UPDATE

This issue contains information on a major marine science initiative between Qingdao, Shandong (PRC) and the Monterey Bay, a new MBITA member from the legal world, benchmarks for Exim Bank and the USDOC pushing job creation and Ayse Oge stands up for U.S. Veterans. Enjoy!

America's Blue Silicon Valley located in the Monterey Bay of California is now heading up a project to collaborate with Qingdao, Shandong (PRC), the 9th busiest port in the world, and tabbed as China's 'Blue Silicon Valley', to share resources, technology, expertise and products and to offer sustainable solutions to the daunting challenges and major issues of the world's blue economy.



This effort is led by MBITA in the Monterey Bay and the WELL Ocean Science Technology Association (WOSTA) in Qingdao, and will start with a special Monterey Bay and California marine science pavilion at the 2015 International Ocean Technology & Equipment Expo' (IOTCE 2015) that will take place in Qingdao, Shandong (PRC) on September 1, 2015.

China's Marine Economy exceeds over $7 Trillion annually and represents over 10% of China's GDP. The coastal areas of China account for 13% of the land territory of the nation, feeds 40% of the population, and creates more than 65% of its GDP and along with the highest populated and fastest growing economies in the world face serious environmental challenges related to their 'blue economy'.

Some of the sectors that will be represented at the Monterey Bay & California pavilion at the IOTCE 2105 conference/expo will range from, agriculture erosion, marine engineering equipment manufacturing, seawater utilization, marine medicine and biological product manufacturing, to desalinization, marine renewable technology and marine service industries, such as, marine eco industry, marine eco-agriculture, marine eco-tourism, marine environmental protection initiatives and maritime cultural industries.

"The land and the ocean are interconnected like brother and sister and the non-point pollution (agricultural erosion into the ocean) we have in the Monterey Bay of California is likened to the same problems that Qingdao, Shandong is experiencing, and together we can help address these challenges and others to lead the world to a healthier, cleaner and more productive blue economy", says Tony Livoti, President of MBITA.

"We must deepen our understanding of the ocean and constantly improve our technical capacity for marine resource exploitation through innovation and technology and we look forward to our partnership with MBITA to meet these objectives and more", states Hao Yunxing, Director of WOSTA.

MBITA is now taking applications for the Monterey Bay & California pavilion at IOTCE 2015 for exhibitors, panelists, presenters, scientists, engineers and academics and others representing all sectors of the marine science community. You can view more details HERE.

MBITA New Member Klueger & Stein

MBITA welcomes new member Klueger & Stein, LLP.

Klueger & Stein, LLP is a law firm focused on international business transactions and cross-border tax planning. Their clients are individual investors and multinational businesses entering the United States to acquire a U.S. business, invest in U.S. real estate, or enter the U.S. market through a joint venture or the creation of a U.S. subsidiary. They also assist U.S. investors and businesses looking to engage in commercial transactions or acquire valuable assets abroad.



Here is a partial list of services they provide to their clients:
structuring foreign joint ventures for U.S. clients,

• structuring U.S. joint ventures for foreign clients,
• negotiating the letter of intent, the term sheet, the definitive purchase agreement and other related agreements
• drafting all legal documents related commercial transactions,
• providing tax advice and legal structures for foreign investors in U.S. real estate,
• conducting legal and tax due diligence for a purchaser of a U.S. business, and providing a due diligence opinion,
• advising a foreign business with respect to the reorganization of its U.S. subsidiaries,
• counseling foreign persons contemplating relocation to the U.S. with respect to pre-immigration income tax and estate tax planning,
• complex tax structuring of transactions outbound from the U.S. and inbound into the U.S.

Their lawyers are highly experienced in the areas of deal making, structuring joint ventures, corporate mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, and all aspects of international tax planning.

- See more at: http://ksilaw.com

Ayse's Corner

Ayse's Corner is a feature column of the World TradeWinds eZine'. Ayse Oge is a published author and global trade marketing expert and author of Emerging Markets.

World Smart Veterans: Transferring Your Skills to Global Business

Tapping into the Hidden Talent

1 - Leadership Skills

A leader is as good as his/her team members. Vets are responsible for their actions and team members. The ability to make fast and effective decisions on the front line is one of best competitive advantages of combat-ready leadership. From the mobilization of 20,000 U.S. troops to help the victims of the devastating tsunami in Japan in 2011, to setting up operations in Liberia and providing logistical, engineering and other non-medical support to help fight the Ebola epidemic in 2014, veterans have proven their great leadership skills and ability to navigate new or unexpected events in unstable environments, time and time again.

These skills are transferrable to jobs in global business because they require putting together an effective business structure that provides excellent customer service, and being able to set up production capabilities and implement proper policies and procedures involving payment methods, sales promotion and granting exclusive representatives.

In addition, their team spirit would come handy within international trade when it comes to coordinating activities of the export staff and supporting departments such as manufacturing, engineering, finance and credit. Vets can use their rallying skills to build strong ties with their foreign counterparts, distributors, agents and joint-venture partners who can be instrumental when entering new markets. Military people's high level of technical literacy and technological savviness is a huge plus in terms of streamlining communication efforts across the organization, resulting in drastic cost-cutting for global operations.

2 - Global View

Vets receive the best diversity training while serving in the military service. They have the ability to work with all types of people, whether they are of a different race, gender, economic status, age, religion, attitude, intelligence or physical condition.

Many military personnel not only speak at least one other language, but their international experience helps them understand different customs, economies and cultures, and they know how to respect people's differences. According to a Harvard Business Review article from Nov 2011 entitled "Leadership Lessons from the Military," vets practice their negotiation skills in missions such as working to restore power to a city block, attending local shuras (councils of elderly) meetings and conducting a raid on a suspected insurgent's residence.

International business is based on relationships, and global business people are culture-builders. They establish strong bonds through long-term alliances and connections. Adopting a global mindset is critical in collaborating cross-culturally, allowing them to focus on similarities while seeing differences as a learning experience along the way.

3 - Commitment to Quality

Military people strive to achieve the highest quality standards for themselves and their units. Quality is ingrained in the military culture, in terms of training, education, physical requirements, and goals. Quality is also the passport to success in international business. A vet's commitment to quality enhances the competitiveness of U.S. products in world markets.

Scott Snair, author of the book "West Point Leadership Lessons," gives an example of two West Point graduate and brothers, John and Stuart, who successfully sold their service of modern health care designed for rural areas in China with very few legal documents. How? Their level of integrity and commitment to high quality standards was all that was needed to convey that they were being truthful about their goals and projections.

A veteran's discipline to learning other aspects of business, marketing, sales, customer service, and logistics makes him/her ready to contribute to society and make a huge difference when working for a company entrenched in global business.



Ayse Oge is President of Ultimate Trade, International Trade Consulting, Speaking and Training. She is also Board Member of California Business Education Association. She is currently writing a book entitled, "World Smart Veterans, Transferring Your Skills to Global Business," which will be published as an e-book in October 2015.

"Ex-Im is honored to receive this award and to be part of an outstanding list of organizations dedicated to pursuing equality of opportunity and supporting economic growth and jobs here at home," said Ex-Im Bank Vice Chair and First Vice President Wanda Felton, who accepted the award on behalf of the Bank. "We look forward to continuing our work with minority- and women-owned businesses as they expand their export portfolios and thrive in the global marketplace."

According to Diversitybusiness.com, these agencies truly differentiate themselves in the market place in a time when diversity is on the rise.

More than 1.3 million diversity-owned businesses were invited to participate in an online election to determine this year's "Top 25." Voters were instructed to assess several factors in making their determinations, including the quality, consistency, and overall volume of business opportunities made available by agencies to women- and minority-owned companies.

Small business exporters can learn about how Ex-Im Bank products can empower them to increase foreign sales by clicking here. For more information about Ex-Im, visit www.exim.gov.

This press release was issued on April 30th by Export-Import Bank. Press release source article.

The report also includes individual success stories, in all 50 states, of small and medium sized businesses that are using exports to expand their businesses and support well-paying American jobs.



"From coast to coast, exports have played a critical role in economic growth and creating jobs in America," said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. "The reports we are releasing today demonstrate the impact of exports on American communities large and small. They tell the story of thousands and thousands of U.S. businesses and 11.7 million American workers whose livelihoods are supported by exports each and every day.

President Obama has set an ambitious trade agenda that will put American workers first by creating opportunities for our businesses to sell their goods and services to the 95 percent of consumers who live outside the U.S. This agenda includes passage of trade promotion legislation and the enactment of strong trade agreements that are essential to job creation, the economic security of our families, as well as our nation's competitiveness and national security."

"This report shows that the President's trade agenda puts American workers first," said U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman.

"In every state across the country good-paying jobs are tied to "Made in America" exports. This report also tells the story of American small businesses that will benefit from tearing down trade barriers in markets around the globe, and this is where we see a lot of opportunity for growth and more trade supported jobs. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership we have a once-in-a-generation chance to unleash the economic potential of American small businesses and to level the playing field for our workers."

The United States of Trade report also includes the most current data for all 50 states on the overall value of goods exports and on exports to countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), as well as data on the number of exporters and the percent of exporters that are small- or medium-sized businesses. The Administration report was released in conjunction with the Jobs Supported by State Exports 2014 economic brief from the Department of Commerce, which showed that 43 states registered increases in the number of jobs supported by goods exports from 2009-2014.

For the past 40 years, Congress has enacted trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation to help guide both Democratic and Republican Presidents in pursuing trade agreements that support U.S. jobs, eliminate barriers to U.S. exports, and set rules to level the playing field for U.S. companies, farmers, ranchers and workers. TPA allows Congress to set high-standard objectives and priorities for U.S. trade negotiators and establishes a process for consulting with Congress and the public.

Download Report.

This press release was issued on April 9th by the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC). Press release source article. Contact: Office of Public Affairs at 202-482-4883

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 72 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov

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The National Export Strategy is available also at
http://trade.gov/NEI and http://export.gov.
International Trade Update at
http://www.trade.gov/publications/ita-newsletter/

United States Department of Commerce
Office of Public Affairs - Tel. 202-482-4883
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