UPDATE
This World TradeWinds eZine Summer edition covers a lot of ground from the Russian/Ukraine crisis, to featuring a new member that focuses marketing services on Korea among other countries, to Monterey Bay's leading marine science community, to the emergence of the Brand Monterey Bay program and our normal columns on marketing from Ayse Oge's, the NEI and trade finance.
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
Jim Faith & Associates
Cristina Polesel
MBITA
General Manager
This newsletter has been created by MBITA's editor
Cristina Polesel
cristina@mbita.org
MBITA New Member
BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL (BI) is an award- winning branding and marketing communications agency that is globally established to provide comprehensive set of services to organizations and companies who find themselves in need of an objective outsource who can stimulate business discussions. Bridge International's goal is to consult, coordinate and deliver its client's information into business knowledge that will drive success and profitability.
BI focuses on corporate vision, brand identity, strategic marketing planning and on-hands tactical operations that deliver actionable solutions and result driven executions. BI provides not only consulting services but strategic insight that helps identify, engage and retain diverse business segments through interactive marketing know-how.
The founder, Suji Kim, who is excellent in executive management and high quality customer relationship management, is a top performing Global Destination Marketing and Business Development specialist with extensive multifaceted global expertise in commercial, technology and tourism-hospitality related marketing communications for U.S. businesses entities.
Before founding BI in California, Suji Kim spent 20 years in Singapore, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China and NYC working for Singapore Tourism Board, Asia News Center, Smart Card Association, UNICEF including high-profile marketing & PR agencies. Ms Kim also focuses on complex business relationships within the international trade industry through in-language marketing and culturally-defined business development skills to help connect directly to client's target market, investment and commercial platforms combined with creative marketing campaigns, social media and innovative web solutions.
What BI does:
- Branding Consulting
- Global Tourism & Destination Marketing
- Business Development
- Investment Relations Marketing
- Public Relations in Diverse Languages
- MICE Marketing (Meeting/Incentive/Conference/Exhibition)
- Innovative Hospitality Training
- Social Media Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc)
- Brand Design (Logo, CI, BI, Product Design, Web Visual)
- Market Research, Benchmarking, Survey
- Multi-language Brochure and Web-site
MBITA Member
Robert Rogowsky
Professor in International Policy Studies
Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS)
Tel. (703) 819-7582
email: rarogowsky@miis.edu
Web: www.miis.edu
Putin is on a roll and so are his tanks
By MBITA member and contributor Robert Edgren
(The views and comments of this article are that of its author only)
This was the title of my last article July 31, which unfortunately I was too late to get in for the MBITA August newsletter, however it can be read on my website: www.ukraineinsider.com
The rapidly unfolding events in Ukraine beg for many answers that lead to more questions. Often conversations drift into political issues. It is difficult to debate a Russian national who thinks Vladimir Putin has all the right to proceed with what he wants to. It's even more difficult to make heads or tails if you are involved in trade with any of these parties.
Bear in mind, Putin has broken every international law, balked at the Budapest Memorandum, ignored UN agreements, and also the very treaty between his own CIS countries that none will ever invade the other.
So this leads to the question, is anything contract with Russia have any validity credibility? The answer to this appears to be clear at this point.
Still, we hear all the excuses from Putin, from Russian nationalists, and it is very hard to decipher for a western mind. One of the bottom lines is, Putin has an incredible ability to lie and deceit, and if you ever had a trading partner like this you know what I am talking about. But most Russian Putinistas look upon this as a great skill.
As far as the Russian nationalists, I often confront them with questions to their comments and knowledge of history, hoping to disable them. If you are lucky enough, you just may plant a seed of doubt. I will be writing a series of short history articles on my website listed below.
COMMENT: Ukraine was never really a country. It was formed sometime in the 40's without a defined borders.
ANSWER: At one time in Kiev was the largest region in Europe, much larger than Moscow. The people in that region had and have their own specific language and culture, just as the Poles, Czechs, Latvians, Estonians and Hungarians. Have you ever seen a map of the past four hundred years of the changing borders of European countries? Are you aware roughly 300 years ago St. Petersburg was part of the Swedish Empire?
Should that be given back to Sweden?
Did you ever learn that up until 1940, there were few Russians in Crimea? Can you accept the fact that nearly 2 million Ukrainians, unprotected by the Russian empire, were captured and enslaved by the Turks? That another 5 to 10 million were ethnically cleansed by Stalin?
Given these events do you think it may have been difficult for Slavic groups in this area to ever form a nation?
But they did, and persisted on.
COMMENT: Oh Khrushchev gave away Crimea during a drunkin' party.
ANSWER: This is not true. Prior of the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine, this had to be passed by the Soviet Duma, which it was.
COMMENT: Ukraine sided with Hitler during World War Two, they are Nazis! It was the great Russian military that defeated Hitler!
ANSWER: A couple things here. Were you taught that unbeknown to the West, at the time, Stalin and Hitler sided together, signed a secret pact to work together, not to attack each other but rather attack and divide Poland?
When the Nazis did attack Russia, even Stalin did not believe Hitler ordered it but rather some rogue Nazi generals. At this time, the allies did not know whom to believe.
Yes, it is true, that when the Nazis came into Ukraine they met limited resistance. But let me ask you this. Isn't this a clear indication that Ukraine showed an independent position and posture by not aligning with Russia? Not succumbing to Moscow's demands? If there was a leader from one country that starved to death or killed some 6 million of your people, then another invading leader comes along and says, "I have no interest in exterminating you as long as you don't attack me." Whose side would you choose?
As far as the great Russian army defeating Hitler, did you learn that without the USA's Lend Lease program, the Russians would have been defeated?
That this program provided Russians with billions of aid and military equipment including 2,000 fighter aircraft, 40,000 tanks, tires, guns, ammunitions, locomotives, trucks? Did you know that Stalin himself said: "Without the Lend Lease... we could not defeat Germany."
Much has been documented on the Lend Lease Act.
In a small tucked away area in Moscow is a museum of the Lend Lease program.
I know you do not believe these facts because you were taught only what your country wanted to teach you and only what they thought you should learn.
Okay MBITA members and World TradeWinds subscribers, enough history. Where do things go from here?
Well, I think the world has entered into a new phase and a giant step backwards, where transparency is only a word tossed around.
What we are dealing with is a new/old trading world where money talks. On the books, there are endless laws, regulations, agreements, contracts, judgments, but there is no one, or body to enforce them.
During this Ukraine crisis, we have already seen the French move ahead with their Mistral advanced missile ships to Russia, Merkel do the Polka around Putin every time he mutters oil, Norway proceed with in partnership with a Russian oil firm, Facebook allowing giant Russian search engine Yandex full access to their database, and finally China jumping on the side of Russia. This doesn't reflect much on the US being a beacon as free world.
These are challenging times, whether you are trading with Russia, China or other partners. Credibility lies in trust, and trust can be an elusive component in this fast changing world. Interesting, private groups and associations that can subject a company or person to a vetting program may find themselves much needed and may be in a position to become the new legal system in trade. And that means members of trade groups sharing their information, their experiences and recommendations. An increased level of responsibility and a venue of the private sector could become more important than any government entity.
Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula has caused the most serious East-West rift since the end of the Cold War. Recently, the Eastern provinces of Ukraine, known collectively as Donbass, have voted to form an Independent republic, Donetsk Independent Republic that would cover the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country and the government of Ukraine will not recognize those results.
In response to the Russian invasion of Crimea and [arguably] Eastern provinces of Ukraine, the EU and U.S. have imposed multiple sanctions. In my opinion, those sanctions are insufficient to prevent further invasion. However, I do not believe that the West will go beyond mere economic sanctions. The reason being is that Moscow is well aware that for as long as Russia has control over the energy supply to the rest of Europe and Asia, the EU will not take any further steps that would jeopardize its energy supplies.
Russia supplies Europe with roughly one third of its gas imports, over half of which flowed via Ukraine last year. Since the beginning of the Ukrainian 'crisis' in November, 2013, Russia had warned that gas supplies to Ukraine could be cut in the near future, and that could impact further deliveries to Europe. Much of the natural gas that flows to Western Europe comes from a pipeline running through Ukraine. As a result, the analysts warn that Western economy may be vulnerable to disruption. Energy represents a powerful leverage by Moscow against Western Europe and Asia. This is [arguably] the primary reason of a weak and indecisive reaction of the Western European countries to the Russian invasion of its independent neighbor. The worse the situation in Ukraine, the greater the chance of energy becoming a target for sanctions or reprisals of sanctions against Russia..
For over a decade, Russia has been considered by many international businesses as a 'land of opportunity' in the post-Soviet part of the world. In the light of the recent events, however, many of the western companies and investors have been reducing their participation and pulling out their resources fearful of getting caught in the middle of the Russian/Ukrainian medley. Currently, the economic situation in Russia seems unstable, at best. Will Russia continue the annexation of Eastern Ukraine? Will the EU and/or U.S. respond with military force or more sanctions? Will the banking system collapse like it did in early 90-s? Will Putin nationalize private property in Russia? Those are just a few questions that are on the minds of everyone involved with Russia or Ukraine, either through business connections, or personally.
Eastern Europe has a large number of countries that present so-called 'emerging markets', Poland, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, and, of course, Ukraine, just to name a few. It is very possible that those emerging markets will not be able to escape the financial fallout from the crisis. As the tensions escalate further, it is likely that foreign investors will reconsider the geography of their investments, which, of course, will set back the economy of many of those countries.
With all that in mind, many political consultants and economists say that the crisis in Ukraine could eventually be to the West's advantage. As mentioned earlier, one way to effectively influence Russia is to wean Europe off Russian gas by creating an alternative to Gazprom's monopoly on most of European gas services. That task could be accomplished in a number of ways, and could potentially economically benefit several countries in that region.
But which country in Europe or Asia could become the next regional energy hub? By way of example, as the research of Turkish political consultant Atilla Yesilada shows, this task could be accelerated by building the Iraqi-Kurdish pipeline to Turkey, and then eventually to persuade Ankara to keep peace with Cyprus and to reconcile with Israel, so undersea pipelines could be built to Turkey. Cyprus and Israel have recently discovered large natural gas reserves, and analysts say that could help Europe diversify its gas supply and break away from dependency on Russia. Azerbaijan, a former republic of USSR, which has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the crisis in November of last year, is also a reliable source of energy, which remains underutilized in the export world.
And what about the heart of the crisis, Ukraine? Prior to the annexation of Crimea, it was in a perfect position to eventually become a competitor to Gazprom. Months before the annexation of Crimea, Exxon and British Petroleum had begun exploration of Ukraine's natural resources in the Black Sea. Now that Crimea along with the Black Sea, has become a part of Russia, it makes me wonder whether Moscow had planned to start the annexation with this territory based on the fact that without it, Ukraine will not have the same appeal to the West, and without an alternative to the source of energy, the Western European countries will take a different position when it comes to sanctioning.
While that question, for now, remains unanswered, the bottom line is that there are several countries that could potentially become an alternative energy source to Western Europe. That is the good news. The bad news is that this process cannot happen overnight. Most of the countries with that type of natural resources have done very little to begin the process of exploration. This is mainly due to the lack of finances, technology and knowledge, or a combination of all of the above. This, in turn, opens an opportunity for the foreign investments into economies of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Besides capital, those countries also need technology and resources to bring the production up to speed and present an alternative to Russian monopoly quickly. That would have to come from a country that already has the necessary expertise, training, and resources. In my opinion, the United States makes a perfect partner in this venture.
For businessmen and women in the West this means that they need to adjust to the situation "as is". The crisis presents an opportunity for several European and Middle-Eastern countries to come out as an alternative supplier of natural gas, oil, and energy to the West. That would serve a two-fold purpose of (1) decreasing Russia's influence as the only energy supplier; and (2) helping other countries to become energy exporters.
There are also opportunities for "green energy" companies, oil and gas development, building the infrastructure, providing technical support, just to name a few, for those businesses that are willing to consider other former USSR countries, such as Azerbaijan, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine. Other than that, we all can only hope that the politicians in Russia and Ukraine will eventually listen to the voice of reason and think about the consequences of their actions for their own economies and for the global economy as well.
The Brand Monterey Bay Organization Takes Form in the One-of-a-kind Monterey Bay of California
This past January 26, 2014 marked an important date for the beautiful and dynamic Monterey Bay region of California when a group of non-profit organizations and private sector businesses joined forces to develop a new business league called Brand Monterey Bay (BMB) whose mission is branding and marketing the Monterey Bay region of California for investment, trade, and tourism. The group will provide funds and business support services to regional projects and initiatives undertaken by the cities, counties, economic development agencies, business councils and private businesses located within the region under one Monterey Bay region brand and marketing campaign.
The Monterey Bay region, located 75 miles south of San Francisco, comprises the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito on the beautiful Central Coast of California. The region is uniquely located, adjoining Silicon Valley to its north, encompassing the spectacular Big Sur coastline to the south, the nation's new Pinnacles National Park to the east, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to the west, and at its heart, the Salinas Valley which is also known as the 'salad bowl of the world' and 'Steinbeck country'.
The Monterey Bay's assets position the region as a premier destination for travel and tourism, a global leader in marine science, world languages, agricultural technology, specialty crops, sustainable agriculture, and genomic research. The region hosts many research institutions, world-class golf courses, and is developing as a global showcase for sustainable solutions. Ratings by National Geographic as one of the "Top Ten Wine Travel Destinations" in the world.
"What makes the Monterey Bay region so unique to the global landscape is the fact that its unmatched natural beauty is combined with its dynamic business, research and educational communities. The challenge is that the region as a whole is largely under-marketed as a unique, one-of-a-kind region, but rather is marketed in a competitive and independent manner by the various public and private sector marketing and economic development initiatives that are currently being deployed in different areas of the region", says Tony Livoti of the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and one of the business league's founding members.
"The Monterey Bay's regional investment opportunities are competitive worldwide. These include investing in early-stage and growing businesses, relocating businesses into the region, and relocating personal wealth into the region from around the world," observes G Stearns of Stearns & More Capital and a BMB and founding Brand Monterey member.
The Monterey Bay and its citizens don't want economic development in the form of urban sprawl like its Silicon Valley neighbor to its northern border. Rather BMB sees the Monterey Bay as one of the few regions in the world that has all the attributes to become a global center for a sustainable technology showcase with model, clean-tech systems that are functioning in real time in waste management, renewable energy, green construction, sustainable agriculture and blue economy challenges. For example, there are current discussions now taking place on developing a Solar Highway along highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Monterey that can be a model that demonstrates its viability and that it can be replicated in other parts of the State and Globe.
"Acting on our philosophy that a rising tide floats all boats, we promote all facets of the Monterey Bay region and its industries as a whole, selling it as a unique and unbeatable package that provides unique benefits to the region, the state, the nation and the world", states Chris Khan of Joint Venture Monterey Bay (JVMB) and a BMB founding member.
"The Monterey Bay region has been missing the opportunity to bundle all of its assets together into a compelling reason to invest, trade and visit the region", says Alec Wasson of Idea Farming Inc. whose company is one of the pioneer members of the business league.
The Brand Monterey Bay business league was started as a 'spin-off' from four different conferences held in the past year and a half in various cities throughout the region that were organized by MBITA and TradePort.org. These conferences collectively featured over 50 panelists and presenters (all presentations of these conferences are available online below) representing all of the unique amenities, businesses, institutions and economic development agencies of the Monterey Bay. U.S. Congressman Sam Farr whose vision of the region was an inspiration to BMB's founders was the 'keynote' speaker for all four conferences.
- April 12, 2012, Monterey, Ca., 'The Monterey Bay - Global Destination for Wine and Tourism'
- Oct. 30, 2012, Santa Cruz, Ca., 'Branding the Monterey Bay Region to the Global Marketplace'
- May 2, 2013, Salinas, Ca., 'The Monterey Bay Region - Like No Other'
- April 25, 2014, Seaside, Ca., 'The Monterey Bay - A Leader in the Blue Economy'
The main mission of these conferences was to demonstrate just how unique the Monterey Bay region is as a whole, highlighting its unique amenities and assets as a region located amidst the world centers of Technology and Agriculture while set against such a magnificent and beautiful landscape.
BMB is now aggregating the existing tools from the region to promote coordinated activity within the region. These include a regional calendar, online fan page, 'meetups', polling and 'crowdfunding' for regional initiatives and projects, regional media library, regional digital signage network and advertising programs, regional assets directory with an innovative 'click & chat' methodology connecting online resources with on-the-ground support, global sustainable lifestyle map and travel rewards, global trade and investment services and global-to-local business introductions. For further details contact: Tony Livoti, 1-831-334-2218, tlivoti@mbita.org
"Our new BMB business league's founders and members who collectively hosted this important delegation proved to be as dynamic as the Monterey Bay region itself. It's a true formula for success when talented people collaborate towards a common goal offering their expertise and contacts to successfully host a trade delegation to the one-of-a-kind Monterey Bay", states Tony Livoti, Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and BMB president.
"The Monterey Bay is being discovered as a premier choice for foreign investment and joint ventures. When people think of California they will also think of the Monterey Bay which offers that unique blend of a magnificent environment adjacent to one of the major centers of innovation and technology in the world, Silicon Valley", states G Stearns of Stearns & More Capital, and a BMB founding partner.
The tour was conducted by Gene Pini of China Visits Monterey Bay, starting at the Steinbeck museum in Salinas and continuing through agricultural and strawberry fields of Salinas and Watsonville. The group was welcomed by the management of Pebble Beach Corp. and included stops at the Monterey Aquarium and Long's Marine Lab to discuss the future 'blue economy'.
During the tour, Chris Khan of Joint Venture Monterey Bay and a BMB founding partner, pointed out the region's leading industries of Agriculture, Tourism, and Marine Science to the delegation."The Monterey Bay region has the potential for global competitive advantages in the areas of AgTech, MarineTech, the Wine industry and the ICT business sectors, and as the global showcase for sustainable development and innovation", states Mr. Khan who also emphasized the emerging CleanTech infrastructure opportunities in the Monterey Bay region that are implementing regional sustainable solutions for Energy, Water, and Transportation.
After a visit to UCSC the group met at the Satellite Telework Center in Felton, Ca, home of the giant Redwoods trees, where presentations were given by certain members of the delegation as well as from the BMB founding partners. Comments from the delegation expressed their appreciation of the tour and that they had no idea of the Monterey Bay's business and educational dynamics as well as its unmatched natural beauty.
With future visits slated for the delegation at Tesla, General Motors, and Ford in Detroit, the BMB team felt best the delegation should visit the Canepa Motorsports Museum in Scotts Valley where they viewed an incredible history of classic automobiles. The tour was concluded at the Enterprise Technology Center (the old Borland Software campus) in Scotts Valley, Ca. where BMB is exploring the establishment of a Shandong Sustainable Development Center.
BMB hosting members consisted of the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA) and TradePort.org, Joint Venture Monterey Bay, Stearns & More Capital, Idea Farming Inc., ChinaVisits Monterey Bay, Bernice Brubeck-Wong, Realtor at Century 21 M&M Associates, and China expert, Don Lewis, a former Stanford Law Professor and one of the top attorneys on trade and investment between China and the U.S.A.
Brand Monterey Bay (BMB) is a business league dedicated to branding and marketing the Monterey Bay region for investment, trade, and tourism. Visit us at www.brandmontereybay.com.
The Blue Economy Takes Center Stage in Monterey Bay
On April 25th at the Monterey College of Law in Seaside, Ca. U.S. Congressman Sam Farr joined over 20 Marine Science and trade promotion service experts as presenters and panelists at The Monterey Bay - a Leader in the Blue Economy event which is part of the Brand Monterey Bay program. This conference was designed as an introduction and brief glimpse into the world leading Marine Science community of the Monterey Bay region.
The 'Blue Economy' directly affects various business and government sectors such as offshore oil and gas production, national defense, seafloor exploration, communications, agriculture production, renewable energy, weather forecasting and fisheries to name a few.
For many years, in particular since its designation in 1992 as a National Marine Sanctuary, the Monterey Bay has led California's Blue Economy and has become a global leader in such sectors as abalone farming, aquaculture science, kelp farms research, climate change and sea level rise research and water quality, as well as other 'breakthrough' marine technologies, products and services.
"This event was a great opportunity for Monterey Bay's marine science community to extend their existing collaborations around education and research into the business side of the Blue Economy," adds Jeff Paduan, Professor of Oceanography and President of the Monterey Bay Crescent Ocean Research Consortium (MBCORC), which is a group of 30 different marine science organizations that have developed leading edge technologies, products and expertise to address all aspects of the challenges of the blue economy.
A special afternoon session at the conference featured an interactive roundtable with presentations and Q & A discussions between the conference attendees and the top public and private sector trade promotion service professionals in California who provide trade financing for exports as well as marketing, legal, logistic, advocacy, global trade educational services and private investment.
"After the conference it became very apparent that the Marine Science community of the Monterey Bay is a world leader in marine science education and research, and is now ready to develop bilateral trade and investment opportunities with foreign organizations throughout the world to support their Blue Economy challenges that affects us all through joint ventures, licensing agreements and export opportunities. Recent discussions as a result of this event have emerged with potential collaboration on projects with the Mexican State of Nayrit and the Shandong Province of China," states Tony Livoti, President of MBITA/TradePort who was the lead organizer for the event.
This Marine Science event was produced by the Monterey Bay International Trade Association (MBITA), TradePort.org and Brand Monterey Bay in association with MBCORC and was the 4th event in succession on 'branding' and 'marketing' the one-of-a-kind Monterey Bay region to the domestic and global marketplace. You can view all of the presentations of this conference HERE.
In the coming year the Brand Monterey Bay program will feature other conferences on the Monterey Bay region's world leading industries, such as, tourism, agriculture/agro-technology and world language.
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.
- In Asia, the young population is creating a formidable consumer base with higher incomes and rising productivity, fueling spending power in the region. Rapid growth in China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia will cause Asia's share of the new middle to more than double from its current 30%.
- Based on current trends, it is estimated that by 2030, Asia's economy will be larger than that of the United States and European Union combined.
- In 2013, Asia Pacific topped North America as the world's biggest e-commerce market, according to e-Marketer Worldwide.
The Marshall School of Business' Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) with support from the U.S. Department of Commerce assembled 60 international business experts who shared their experiences, opportunities and challenges in doing business in 14 dynamic Asia/Pacific economies, including Brazil, India, Mexico and Russia. For two days, I had the most rewarding and enjoyable experience at this conference. I was able to share my insights, explore new ideas and establish relationships with experts and fellow conferees. The one-on-one appointments with Senior Commercial Officers from 17 American embassies and consulates in Asia, Latin America and Russia added tremendous value for the attendees learning and networking experience.
The Asian market presents great opportunities for U.S. businesses despite significant challenges, such as corruption, followed by infrastructure, laws and regulations and difficulty in moving products through customs. The Asia/Pacific Business Outlook conference is the premium venue for business leaders, academia and international trade professionals to get a hard look at this region. Through it, they are able to capitalize in these vibrant markets, become familiar with local business practices, and successfully identify prospective buyers and representatives.
MBITA's trade finance column features articles from the experts in the field of EXPORT FINANCING.
Ex-Im Bank Approves Financing to Export American Power-Generation Equipment
Deal Supports U.S Manufacturing Competitiveness and Supports 100 American Jobs
Washington, D.C. - The Board of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has voted to guarantee a $15 million loan extended by Rabobank International of Utrecht, Netherlands, to Energyst B.V. to facilitate the export of Caterpillar power-generation equipment.
According to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology, the credit will support approximately 100 U.S. jobs.
"Ex-Im Bank's financing will support the export of important power-generation equipment made here in America and for potential use in Africa or Latin America" said Export-Import Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "In the process, the transaction will support approximately 100 U.S. jobs. This deal is a great example of how Ex-Im Bank's financing helps American exporters close sales overseas and support jobs at home."
Energyst, a Caterpillar-trademarked equipment rental operator based in Breda, Netherlands, plans to expand its power fleet to enable the company to be competitive in the International Power Projects market in South America and Sub-Saharan Africa, among other regions. The financed equipment is designed for rapid deployment globally and can provide temporary turnkey power.
The transaction could potentially contribute to President Obama's Power Africa initiative, which aims to increase access to power in sub-Saharan Africa - where more than two-thirds of the population is without electricity. It will help countries develop newly-discovered resources responsibly, build out power generation and transmission, and expand the reach of mini-grid and off-grid solutions.
"Caterpillar applauds Ex-Im Bank for approving the financing request for power generation equipment for Energyst," said Jim Umpleby, Caterpillar Inc. group president with responsibility for Energy & Transportation. "By backing this project, Ex-Im Bank is bolstering U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, supporting American jobs, promoting exports and helping Caterpillar and our dealers meet increasing global energy demand."
This press release was issued on June 18th by Ex-Im BankPress release source article.
Contact Lawton King (202) 565-3200.
Under the NEI, the United States has had four straight record-breaking years of exports - hitting an all-time high of $2.3 trillion dollars last year - up $700 billion from 2009. The NEI has been instrumental in strengthening high-level commercial advocacy on behalf of U.S. companies, increasing small business participation in trade events, partnering with regions to develop export plans, expanding strategic partnerships to promote exports, implementing our trade agreements, enforcing U.S. trade rights, and driving the most ambitious trade agenda in a generation.
Read full article
This press release was issued on May 13th by the U. S. Department of Commerce.
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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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The New WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: Increasing the Velocity of Trade
By Deborah J. Bartell, U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration
Must See Video on Global Trade
Click HERE to see the 'Making Hay' video by Dan Gardner of Trade Facilitators, Inc. This multi-industry webinar is a 'must see' for global trade students and practitioners of all levels and World TradeWinds considers it to be one of the most concise and informative webinars on the history, present state and the future of the Global Trade industry there is available today.
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