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WISCONSIN
WORLDWIDE
Vol.
5 #5, May 2006
Overseas Directors in Wisconsin
May 7-13
The directors of Wisconsin’s five overseas trade promotion
offices will be in Wisconsin next week. They will be speaking at
several events in different parts of the state and will also be
available for one-on-one appointments. This annual trip is an
excellent opportunity to meet the international “eyes and
ears” of Wisconsin businesses and discuss business opportunities
and plan strategies for key markets around the world.
The Wisconsin Department of Commerce has contract offices in Canada,
Mexico, Europe, Brazil, and China. The services of these offices
are designed to help Wisconsin firms successfully pursue export
sales. The Market Viability Study helps a firm review the fit
between the company’s products or services and the needs of the
foreign market - Can the product be sold there? Agent/Distributor
& Client/End-User Searches identify who is interested in
representing or buying a Wisconsin product. Background Checks can
be conducted on prospective partners or business associates in order to
increase trust and decrease unpleasant surprises later. Arranging
face-to-face meetings is an important goal of the overseas offices, and
staff can help make business trips run smoothly by locating
translators, local legal and accounting representation, and assistance
with trade show logistics. While the overseas offices try to help
Wisconsin businesses proactively plan for success, they can also be
called upon for assistance when export emergencies cause shipments or
deals to go awry.
The directors will speak at several events about current developments
and market conditions in their territories. They will also be
available for one-on-one consultations about a firm’s individual
needs in their markets. Scheduled events include:
Tuesday
May 9 |
Morning
|
Milwaukee
|
International
Credit Executives Meeting, Doing
Business in China seminar, and
Individual Meetings
|
Afternoon
|
Milwaukee |
Wisconsin
International
Trade Conference and Individual
Meetings |
Wednesday
May 10 |
Morning |
Milwaukee |
Individual
Meetings |
| Afternoon |
Neenah |
Global
Perspectives
Lunch and Individual Meetings |
Thursday
May 11 |
Morning |
Madison |
Individual
Meetings |
| Afternoon |
Madison |
Joint Wisconsin
Innovation Network &
Madison
International Trade Association
event |
| Afternoon |
Eau
Claire
|
Doing
Business Globally -
Wisconsin Meets the World and
Individual Meetings |
Friday
May 12 |
Morning |
Madison |
Individual
Meetings |
Participants in the annual directors’ visit include:
• Ms. Magda Völker, Director, Wisconsin
Trade Office in Brazil
• Ms. Nancy Ward, Director, Wisconsin Trade
Office in Canada
• Mr. Paul Swenson, Director & Ms. Jane
Zhang, Assistant Director, Wisconsin Trade Office in China
• Ms. Kara Smith, Director & Ms. Kate
Clarke, Director, Wisconsin Trade Office in Europe
• Mr. Vincent Lencioni, Director & Mr.
Marcos Hernandez Rivas, Assistant Director, Wisconsin Trade Office in
Mexico
While Wisconsin does not currently have an office in Japan, Mr.
Takahiro "Taka" Hagisako, Business Advisor for the Japan External Trade
Organization (JETRO), will be traveling with the group. Mr.
Hagisako is based in Madison.
To learn more about the individual backgrounds of each of the
directors, click here.
To schedule an individual
meeting with a specific director, please contact:
Milwaukee
(May 9-10) and
Madison (May 11-12) |
Neenah
(May 10) |
Eau
Claire (May 11) |
Jennifer
Winner
ph:
(608) 266-0413
jennifer.winner@wisconsin.gov
or
Christine Stamm
ph: (608) 264-7824
christine.stamm@wisconsin.gov
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Brad
Schneider
ph: (920) 420-1796
brad.schneider@wisconsin.gov
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John
Konkel
ph: (715) 833-6441
jkonkel@cvtc.edu
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Intellectual Property
Protection in China
Protecting and enforcing the intellectual property rights of U.S.
businesses in China is critical to the success of many Wisconsin
businesses. The U.S. Department of Commerce is initiating a new
China IPR webinar series to help firms learn more about this important
issue. Two special kickoff programs have been scheduled for May:
May 11 2:00pm – 3:30pm EST
Latest on IPR in China: JCCT & Special 301
Briefing by U.S. Government officials on the 2006 Joint Commission on
Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and the Special 301 Report
May 18 2:00pm – 3:30pm EST
China’s 2006 IPR Action Plan Briefing by China’s Counselor
for Intellectual Property from the Embassy of the People’s
Republic of China in the United States
To register for the May events, please send your contact information to
ChinaIPR@mail.doc.gov by May
1. From June until December 2006, subsequent webinars on related
topics will be held on the second Thursday of each month from 2pm
– 3:30pm EST. The programs are free. No special software or
configurations on your computer are needed to participate. You need
only a phone line and computer with an internet connection.
Dial-in and Log-in Instructions will be sent to participants a week
before the program.
To be added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s mailing list, or
to register for the May programs, please send your contact information
to ChinaIPR@mail.doc.gov.
If you have any questions, please contact Ellen Szymanski at the U.S.
Department of Commerce, ellen.szymanski@mail.doc.gov,
ph: (202) 482-5244.
U.S./Canada Lumber Dispute
Resolved
 The Canadian and U.S.
governments struck a historic deal on April 27 to
end the bitter softwood lumber dispute that has plagued bilateral
relations for many years. Under the seven-year agreement,
Canadian producers of softwood lumber, used primarily for construction,
would be subject to a new export tax and Canada would receive back 80
percent of import taxes that have been collected by the United States
over the last four years -- about $4 billion.
The agreement was announced after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper's government secured last-minute changes that won the support of
governments in the key exporting provinces of British Columbia, Quebec,
and Ontario. "I am pleased to announce today that the United
States has accepted Canada's key conditions for the resolution of the
softwood lumber dispute," Harper told the House of Commons.
As stated by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Canadian conditions
accepted by the United States included:
• Stable and predictable access to the U.S.
market: no quotas and no tariffs at current prices
• Repayment of duties: at least four billion
dollars will be paid out to Canadian producers
• Provincial flexibility: there will be
different compliance options in response to varying operating
conditions across Canada and
• Certainty: the deal runs for a minimum
of seven years with options for renewal at a later date
The politically divisive dispute was based on U.S. industry complaints
that provincial governments, which regulate the logging by private
firms on crown land, unfairly subsidized exporters by charging
extremely low fees. Canada had won a series of major decisions
before panels established under the North American Free Trade
Agreement, although the United States also scored partial victories
before panels of the World Trade Organization.
Mark of Excellence in
Global Business
A new professional certification has been created to recognize
knowledge and expertise in global business. The Certified Global
Business Professional (CGBP) designation is awarded to professionals
with skills and abilities in the five main areas (domains) of global
business: global business management, global marketing, supply chain
management and trade finance. The CGBP certification is a
benchmark for competency in global trade. For the advanced person, it
validates his or her knowledge and experience. For those new to the
field, the CGBP is a professional development goal ensuring a full
understanding of the profession. The credential helps diversify
everyone’s skills, assuring an understanding of a broad range of
topics in global commerce rather than just the specifics of the field
you are currently involved in. For employers, it provides assurance
that employees or job candidates are engaging in global business at the
professional level required in today’s competitive environment.
Nine individuals from Wisconsin were among the first group of
individuals in the nation to have demonstrated their knowledge across
the profession by earning the Certified Global Business Professional
(CGBP) credential within the last year.
The credential was developed by the North American Small Business
International Trade Educators (NASBITE), a professional organization of
global trade practitioners, educators and trainers. Exam
development and proctoring is handled by PES, a professional exam
developer with over 60 years of credentialing experience. It is
administered twice a year (January and June) in 14 cities across the
country, including Chicago, and in Mexico City. The next national exam
will be given on Saturday, June 17, 2006 at Loyola University (downtown
Chicago).
To receive the CGBP designation, a candidate must pass the CGBP exam
and have completed either two years of college level international
trade study or have worked in global commerce for a minimum of two
years. To learn more about the credential and take the practice
exam visit the NASBITE website.
To discuss the certification and the Waukesha County Technical College
study course being developed to support the CGBP exam, contact Aleda
Bourassa, CGBP, WCTC International Trade Specialist, abourassa@wctc.edu, (262)
691-5219.
Avoiding
Roadblocks to Increased NAFTA Sales
Almost half of Wisconsin’s exports cross the border into Canada
or Mexico. Incorrect paperwork can cause delays and expose
exporters to fines, penalties, and audits. To educate Wisconsin
exporters on the proper way to complete NAFTA Certificates of Origin
and other documentation, one of the afternoon sessions of the 42nd
Annual Wisconsin International Trade Conference will be dedicated to
these major destinations for Wisconsin exports. The session is
intended to help Wisconsin business people learn about more efficient
processes that can save their companies time and money.
Presenters with hands-on experience in NAFTA compliance, from both the
Canadian and Mexican perspectives, will discuss tariff classifications,
NAFTA Certificates of Origin (including rules of origin, and examples
of tariff shifts and regional value content calculations), Mexican NOMs
(Normas Oficiales), border procedures, and record keeping.
Members of the sales, marketing, logistics, customer service, credit,
finance, and compliance departments within your company can benefit
from a better understanding of NAFTA requirements and learn the secrets
to smoother cross border shipments, sales, and profits.
Presenters will include:
• Moderator: Rob Gardenier - President of M. E.
Dey & Co., a Milwaukee-area customs broker and freight forwarder
• Louisa Elder – Trade Specialist, Western
Hemisphere Customs and Trade Compliance, Abbott Laboratories, a
manufacturer of pharmaceutical and medical products
• Marcos Hernandez Rivas – Assistant
Director of the Wisconsin Trade Office in Mexico City
• Julie Milliard – Compliance Verification
and Services Office of the Canada Border Services Agency
• Allen Vigil – Director of Business
Development for Grupo Logistics, a customs broker and logistics firm
operating at many US/Mexico border sites
Vince Lencioni and Nancy Ward, Directors of Wisconsin's trade offices
in Mexico and Canada, will also participate in the Q&A session.
The Wisconsin International Trade Conference is the largest annual
gathering of international business people in the state. It will
take place on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at the Italian Community Center, 631
East Chicago Street, Milwaukee. Other sessions will address the
Middle East and North Africa, China, Brazil, Russia, and India.
The Governor’s Export Achievement Awards and the Small Business
Administration Exporter of the Year Award will be presented at the
conference luncheon. Additional information and registration
instructions can be found at the Milwaukee World
Trade Association's website.
Be Part of the Beijing Olympics
There are just over 800 days until the opening of the 2008 Olympic
Games in Beijing. There are many construction projects yet to be
completed to make the city ready for the many athletes, officials, and
spectators who will descend upon the Chinese capital. An
estimated 1,500 billion RMB (US$187 billion) in infrastructure projects
have been planned. It is estimated that the cost of building
materials and architectural decoration will be up to 100 billion RMB
(US$12.5 billion). There is still time for Wisconsin exporters to
make the contacts that can lead to involvement in some of these
projects.
Wisconsin’s Trade Office in China is currently recruiting
participants for the 9th China Beijing Olympic Building Materials Expo
to be held July 26 – 28, 2006. Last year’s event
covered 10,000 square meters. This year the Expo is
expanding the floor space to four halls, twice as that of last
year. Energy-saving building and decorating materials will be a
new highlight in the building industry.
Exhibition Categories:
• Water-saving and intelligent sanitary ware
• Green building materials
• Energy-saving doors, windows & structures
• New building materials and steel structures
• New tile materials and technology
• Kitchen equipment and hardware
• Panel walls, building automation, building
security
• Chemical building materials
• Stone and technology
Staff from the Wisconsin Trade Office in China will be available to
collect trade leads and to distribute your materials. The cost of
catalog show participation is $100. Paul Swenson, the Director of
the China office, will be in Wisconsin the week of May 8-12 and will be
available to discuss the Expo and other strategies to use to get your
products included in Olympic projects. For more information on
the Chinese market, contact Ms. Beng Yeap, beng.yeap@wisconsin.gov, ph:
(608) 266-1480. Additional information on the Beijing Olympics
goal of being environmentally friendly can be found by clicking here.
EU Addresses Increased
Counterfeiting
 The
European Union is proposing new legislation to combat counterfeiting
and piracy at a pan European level. "This directive contains for
the first time penal sanctions, including jail, to combat this crime,"
noted Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini. The proposed measures
are expected to bring national criminal laws closer together and to
improve European cooperation in the fight against piracy.
According to the proposed directive, an obligatory sentence of four
years imprisonment would be the minimum if the crime carries a serious
risk to the health and safety of individuals. There would
also be a fine of at least €300,000 (US$373,989).
Statistics published by the European Commission show a significant
increase in counterfeit and piracy cases. Seizures of counterfeit
goods in 2004 increased by almost 1000% compared to 1998. Mr.
Frattini noted that as more counterfeited products are now household
items rather than luxury goods, there are increased potential impacts
on individual health. Seizures of counterfeit food products
and beverages increased by 200% in 2005 compared to 2003.
Ambassador Speaks
on U.S./Venezuela Relations
While the presidents of Venezuela and the United States may not like
each other very much, commercial ties between the two countries are
very close. The United States is Venezuela's most important
trading partner, representing about half of both imports and exports.
In turn, Venezuela is the United States’ third-largest export
market in Latin America, purchasing U.S. machinery, transportation
equipment, agricultural commodities, and auto parts. With its
major oil reserves, Venezuela will have an important place in U.S.
policy considerations. Bernardo Alvarez, Venezuelan Ambassador to
the United States, will address the current state of U.S.-Venezuelan
Relations in a presentation at UW-Milwaukee (Merrill Hall Room 131,
2512 East Hartford Avenue) on Friday, May 12, 2006 at 7:00 pm.
Ambassador Alvarez took up his current post in 2003. He has also been a
professor at the School of Political and Administrative Studies at the
Universidad Central de Venezuela, vice minister of hydrocarbons
(2000-03) at the Ministry of Energy, executive secretary and Venezuelan
representative for the Forum on Debt and Development (1988-91), and
chief of the Research and Development Division at the Venezuelan
Institute of Foreign Trade.
The presentation is free and open to the public. It is sponsored
by the UW-Milwaukee's
Institute of World Affairs, Center for Latin American and Caribbean
Studies, Africology Department, Department of Spanish and Portuguese;
Peace Action-WI, and the Bolivarian Circle of Milwaukee For more
information, please send an email to: mkecircle@gmail.com.
International Food
Buyers to Visit Milwaukee
 A delegation of 18-20 key retail and foodservice food
buyers from Asia,
Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, and Canada will be visiting
the Midwest and making a stop in Milwaukee on July 25. This will be a
great opportunity for Wisconsin food and beverage producers to
introduce their firms to a variety of foreign decision makers and gain
insights to their products’ export potential in different parts
of the world. The Wisconsin International AgriBusiness Center
will arrange one-on-one meetings for Wisconsin business people and
members of the delegation. To request buyers’ profiles and
a registration form, contact Lisa Stout, lisa.stout@datcp.state.wi.us,
ph: (608) 224-5126.
Potato Pest Could Affect
Exports
Potato exports are not small potatoes in Wisconsin and the discovery of
a pest in Idaho has the potential to affect sales from our state.
On April 19, 2006, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the
USDA announced that the pale potato cyst nematode had been detected in
Idaho. This is the first time that this particular pest has been
reported in the United States.
The pale potato cyst nematode is widespread in Europe and South
America. In North America, it had previously been detected only in
Newfoundland, Canada. The nematode has the potential to cause
significant crop losses if populations reach critical levels.
Canada has announced a temporary prohibition on the import of potatoes
and soil from Idaho, pending further information on the distribution of
the nematode. It is expected that Japan (which only recently opened its
border to potatoes from the U.S.) and Mexico will follow suit soon.
This pest has never been detected in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Pest Survey
and Control Section and the Plant Industry Laboratory have sampled
Wisconsin potato fields for cyst nematodes periodically since
1989. The situation in Idaho points out the value of early
detection of exotic pests. If the occurrence in Idaho is limited to a
few fields or a small region of the potato growing area, eradication or
quarantine remain feasible options. When exotic pests go
undetected until they have established themselves over a wide area, the
options in the toolbox grow limited. In 2005 Wisconsin exported
$1.6 million worth of potatoes.
U.S. Trade
Negotiations with Malaysia and Korea
Where economic issues are concerned, the
United States gives more attention to Asia than to any other region in
the world, says Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Karan Bhatia.
While addressing the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of
Commerce in Manila he pointed out that trade in U.S. goods with South
and East Asia currently accounts for one-third of total U.S. trade, up
almost 70 percent over the past 10 years. He added that U.S.
investment in the region "has more than tripled in that time frame."
On March 8 U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman announced the
Administration’s intent to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
with Malaysia. “Malaysia has been at the forefront of the
economic dynamism transforming Asia in recent years," Portman
said. The United States already has a free trade agreement with
Singapore and is negotiating one with South Korea. A public
hearing on the Malaysia negotiations will be held in Washington, DC,
beginning on May 3, 2006, and will continue as necessary on subsequent
days. Information on how to submit comments or testify at the hearing
can be found in the Federal Register.
Additional information on current and potential free trade agreements
can be found on the U.S.
Trade Representative’s website.
Korea is the United States’ seventh largest trade partner and
Malaysia ranks #10.
Environmental Mission to China
 The export
promotion agencies in
Wisconsin and Minnesota have cooperated on several international
environmental projects in Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka over the
last few years. They are now exploring a joint effort in
China. The Minnesota Trade Office will lead a delegation of
companies to the 2nd exhibition on Green Industry in Jinan, Shandong
Province, China from September 4-12, 2006. One of China's
wealthiest and most industrialized provinces, Shandong offers many
opportunities for exporters of water and waste water treatment
technology, air pollution control equipment and other environmental
technologies.
Brian Cohen, Vice President of International Sales at Aeration
Industries of Chaska, Minnesota has already visited Shandong Province
and observed that the paper manufacturing sector, a huge industry in
Shandong, is in need of wastewater treatment solutions. Mr. Cohen
said that "Most Chinese fairs focus on over saturated large cities such
as Beijing or Shanghai, whereas we have found the large majority of our
sales have come from secondary areas where there is better opportunity
to create relationships and you find less competition (domestic and
foreign). Therefore we see this exhibition as a golden opportunity to
conduct business in Shandong by meeting many industrial end users,
government officials and representative candidates at the exhibition."
Wisconsin firms interested in joining the mission can contact Ms. Beng
Yeap, beng.yeap@wisconsin.gov,
ph: (608) 266-1480.
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