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President

Tony Livoti

MBITA

Vice President

Shay Adams

AIM Medical Sales

Members

Dr. Edward Valeau

Els Group LLC

Hartnell College

President Emeritus

Marcelo Siero

IdeasSiero

Jim Faith

Trade Export

Finance Online

(TEFO)

Cristina Polesel

MBITA

General Manager

This newsletter has been
created by MBITA's editor
Cristina Polesel
cristina@mbita.org

MBITA Corporate Sponsor
Neuro Engineering Institute

DS-Concept Factoring, Inc.(“DS“) is a wholly owned subsidiary of DS-Concept Factoring GmbH.

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International businesses benefit from their services either buying from vendors (PO finance) or selling to distributors (International Factoring). Either way, the company can help reduce burden of your credit line with your bank and improve your trading terms with your business partners. Statistically, a combination of trade finance and international factoring cash-flow solutions allows businesses to handle 5 times more order volume with the same amount of working capital.

MBITA Member
Port of Stockton

With local companies struggling with the continued recession, China is the brightest spot on the globe especially for ‘clean‐tech’ environmental technologies.  The Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and Asia Getaway are now selecting ‘clean-tech’ companies to participate in a ‘Deal‐making Clean‐Tech Trade Mission’ to Wuxi and Jiaxing, China, May June 3-12, 2011.

China has long been an example of what not to do to achieve environmentally sustainability. Ranking 133rd out of 146 countries in 2005 for environmental performance, China faces major environmental problems including severe air and water pollution, deforestation, water-issues, desertification, extinction, and overpopulation. 

China is ripe for American ‘clean-tech’ products and services. China’s State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have pinpointed the concerns to four distinct areas:

1. Pollution of water, air, and land
2. Water shortages and land degradation
3. Environmental accidents
4. Energy inefficiency and greenhouse gas emissions

The trade mission is focused on two regions of China: Wuxi, the 2nd highest GDP in the Jiangsu province and Jiaxing, ranked 26th in the list of top 100 cities of Chinese Foreign Trade.  Wuxi is one of the top business cities in China. According to Forbes ranking Wuxi is in the third position for best business cities in Mainland China in 2008. Like all China cities they have major environmental challenges.

Jiaxing’s 4 million citizens are now experiencing strong economic growth and is a marketplace normally overlooked by American business. The opportunities in providing ‘clean-tech’ products and services from America are there for the taking. For example, Jialing’s citizens recently blocked all garbage trucks to a waste treatment plant because it generated some much odor that was unbearable to the surrounding areas. The city government is now moving to a more effective waste-to-energy solution.

“As we know, China is sitting on a lot of cash and they want American ‘cutting-edge’ environmental products, technology and services. It’s a great opportunity to create jobs here in the U.S. by exporting our products, services and technology that will also help decrease or trade deficit with China”, states Tony Livoti of MBITA.

“In addition to having the trade delegation meet with local government and corporate business leaders to explore clean-tech projects on the 8-day trade program, an added feature to this ‘deal-making’ mission will be that a series of virtual ‘desktop sharing’ sessions between the trade delegates and potential Chinese partners will be conducted prior to the meetings in China to assure that our delegates ‘hit-the-ground- running’ and not waste valuable time when in China”, says Livoti.

MBITA is now accepting applications from potential trade delegates for this trade mission. The deadline for registration is March 31st.

For full trade mission details and registration application please visit http://www.mbita.org/chinatrademission/trademission2011.html and http://www.mbita.org/chinatrademission/background-itinerary2011.pdf for background information and itinerary.

For Immediate Release: National Export Initiative Results in Expanded Exports; Commerce Efforts Continue
By Mary Trupo, International Trade Administration (ITA)

Exports up 17 percent since President's Call for Doubling Exports

WASHINGTON, Jan 27, 2011– Today marks one year since President Obama unveiled the National Export Initiative and called for a doubling of U.S. exports by 2014. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez today reported that U.S. exports expanded by 17 percent through November 2010, keeping the United States on track to meet the President's goal.

"In announcing his National Export Initiative, the President defined how the American economy will grow in the future," Sánchez told business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Let us recommit ourselves today to continue to grow our economy by working together to support businesses as they expand their sales overseas."

The administration's NEI efforts in year one focused on five key areas: improving trade advocacy and export promotion efforts; increasing access to credit; removing barriers to the sale of U.S. goods and services abroad; enforcing trade rules; and pursuing policies to promote strong, sustainable, and balanced growth.

During calendar year 2010, the Department of Commerce:

• assisted U.S. companies competing for international contracts and other U.S. export opportunities through commercial advocacy worth $18.7 billion in U.S. export content, supporting an estimated 101,000 jobs;
• coordinated an unprecedented 35 trade missions to 31 countries with nearly 400 companies resulting in an anticipated $2 billion in increased exports;
• helped more than 5,500 U.S. companies complete an export success;
• recruited nearly 13,000 foreign buyers to major U.S. trade shows, facilitating approximately $770 million in export successes; and
• resolved successfully more than 82 trade barriers in 45 countries that were affecting a broad range of industries.

"In the first year of the NEI, we refocused how the federal government works together to support American commerce," Sánchez said. "We engaged the business community in new and expanded ways, and our economy is already reaping the benefits of this cooperation. But we must do more."

Sánchez detailed what lies ahead for the NEI's second year including improving awareness of the benefits of trade – especially among America's small and medium-sized enterprises; expanding the New Market Exporter Initiative; and finalizing pending trade agreements.

Additionally, at today's Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee meeting, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the New Markets, New Jobs roadshow focusing on helping small businesses export. The tour will be a year-long, interagency, multi-city outreach campaign designed to help connect small and medium sized businesses with the resources they need to sell more of what they make overseas.

"I look forward to finalizing the National Export Strategy and having the administration issue it to Congress in March," Sánchez said. "The annual report will provide the game plan for moving the ball forward during year two of the NEI."

The NEI positively contributed to the nation's economic successes of the past year. "But it is not a one-year program," Sánchez said. "We are just getting started."

Contact: Mary Trupo  (202) 482-3809
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The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has 2,100 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 77 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.
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U.S. and South Korea's Sealed Trade Pact
by Ayse Oge

The U.S. and South Korea finally reached a deal on trade after their recent failed negotiations that took place during a G-20 Meeting in Seoul. The agreement is aimed at lowering tariffs on a wide range of goods and services and opening Asia’s top markets to American companies. This agreement requires legislative approval in both countries, and it is considered by trade professionals to be the largest in terms of trade volume since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement signed by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The timing of the agreement could not be better, given the boost it will provide for the slow U.S. economy, along with the political challenges South Korea encounters in the Korean peninsula.

South Korea has the 15th biggest economy in the world, and it owns globally recognized companies like Samsung and Hyundai. Its rapid rise to prominence in the global stage within the last fifty years sets a great example to developing countries. Total bilateral trade in goods between the U.S. and Korea reached $83 billion in 2008, making it America’s seventh largest trading partner. South Koreans import many goods from the U.S., including civil aircraft, semi-conductors, industrial machinery, chemicals and plastics. In 2008, service exports to Korea reached $14 billion and made it to become the 10th largest market. 

Major benefits of the agreement with U.S. economy:

• Expands export opportunities for U.S. manufactured goods, agriculture, aerospace, telecommunications and financial services to boost the economic recovery.
• It will support at least 70,000 American jobs..
  
• The pact will give a lift to President Obama's efforts to double U.S. exports by 2015.
• Within five years of ratification, the deal will eliminate tariffs on 95% of the country's traded goods.
• Increases U.S. investment in Korean cable TV and digital media businesses.
• Tariff cuts in the South Korean free trade agreement will increase U.S. goods exports to South Korea by up to $11 billion annually based on the estimates of the U.S. International Trade Commission.
• Continued strong growth of the South Korean economy will enhance individual purchasing power of Koreans – this will lead to increased imports of goods/services from the U.S.
• This agreement will set the stage of signing pending free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama in the near future.

The U.S free trade agreement will contribute to the U.S. economic growth and at the same time enable America to use soft power through trade, commerce and investment in engaging friendly nations of East Asia.

Ayse Oge is President of Ultimate Trade, International Trade Consulting, Speaking and Training. Her work has been featured by Fox Business Online, Bloomberg Business Week Online and she was quoted by Investor's Business Daily and American Express Open Business Online. She can be reached at oge@earthlink.net