Green Technologies

Elliott Moorhead, CEO and Chairman of Nanovapor Systems Inc., (www.nanovapor.com) spoke about his experience in managing large environmental remediation projects and addressing the larger source points of environmental concern. In addition to soil and wastewater effluent related technologies, Mr. Moorhead has specialized in the suppression of NET gases (Noxious, Toxic, Explosive) for refinery services and all petroleum related environmental and regulatory issues.

Daniel Robin, Managing Director of Integrated Investments International (In3) (www.in3inc.com) discussed the current state of investment in clean and sustainable technology ('cleantech'), describe industry drivers and leverage points, highlight funding sources, gaps, and perceived issues for global cleantech markets, technology transfer and trade. Mr. Robin offered success strategies for structuring and presenting your venture deal to gain investor partner interest and target valuation, tools for international trade projects and debt finance, as well as ways to help nudge the industry toward more mainstream acceptance.

Ron Swenson , Managing Director of Solar Quest (www.solarquest.com) and Mark Dure-Smith, Project Manager of Solar Quest explained how building the largest photovoltaic system in Santa Cruz County is enabling him to develop large projects in South America. Ron's talk will focus on exporting solar expertise, information and equipment to developing countries. Using his extensive experience in South America, he explained how American engineering knowledge and methodologies can be leveraged abroad.

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MBITA Luncheon -
Trade & Investment with Africa

The MBITA Monterey Chapter luncheon 'Trade and Investment with Africa' was a great success.

Charles Manuel, Trade Commissioner of the South African Consulate General in Chicago spoke on opportunities with Africa's most important economy. Known as the gateway to Africa, South Africa is home to 6% of Africa's population and produces 18% of the continent's GDP. It also boasts 45% of Africa's mineral production and 50% of the continent's purchasing power. Mr. Manuel will discuss all the key aspects of considering South Africa as one of the most stable and reliable business partners in the African continent.

Nick Lourenco, Executive VP of ASEMA USA spoke on Angola as one of the best investment options in Africa. Increased opportunities for U.S. investment in the Angolan economy include target sectors such as tourism infrastructure development, agribusiness, telecommunications, energy and environment, housing development, import/export of services and goods, healthcare and manufacturing.

Jim Faith, Program Manager of GlobalCalifornia.org spoke about using the GlobalCalifornia.org platform for wine transactions with South Africa.

The presentations can be downloaded from the following links:

www.mbita.org/africa/angola.ppt
www.mbita.org/africa/southafrica.ppt
www.mbita.org/africa/wine.ppt

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IIE, the world leader in exchange of peoples and ideas, was founded in 1919 on the principal that educational exchange fosters an understanding of other peoples and cultures and helps to make the world a better place.  Whether is it is by rescuing threatened scholars, fighting for health, fostering mutual understanding, helping to  rebuild countries, opening the American mind, IIE programs have a meaningful impact on the problems facing our world.  IIE manages about 200 educational programs including the Fulbright Program, The West Coast Center for Women’s Empowerment in the Middle East, The Osher Program among many others.

On July 11, there will be a lunch meeting in the IIE SF offices to talk about a new young professionals group that would work on events and assist the organization in its hospitality mission.

If interested in being a part of this new group, please contact Franca Gargiulo at 415-564-2600 and franca.gargiulo@att.net’

Please go to MBITA newsletter archives to see other MBITA Members profiles and visit MBITA's Export Promotion Services.