ND Global News - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Visit to Fargo, Big Iron Int'l Visitor Program, New Intern Kole Nichols joins CS North Dakota and More

 

ND Global News - September 2018
Newsletter of the U.S. Commercial Service in Fargo, North Dakota

LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS
- US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Visits Fargo
- Kole Nichols Joins US Commercial Service
- Last Chance to Register for International Market Research Seminar - Sept. 27 in Fargo
- US Commercial Service Assists in 12th Annual International Visitors Program at Big Iron
- List of Trade Shows with US Department of Commerce Presence Released
- Fargo Company Amity Technology Talks Trade and Increased Costs
- Bill in House Passes to Ease LNG Exports and Imports 
- Senator Hoeven Talks Trade Concerns to USDA Under Secretary

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND EVENTS
- China Oil and Gas Industry Forum to be Held in Houston
- Court Limits Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
- International Energy Agency Releases Report on Energy Investment
- $60 Billion LNG Project in Mozambique looking for Tenders
- US - Angola Business Forum to be Held in New York
- Opportunity to Meet with African Energy Decision Makers

WEBINARS
- Webinar for European E-Commerce Offered Through US Commercial Service
- Defense and Aerospace Webinar Offered for Turkey

LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS

US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Visits Fargo
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, along with US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky, visited Fargo on August 23rd, at the invitation of Representative Kevin Cramer. The visit gave Secretary Ross and Deputy Secretary Censky an opportunity to listen to local business people and discuss the Administration's trade policies. Sec. Ross met with CS North Dakota Office Director Heather Ranck and ND Commerce Commissioner Jay Schuler for a meeting to discuss RAISE, the locally established program that provides in-depth market research for companies. For more information on the visit, click here.

Kole Nichols Joins US Commercial Service
Kole Nichols has joined the US Commercial Service in Fargo as an intern. Kole was born in Fargo and grew up in Moorhead, where he graduated high school. He is currently a junior at NDSU, studying political science and economics. After graduating, Kole is looking to go on to law school or enter a Master's of Public Policy to later enter into a career in public policy. 

Last Chance to Register for International Market Research Seminar
There are a few remaining spots available at the International Market Research Seminar sponsored by the US Commercial Service / North Dakota and North Dakota District Export Council, which has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 27th. During this high impact session, you will learn about nearly 50 different free online websites that you can use in-house to conduct your own international market research. Also hear from companies experienced in international market research and exporting. For more information and to register, click here.
Date: Thursday, September 27th, 2018
Time: 10 AM - 3 PM CST
Cost: $125

Ukrainian visitors at Big Iron with Irina Trubnikova and Trade Specialist Heather Ranck.

US Commercial Service Assists in 12th Annual Int'l Visitors Program at Big Iron
The US Commercial Service (CS) assisted with the 12th Annual International Visitors Program at the Big Iron Farm Machinery Show in West Fargo, ND from September 11-13, 2018. Working closely with the ND Trade Office, CS North Dakota used its global network of agricultural machinery specialists located in U.S. Embassies and Consulates all over the world.  CS North Dakota staff reached out to colleagues in 51 countries and supported recruiting efforts for the 50+ delegates who came. The Commerce-sponsored SABIT program brought a delegation from Sri Lanka to this year's Big Iron; and CS Ukraine agricultural machinery specialist  Irina Trubnikova visited, along with 10 Ukrainian companies. One of the Ukrainians was visiting the US for the first time and said, "We've been to numerous trade shows in Europe over the past 15 years, and we have spoken to dozens of European dealers and manufacturers. What struck us here at Big Iron was the totally different experience of communication with U.S. companies. Whenever we stopped by a booth, we immediately felt that we were welcomed guests there. In many cases, a company's executive was at the booth and was willing to communicate. Even though our English was far from perfect, there was a great attention to our inquiries." 

List of Trade Shows with US DOC Presence Released
The US Department of Commerce released a list of trade shows where they will have services available for US companies that register. The list covers events starting in mid-November of this year, running through next June. Services range from US Commercial Staff promoting your product at the show to Gold Key match making services. For a full list of services and the shows, click here. For more information about any shows or services offered, contact Heather Ranck at heather.ranck@trade.gov.

Fargo Company Talks Trade and Increased Costs
Fargo-based agricultural machinery manufacturer Amity Technology was featured in an Agweek article, talking about how recent trade policies have affected them, and what they have done in response to raised prices. Amity has overseas markets in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, among others, with international sales comprising  anywhere from 20 - 40% of sales for a year. For the full article, click here.

Bill in House Passes to Ease LNG Exports and Imports
The US House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act (HR 4606), which will allow for expedited approval of small-scale liquid natural gas (LNG) exports. In addition, the act removes regulations and export restrictions from the 1930s. North Dakota Representative Kevin Cramer is a cosponsor of the bill. For more information, click here.

Senator Hoeven

Senator Hoeven Talks Trade Concerns to USDA Under Secretary
North Dakota Senator John Hoeven spoke during a Senate Agriculture Committee about different trade topics affecting North Dakota farmers. In a meeting with the USDA and US Trade Representatives, Hoeven spoke about how Canadian elevators downgrade imports of US wheat, regardless of quality, and restrict imports of US potatoes. For more information, click here.

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND EVENTS

China Oil and Gas Industry Forum to be Held in Houston
The 18th annual US - China Oil and Gas Industry Forum will be held September 18 - 20th in Houston, Texas. The forum provides a place for representatives in the private and public sectors from both companies to meet and discuss goals, develop strategies, and how best to facilitate investment into the industry. For more information and to register, click here.

Court Limits Foreign Corrupt Practice Act
The Department of Justice lost an appeal as to how broadly the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) can be enforced. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that companies or foreign nationals who aid a US company in violating the law cannot be prosecuted if they were never physically in any US territory. Click here for more information.

International Energy Agency Releases Report on Energy Investment
The International Energy Agency has released their World Energy Investment Outlook. The report reviews investment in different energy sectors, such as oil and gas, power generation, energy efficiency, etc. For the full report, click here.

$60 Billion LNG Project in Mozambique Announces Tenders for Equipment and Supplies
A Mozambique LNG project in Mozambique is announcing specific purchases it is making for this $60 billion project. Opportunities are available for supplying building materials, vehicles, construction machinery, camp materials, electric wire and cable, portable power, among many other items. There will be business delegations in both New York and Houston in order to provide private sector companies an opportunity to meet with business leaders from Mozambique. For more a full list of tender opportunities, click here. For more information, contact Heather Ranck at heather.ranck@trade.gov. 

US - Angola Business Forum to be Held in New York
US Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with AmCham - Angola are hosting a US - Angola business forums. The president of Angola, H.E. João Lourenço, will speak in addition to officials from several different sectors. For more information, click here.
Date:  Monday, September 24, 2018
Time: 9:00 - 10:30 AM CST

Opportunity to Meet with African Energy Decision Makers
A reverse trade mission to meet with companies and government officials from Senegal and Mauritania is available in October. These countries are seeking to purchase LNG from the US in the near term, and in the long tern to develop their own LNG infrastructure. Click here for more information.
Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Location: Houston, Texas

WEBINARS

Webinar for European E-Commerce Offered Through US Commercial Service
The European Commission has focused on growing their digital economy. This webinar will allow US firms to study how this prioritization has affected them. The three part series runs from September 11-18th. Specific topics include:
Finding European Markets - September 11th, 10 AM CST
E-commerce Distribution for Europe - September 13th, 10 AM CST
VAT Fulfillment for E-commerce - September 18th, 10 AM CST
Cost: $75
For more information, click here.

Defense and Aerospace Webinar Offered for Turkey
The US Commercial Service is offering a webinar to provide a market overview and opportunities available in the Turkish defense and aerospace sectors. This webinar is suggested for any US defense or aerospace equipment manufacturers, project developers, engineering firms, suppliers, finance companies, or other aerospace and defense companies. In addition, an overview of the upcoming Turkey aerospace and defense trade mission will be given. For more information, click here.
Date: October 4, 2018
Time: 9:30 AM CST
Cost: Free

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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
	Haley Coffield Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: Haley.Coffield@trade.gov
	Joshua Erickson  Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: Joshua.Erickson@trade.gov
	Mathew Finneseth Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: Mathew.Finneseth@trade.gov
	Kole Nichols Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: kole.nichols@trade.gov

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