Forbes names Milwaukee one of
U.S.'s "Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities"
Forbes magazine has named Milwaukee to its list of
Top 10 Up-And Coming Tech Cities.
The magazine reports that, "globalization and poor training
may have gutted America's manufacturing base, but stalwart
metal-bender Milwaukee is not backing down. 'Some places
believe that manufacturing is dead or dying. We don't,' says
Jim Paetsch, director of corporate relocation, expansion and
attraction at Milwaukee 7, an economic development
organization. 'Manufacturing is certainly different today than
it was even 10 years ago. Our strategy is to become the
leading global center for the technology-intensive
manufacturing enterprises of the future.' Rather than just
crank out widgets, local companies are attacking bottlenecks
in the manufacturing process itself. For example, Rockwell
Automation makes snazzy sensors and controls that boost
assembly-line productivity. Johnson Controls, inventor of the
thermostat in 1883, has produced energy-efficient heating,
air-conditioning and lighting systems running throughout 1
billion square feet of commercial real estate. Chief Executive
Stephen Roell plans to expand Johnson's workforce 35 percent,
to 190,000 employees, in the next three to four years." |
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U S T O M S / S E C U R I T Y |
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CBP Approves Design for ACE Air
e-Manifest Capabilities
March 03, 2008
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has approved the design for
Automated Commercial Environment air e-manifest capabilities,
making way for development to begin. ACE, the new CBP commercial
cargo processing system, will modernize air cargo control and
release processing by building on current efforts to develop ACE
rail and sea e-manifest capabilities.
more...
Trade opposes 'first sale' plan
12 Feb 2008, CSCB
A coalition of nearly 100 trade groups and companies sent a
letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff objecting
to Customs and Border Protection’s proposal to do away with “first
sale” valuation for imported goods.
more...
Reebok agrees to record fine
The U.S. government has fined athletic shoe and apparel maker
Reebok International $1 million for importing and distributing
charm bracelets that contained toxic levels of lead.
more... |
CBP Officers in Calif. Confiscate
Fake Coach, Gucci Bags
Monday, March 17, 2008
Los Angeles — U.S.
Customs and Border Protection officers and import specialists
intercepted a shipment of counterfeit merchandise with an
estimated domestic value of over $500,000 and with a Manufacturers
Suggested Retail Price of over $22 million.
more...
US Expands Box Scanning Trial
The
US is preparing to extend its Secure Freight Initiative to four
more countries around the world after successful trials in three
locations.
more... |
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The
Great
Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch
 Since
at least the early 1990s, trillions of discarded plastic items
have converged, held together by swirling currents, to form
the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch that now covers an area
twice the size of the United States and weighs about 100
million tons. "Every little piece of plastic manufactured in
the past 50 years that made it into the ocean is still out
there," said one researcher quoted in a February dispatch in
London's The Independent. An oceanographer predicted that the
Patch would double in size in just the next decade. A 2006
United Nations office estimated that every square mile of
ocean contains, on average, 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.
[The Independent
(London), 2-5-08] |
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Regarding Dangerous Imports
CPSC To Announce New
Strategies at the Ports
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - Each year, hundreds of millions of toys,
fireworks, cigarette lighters, clothes and other consumer products
are imported into the United States. In an effort to address the
increase of imports, the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing new import
strategies and a greater presence at the ports.
more... |
Ship losses up 37%
MARITIME GLOBAL NET
A DRAMATIC increase in the number of ship total and partial losses
that took place last year is set to be repeated this year,
according to the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI).
New statistics from IUMI, which represents marine underwriters
worldwide, indicate that the total figure for the 2006 year has
jumped from an early estimate of 67 to 92, an increase of 37%.
more... |
No
Comeback for Ships Pulled from Pacific
It
will be difficult to negotiate for lower ocean rates because the
US import growth has slowed down and containers have been
repositioned to be used in the busy Asia-Europe trade.
SHIPS withdrawn from the Pacific trades as US import growth
vanishes have found work elsewhere and will not be returning in
the foreseeable future. That is the opening declaration to
shippers as lines and their customers prepare for the annual round
of contract negotiations.
more..
Late
Documentation Fee for US Port of Loads
Hapag-Lloyd has introduced a Late Documentation Fee, effective
January 15, 2008, of $200 for all shipments in which the documents
(shipping instructions, shipper export declarations, automated
export system citation number, AES ITN, or exemption)
are not received by 9:00 a.m. on the third morning after vessel
arrival at the US port of load.
This charge will be in addition to any penalties or fees assessed
to Hapag-Lloyd as a result of late documentation.
All
Hapag-Lloyd Booking confirmation contain the Doc Close Out Date.
U.S. Census
Bureau is Close to Issuing Final Rule on
Mandatory Penalties
for
late AES Filings!
Disaster looms for those who ship wine
without temperature control
FAR too many wine shippers take
unconscionable risks in transporting wine without temperature
control, say forwarders who know from experience what such neglect
can cost, reports London's
Financial Times. |
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Certain provisions in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
require an exporter to submit an individual validated license
application if the exporter "knows" that an export that is
otherwise exempt from the validated licensing requirements is for
end-uses involving nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons (CBW),
or related missile delivery systems, in named destinations listed
in the regulations. BIS has issued the following guidance on how
individuals and firms should act under this knowledge standard.
This guidance does not change or revise the EAR.
more...
 Shipper
– Exporter Guidance
The Export Administration
Regulations (EAR) place legal responsibility on all persons who
have information, authority or functions relevant to carrying out
export transactions subject to the EAR. Forwarding agents are
dependent upon information or instructions given by those who use
their services. However, hiring a forwarding or other agent
(hereafter “agent”) to perform
various tasks does not
relieve a Shipper or Exporter of its compliance responsibilities.
more...
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Export ABCs: Payment
terms
11 Mar 2008, CSCB
The relatively low value of the dollar has encouraged exporters to
enter into an increasing number of new relationships. This means
establishing appropriate payment terms. The following is a rundown
of those commonly used in international trade, proceeding from
those with least risk to most risk to the exporter.
more...
Dept. of Justice Press Release (.pdf)
Minnesota Company Fined $400,000
for Export
Violations
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BIS Establishes Online Export Control Training for Exporters
WASHINGTON
– The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
announced the creation of the BIS Online Training Room, an
innovative new resource for companies interested in learning about
U.S. dual-use export control regulations. The Training Room will
act as an organized, online repository of training modules and
webinars, amplifying and augmenting current BIS exporter outreach
programs.
more...
EXPORT Container shortage? |
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China Trade Surplus Drops, Exports Fall
10 Mar 2008, CSCB
China's trade surplus shrank in February as sales of goods to the
United States fell, the government said Monday, but analysts said
exports should bounce back now that winter storms that disrupted
the economy have passed.
more...
Recently we were privy to comments by an executive
who just returned from an overseas trip in China. Since many of
our clients either Import or Export to China, we thought we would
share these "first hand" observations.
"I have just returned from a 10-day tour of our factories in China
(we manufacture industrial goods and primarily utilize contract
manufacturers, though we do have direct personnel overseeing our
quality program in Asia). What I saw in this last trip was unlike
anything in my past five years of traveling there. Prices are
virtually out of control – not just for commodities but for every
possible input to the many products manufactured there.
more... |
Chinese Customs to Implement New
Enterprise Categorization System
from 1 April
Hong Kong Trade Development Council 18 Mar 2008
According to China's General Administration of Customs (GAC), as
from 1 April 2008, a new enterprise categorization system will be
implemented under which consignors and consignees of imports and
exports as well as customs agents are classified into five
categories, namely AA, A, B, C and D. Category AA and A
enterprises will be eligible for express customs clearance
procedures; category B will be subject to regular measures; while
category C and D enterprises will be put under strict
surveillance. Enterprises meeting the respective criteria may file
their applications with the local customs authorities via the
customs office at the place where they are registered.
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E
V E N T S / S E M I N A R S
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April 4 is Ching Ming Festival holiday in Taiwan,
Hong Kong and China
44th
Annual Wisconsin International
Trade Conference
Click here to register
Tuesday, May
13, 2008
8:00 AM - 6:30 PM,
Italian
Community Center,
Milwaukee
Stop
by our booth - M.E. Dey will be there!
Ex-Im Speaker @ WCTC
Mr.
Jan Blaho from the Chicago office of the Export-Import Bank of the
United States will be a guest speaker in the Global Financial
Transactions class at Waukesha County Technical College,
Wednesday, April 23, 6-8pm.
Due to limited space, please contact the course
instructor, Frank Loh, as soon as possible to reserve your spot.
phone: 262-691-5553
or e-mail :
floh@wctc.edu
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MWTA April Meeting
Wed, Apr 2nd, 11:30am - 01:30PM
The Reform of
the European Union - A Luncheon with Consul General Drautz
April 03 2008
• 4:00-8:00 p.m.
GE Healthcare Institute, N16 W22419 Watertown Road •
Waukesha
Program I:
4:00-5:30 pm
“Technology for International Business”
Are you confused by the multitude of
telecommunications tools, networking sites and document
programs? How does one choose which one is best?
Come join us for a roundtable discussion on the tools to make
working in the international business environment more
efficient and effective. Pros and cons of tools in the area of
communications, collaboration and personal productivity will
be discussed.
Rick Janezic,
VP, Sales and Marketing of ini global
Jeff Lamarche,
VP Interactive Services of ec-connection, the marketing arm of
Nelson Schmidt Inc.
Grace A.
Kostroski, Principal of
Information Technology Specialists, LLC
Networking &
Dinner: 5:30-7:00 pm in the
Janssen Room
Program II:
7:00-8:00 pm
“Global
Distribution Changed Forever:
An Education on How the Web Has Changed Human Behavior, Buying
Cycle and Business for Good”
Speaker:
Aaron Kahlow
serves Chairman & Founder of the Online Marketing Summit as
well as Managing Partner of BusinessOnLine, a leader in the
Search & Usability space.
Read more
Complying with
U.S. Export Controls CHICAGOLAND
April 16 - 17,
2008
This two-day program is led by professional
counseling staff of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
and provides an in-depth examination of the Export
Administration Regulations (EAR).
Venue:
Doubletree Hotel. Fee: $395. Register online at:
http://export.gov/eac/show_detail_trade_events.asp?EventID=27453.
Questions, contact: Jeff Graber at 312-353-7711 or
jeffrey.graber@mail.doc.gov.
Read more
MWTA Wine Tasting
Mark your calendars
now!
Thursday, June 12,
5:00 -8:00 pm
MSOE Alumni Partnership Center,
1120 N. Broadway, Milwaukee.
This year’s wine tasting is co-sponsored by
Rader School of Business, located on the MSOE campus
http://www.msoe.edu/academics/academic_departments/school_of_business/.
Read more
Save The Date!
Monday, August 11, 2008
MWTA’S Annual Golf Outing or
Cruise
Western Lakes Golf Club /
Pewaukee Lake - Pewaukee, WI
Entry fee includes golf or
cruise, lunch, dinner, prizes and fun!
Entry forms and details will be available soon |
Growing Your Business
in a Global Economy
Presented by the
Alverno College
School of Business
Global Breakfast Forums
Building Global
Momentum: Developing
Your Business Strategy
Thursday, April 17,
2008 – 7:30-9:00 am
Register online at
alverno.edu (Go to Special Events listings)
Read more
http://www.eyefortransport.com/natech/ |
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