ND Global News - New Rural Export Center To Be Launched; Want to Export but Have Cold Feet? Read how Export Management Consultants Can Help; and More

LOCAL NEWS AND TOP STORIES
- CS North Dakota Current and Former Interns Unite on New Years Eve
- Want to Export But Have Cold Feet?
- New Rural Export Center To Be Launched
- Export Distributor Agreements Webinar - March 5
- Department of Commerce Investigating Domestic Production of Products in 2019-2020 MTB Cycle
- Mike Allocca Incoterms 2020 Seminar in Fargo - May 7
- USA Pavilion at AGRO 2020 Ukraine - June 2-5

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND EVENTS
- International Trade Administration to Open Applications for the Market Development Cooperator Program
- Education Success Story - UCR Business and India's Top Business School Forge Partnerships
- Arab Health 2020 - Jan. 27-30
- Medical Japan 2020 - Feb. 26-28
- Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) - March 4-7
- Virtual Education Fair with El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua - March 5
- U.S.-Mexico Supply Chain Summit - April 2
- January Environmental Technologies Newsletter
- January Energy Newsletter

WEBINARS AND VIRTUAL EVENTS
- Doing Business in Brazil Webinar - Jan. 22
- Assistance for Trade-Injured Firms to Regain Competitive Advantage - January 22
- Selling to Eurasia - Trade Mission to Georgia and Kazakhstan - Jan. 28
- Brexit: Where do we go From Here? - Feb. 1

LOCAL NEWS AND TOP STORIES

CS North Dakota Current and Former Interns Unite on New Years Eve
Just under 30 interns are or have interned at the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) office in North Dakota. On News Years Eve, CS North Dakota invited all former interns to come out to a get together to reconnect and connect over snacks and food. Many interns have used their experience as a stepping stone to work for a company that does international business. Others have used their experience to go on to other careers in government, like the North Dakota Department of Commerce, or the Federal Government. Lastly, some interns have used their experience to pursue graduate study focusing on international business or agriculture. Click here to learn more about the internship program at the Commercial Service office in North Dakota.

Want to Export But Have Cold Feet?
Many business professionals would like to export more, but they have many questions and doubts. For example - How do I get started? What goes in to managing my sales channels and distributors? In an engaging and wide-ranging interview with three experienced Export Management Consultants from North Dakota, Minnesota, and Tennessee, we demystify what EMCs are and how they can bring experience, knowledge, and lessons to companies seeking to expand exports without taking on a significant new in-house workload. Click here to read the story.

New Rural Export Center to be Launched
ND District Export Council (DEC) Chairman Tom Shorma thanked Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) for his support in creating a new rural export center. The FY20 Commerce, Justice, Science budget provides an additional $500,000 to the International Trade Administration Global Markets Division (the U.S. Commercial Service is housed in this unit) to further its existing rural export assistance capabilities. The center is envisioned to be located in Fargo. Sen John Hoeven said: "This legislation is all about helping rural businesses to access international markets and export their products. The Rural Export Center will provide rural companies with the resources and tools they need to compete in today's global economy. This legislation is all about helping to grow rural economies and create jobs in local communities." Click here to read the full ND DEC press release.

Export Distributor Agreements Webinar - March 5
Do you wonder how you could improve your international distribution by having better agreements with your international partners? Join a webinar featuring attorney Grant Leach, a Partner at the Omaha-based Husch Blackwell, who will share tips on creating excellent export distributor agreements. Topics will include scope of appointments, commercial terms for order submission, compliance requirements, intellectual property rights, dispute resolution provisions, and more. In addition to the legal update, you will hear from experienced exporters Rob Haak (The Asia Sales Manager, based in Hawaii) and Chris Dana (Vermeer, based in Iowa) for their first-hand perspectives on how they use high quality distributor agreements to better manage their international partnerships. Click here for the flyer, and click here to register.

Department of Commerce Investigating Domestic Production of Products in 2019-2020 Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) Cycle
The Department of Commerce is currently investigating potential domestic production in the 2019-2020 Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) cycle. U.S. importers submitted 3,535 petitions requesting temporary tariff reductions or suspensions on products they import into the United States. U.S. manufacturers may review the petitions submitted at the website of the U.S. International Trade Commission. If a company believes it is a producer of an identical, like, or competing product to one for which a petition was submitted, that company may be eligible to object to the petition. Interested companies can learn more at Commerce’s MTB website or by contacting its MTB email address. The Department of Commerce will accept objections from U.S. producers until March 20, 2020. Interested companies are also encouraged to file a public objection through the U.S. International Trade Commission’s public comment period, which runs from January 10 – February 24, 2020. Public comments may be submitted at the U.S. ITC website noted above.

Mike Allocca Incoterms 2020 Seminar in Fargo - May 7
New Incoterms 2020 took effect in January. Are you ready to use them? INCOTERMS are widely used in international commercial transactions, to define the rights and responsibilities for the exporter and the importer in regards to the delivery of goods under sales contracts. Allocca Enterprises, in cooperation with the North Dakota District Export Council (DEC) and U.S. Commercial Service, are conducting a seminar to train companies shipping internationally on the updates and changes made to the international shipping terms. This seminar should be attended by sales teams, customer service representatives, upper management, or those wishing to train on what the new terms are and when/how to use them. Click here to register.

USA Pavilion at AGRO 2020 Ukraine - June 2-5
AGRO is the leading exhibition for agriculture, agricultural machinery, livestock farming, alternative energy, organic agriculture and food industry in Ukraine. Furthermore AGRO is the largest agricultural exhibition of the CIS and Eastern Europe. Whether you are testing the market, seeking a distributor, or pursuing direct sales, let the Commercial Service promote your company at the USA Pavilion at Agro, the largest ag trade show in Ukraine. Click here to learn more.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS AND EVENTS

International Trade Administration to Open Applications for Market Development Cooperator Program
Through the Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) trade associations and other industry groups receive technical and financial assistance from the International Trade Administration (ITA) for projects that reduce barriers to trade for U.S. industry. In mid-February 2020, ITA will publish a request for applications for new MDCP awards. Applications will be due April 13. Click here to learn more.

Education Success - UCR Business and India's Top Business School Forge Partnerships
The International Relations Department of the University of California, Riverside worked closely with the U.S. Commercial Services unit of the U.S. Consulate in India to attract top students from India to the UCR School of Business MBA, Masters of Finance, and Master of Professional Accountancy programs.  Click here to read the full article.

Arab Health 2020 - Jan. 27-30
Current healthcare expenditure among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is projected to reach $104.6 billion in 2022. As the world leader in health and medical innovation, the United States plays a unique, multifaceted role in helping the UAE realize its vision and plans in this sector. The Arab Health 2020 show is a venue to showcase your products and services to industry players in the region and beyond. The 2020 edition of the event will welcome more than 4,150 exhibiting companies and 84,500 attendees from 160+ countries. The U.S. Commercial Service will be offering market counseling and business matchmaking programs to U.S. companies exhibiting at the show. Click here to learn more.

Medical Japan 2020 - Feb. 26-28
Medical Japan 2020, a U.S. Department of Commerce’s certified trade fair, is one of Japan’s most comprehensive medical trade events, consisting of six specialized exhibitions. The show will provide opportunities to U.S. companies with unique and innovative medical devices and healthcare related products. U.S. Commercial Service commercial specialists will provide pre-show counseling as well as on-site assistance to U.S. exhibitors. Click here to learn more.

Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) - March 4-7
NPEW is the world’s largest and premier trade show for the natural, organic, and health products industry. Meet with our U.S. Embassy Commercial Specialists who are our “boots on the ground” resource for U.S. companies looking to expand their presence overseas. Once you sign up for one-on-one meetings, as an added-value service we will also provide your company profile to the Specialists to share with the buyer delegates they will escort to the show from their markets. Click here to learn more.

Virtual Education Fair with El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua - March 5
The U.S. Commercial Service is pleased to offer accredited U.S. community colleges and undergraduate programs at U.S. colleges and universities an opportunity to connect with recruitment agents and high school counselors in El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, without traveling overseas. Using web conference technology, your school will be able to conduct a 10-minute presentation via Powerpoint. Click here to learn more.

U.S.-Mexico Supply Chain Summit - April 2
Mexico's Manufacturing Supply Chain Summit 2020 at El Paso, Texas, is a unique opportunity for leading OEMs in Mexico and potential suppliers to meet and identify new business partners. At the same time, through conference sessions and case studies, participants will learn the latest developments in manufacturing and supply chain dynamics in Mexico. Click here to learn more.

January Environmental Technologies Newsletter
The CS Environmental Technologies Global Team has released their January newsletter. Their featured event is WasteExpo in New Orleans, Louisiana. WasteExpo is North America's largest tradeshow and conference for waste, recycling, and the organics industry. Aside from WasteExpo, the GLOBE Exchange has had its deadline extended to January 17. The GLOBE Exchange is a transactional event for investors, cleantech innovators, government representatives, and corporate leaders to make new strategic connections. Click here to read their newsletter.

January Energy Newsletter
The CS Energy Team has released their January newsletter. Because Japan is the largest LNG buyer in the world at approximately 83 million tons in 2018, Japan is CS Energy's Market of the Month. Top events CS Energy is highlighting is DISTRIBUTECH International in San Antonio, Texas. DISTRIBUTECH International is the leading annual transmission and distribution event that addresses technologies used to move electricity from the power plant through the transmission and distribution systems to the meter and inside the home. Click here to read their newsletter.

WEBINARS AND VIRTUAL EVENTS

Doing Business in Brazil Webinar - Jan. 22
Business is booming in Brazil and the U.S.-Brazilian relationship has never been better! That means that business opportunities abound for U.S. companies in this very dynamic market. Learn how the U.S. Commercial Service's global reach can help your company identify opportunities and win big in Brazil! Click here to learn more.

Assistance for Trade-Injured Firms to Regain Competitive Advantage - January 22
If your company has experienced increased foreign competition, a decline in sales or production, and a decline or impending decline in employment, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (TAAC) may be able to help. Join the International Trade Administration (ITA) and TAAC for a free webinar on Wednesday, January 22 to learn more about how TAAC can help your business. Click here to learn more.

Selling to Eurasia - Trade Mission to Georgia and Kazakhstan - Jan. 28
This webinar will allow you to learn about the markets of Eurasia and the certified trade mission to Georgia and Kazakhstan in April 2020. Georgia is a large exporter of oil, both refined and crude, and has a large agricultural base where 55% of its labor force is employed. Click here to learn more.

Brexit: Where do we go From Here? - Feb. 1
Brexit remains the most pressing economic and political issue in the UK and a top concern for U.S. business whether based in the U.S. or among the 7,000 U.S. companies with a presence in UK. This webinar will provide insights and perspectives related to preparations for U.S. exporters during the Brexit transition through December 31, 2020, and beyond. Click here to learn more.

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Your U.S. Commercial Service / North Dakota Office 

	Heather Ranck International Trade Specialist & Office Director Ph: 701-239-5080 Email: Heather.Ranck@trade.gov
	Haley Coffield Export Assistant Ph: 218-843-1746 Email: Haley.Coffield@trade.gov
	Joshua Erickson  Export Assistant Ph: 701-239-5033 Email: Joshua.Erickson@trade.gov
	Nathan Guillemette Export Assistant Ph: 218-689-4390 Email: Nathan.Guillemette@trade.gov
	Kole Nichols Export Assistant Ph: 701-361-1313 Email: Kole.Nichols@trade.gov
	Colby Warzecha Export Assistant Ph: 320-267-6766 Email: Colby.Warzecha@trade.gov

 

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