News and Events from the U.S. Commercial Service in Fargo, North Dakota

 

World Trade News and Events - October 2016

Newsletter of the U.S. Commercial Service in Fargo, North Dakota

LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS
- Political Season Trade Rhetoric - Reactions from Local Business Leaders and Trade Officials
- Export Expert Mike Allocca Returns to Fargo
- ExporTech Program Starts in Northwest Minnesota 
- U.S. Postal Service International Shipping Expert Shares Shipping Tips at White House Affiliated Event in Bismarck
- Midwest Exporters/Importers Impacted by Hanjin Shipping Bankruptcy

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- Winter Sports Companies Can Get a Head Start on Olympics in Korea

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
- Last Chance to Register for Smart Cities Event in Chicago - November 1-4
- SEMA/AAPEX (AAIW) Automotive Show 2016 - November 1 - 4
- Aerospace and Defense International Trade Summit - November 17
- Renewables at GetGlobal Conference - Get 65% Discount!

WEBINARS
- Take Part in the Costa Rica Community College Education Fair - October 27
- Opportunity in Singapore and Vietnam

LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS

Political Season Trade Rhetoric - Reactions From Local Business Leaders and Trade Officials
In a Grand Forks Herald article, local trade officials and business leaders including CS North Dakota's Office Director Heather Ranck recently discussed free trade, the Trans Pacific Partnership, and the possible impacts on North Dakota's exporters. The article can be found here.

Export Expert Mike Allocca Returns to Fargo
Renowned export expert Mike Allocca brought his successful program back to Fargo for the fourth time this past week. People from 23 different local companies attended the Export 201 seminar which focused on compliance and expanding exports for small and mid-size businesses. Topics covered included securing proper documentation, customs compliance, duties, tariffs, and taxes, and the cost benefits associated with exporting via existing Free Trade Agreements such as NAFTA.

ExporTech Program Commences in Northwest Minnesota
An ExporTech session got underway in Fergus Falls, MN on October 4th. In ExporTech, companies develop their own customized international growth plan with the assistance of international trade experts and coaches. The program speeds up export expansion by compacting key concepts into a very focused, structured and hands-on program with one-on-one coaching, mentoring, market research assistance and plan development support. For more information about ExporTech, click here. If your company is interested in participating in ExporTech, another session will commence in North Dakota in Spring 2017. Contact Heather.Ranck@trade.gov to sign up today.

U.S. Postal Service International Shipping Expert Shares Tips at White House Affiliated Event in Bismarck
The US Postal Service, with support from the U.S. Commercial Service office in Fargo, hosted a "Made In Rural America" event in Bismarck on September 28. The program is part of the White House's Made in Rural America initiative, where various federal agencies are helping rural companies succeed in exporting. The event focused on ways small business can utilize the USPS to ship internationally. Check out this KFYR news story about the event by clicking here. To find out additional information about the activities on the U.S. Commercial Service's Rural Team, click here.

Midwest Exporters/Importers Impacted by Hanjin Shipping Bankruptcy 
One of the largest shippers in the world, Hanjin Shipping, is in receivership. Due to its inability to pay dockage fees, the South Korean firm has nearly 40 ships on the water and unable to come into port. SB & B Foods President Bob Sinner has worked with Hanjin Shipping for 25 years. When Hanjin announced a financial restructuring last spring, SB & B started shifting to other carriers. "We have one container on the water right now with Hanjin. We are one of the fortunate ones. Zero is better than one, but one is way better than a lot of shippers in the Midwest." SB & B Foods is based at Casselton, North Dakota and exports food-grade products worldwide. There are numerous Midwest shippers that have had containers stranded on the ships operated by Hanjin. "This is creating an equipment shortage. We're certainly feeling the squeeze, but, the other carriers are scrambling to fill that void."
(Source: Red River Farm Network 9/26/16 newsletter)

 

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Winter Sports Companies Can Get a Head Start on Olympics in Korea
The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea are fast approaching. If you are interested in promoting your winter sports related business to the South Korean market, look no further than the Winter Sports USA magazine; a Korean language publication coinciding with the Winter Olympics. The magazine will allow you to customize your advertising in one of three ways: magazine article, direct advertisement, or company directory. Additionally, this publication will be distributed at various high-level Embassy and and industry events allowing it to reach the ideal, interested reader. For more information regarding price and participation click here.  

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

Last Chance to Register for Smart Cities Event in Chicago
The Discover Global Markets Smart Cities Event taking place November 1-4 in Chicago will be an ideal venue for companies who use technology to make cities more efficient, clean, safe or comfortable. World class leaders from companies such as Microsoft, Johnson Controls, Argonne National Laboratory, Black & Veatch, Accenture and many others will share their perspectives; and there is an opportunity for US companies to meet one-on-one with Commercial Service staff from 20+ countries regarding specific opportunities. For more details or to register, click here.

Aerospace and Defense International Trade Summit

Join industry leaders at this annual event being held November 17th in Rotterdam. This event is attended by foreign defense ministry officials, and U.S. and European industry reps. This years' attendees include but are not limited to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, and many more. For program agenda and registration information, click here.

Renewables at GetGlobal Conference
GetGlobal is the Global Growth Conference, where leaders of US renewable companies join executives, industry experts, and high-level government officials from around the world to share the latest international insights and advancements in the field of renewable energy.

This event will give you the opportunity to:

• Hear the latest strategic insights for developing business in key markets
• Meet with senior officials who want to expand renewables in their countries
• Get the vest guidance on how to manage current international risks and security needs

In addition, you may qualify for a 65% discount through the Department of Commerce by using the code DOCPLUS during registration. To view event details including registration, pricing, and a complete list of speakers, click here.

SEMA/AAPEX (AAIW) Automotive Show 2016
The SEMA/AAPEX Automotive show in Las Vegas is right around the corner. This premiere show connects buyers, distributors, and media from all over the world under one roof and provides a variety of special events and networking opportunities. Highlights include international roundtable seminars with focus on maximizing business opportunities in specific regions like the Middle East, China, and Australia. Another special event is the international happy hour and global media awards. With more than 1,000 companies expected to attend this event, it is the largest annual international specialty-equipment trade gathering. For more information on the event, including a full schedule, visit the show websites www.aapexshow.com and www.semashow.com or contact our office at 701-239-5080.

WEBINARS

Community College Student Recruitment in Costa Rica
Join the US Commercial Service Education Team for this webinar exploring the opportunity for US community colleges to recruit international students in Costa Rica. Although participation is free, advanced registration is required. please RSVP to Stephanie.Heckel@Trade.gov.
Date: Thursday, October, 27
Time: 12:00 pm Central/1 pm Eastern
Price: Free
Agenda: (Eastern Time)
1:00 pm – Welcome and Introduction
Stephanie Heckel, U.S. Commercial Service Education and Training Services Team
1:05 pm – Costa Rica Market Opportunities for Community Colleges
Gabriela Lucke, U.S. Commercial Service Costa Rica
Costa Rica High School System and Student Profile – What to Expect
Marcia Herra, EducationUSA Costa Rica
Addressing Visa Issues, U.S. Department of State Support, and Top Criteria for Parents in Costa Rica
Ravi Candadai, Consul General, Costa Rica
1:45 pm – My Experience Recruiting in Costa Rica
TBD
2:00 pm – Costa Rica Community College Education Fair 2017
Gabriela Lucke, U.S. Commercial Service Costa Rica
2:15 pm – Q&A
2:30 pm ‐ Adjourn

Opportunity in Singapore and Vietnam
The U.S. Commercial Service Vets Go Global team will host an in-depth webinar featuring experts who will discuss the rapid growth of information and communication technology infrastructure in Singapore and Vietnam. For you in the industry who want to grow your business internationally Singapore has one of the most developed ICT infrastructures in the world. Highly dependent on imports, Singapore purchases many U.S. products like wired and wireless broadband accessibility equipment, content, software, and technologies. In comparison, Vietnam, with 44 percent of its population accessing the internet, is expected to grow at an annual pace of 9 percent due to e-commerce, demands for social media connectivity, and access to internet TV. Vietnam is an attractive location for American suppliers of cyber security equipment and software. Both nations are ripe for your business to succeed in and expand throughout, whether established or in emerging markets.

Date: Tuesday, November, 22, 2016
Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm Central 
Price: Free 

To register for this webinar, click here.
 

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Your U.S. Commercial Service / North Dakota Office 

	Heather Ranck Office Director and International Trade Specialist Ph: 701-239-5080 Email: Heather.Ranck@trade.gov
	Bryan Starner Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: Bryan.Starner@trade.gov
	Carter Pedersen Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: Carter.Pedersen@trade.gov

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US Commercial Service | United States Department of Commerce | 811 Second Ave. N | Suite 436 | Fargo | ND | 58102