KWTC News :

Canada/Mexico program draws local companies

Martha Layne Collins, KWTC Chair and Former Governor of Kentucky, gathers with Consuls Weiner and Solana prior to the presentation.

The Kentucky World Trade Center, in partnership with Greater Louisville Inc, presented the second program in its Global Business Connections series last week. The luncheon, Doing Business with Canada and Mexico, was sponsored by law firm Stites & Harbison and was hosted in their Louisville offices. Distinguished speakers for the luncheon were David B. Weiner, Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Canada in Detroit, and Juan M. Solana, Consul at the Consulate of Mexico in Indianapolis. Consuls Weiner and Solana discussed trade relations between the U.S., Canada and Mexico as well as business opportunities for Kentucky companies.

David Weiner is the newly appointed Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner of Canada in Detroit. Mr. Weiner is a career diplomat, having served with the Canadian Foreign Service since 1991. He came to Detroit from Canada’s new Consulate in Philadelphia, which he opened in April of 2005.

Juan M. Solana began his diplomatic experience as Consul of Economic Affairs at the Mexican Consulate in Houston, Texas. His background is in the financial arena, and he has also worked as Professor in the Universidad Iberoamericana.  In 1987 he published, "A Macroeconomic Model for the Closed Mexican Economy".  Mr. Solana came to Indianapolis from Albuquerque, where he was also Consul.

Canada and Mexico are the top two trading partners for Kentucky. Canada is Kentucky’s largest foreign export market, with over 96,000 Kentucky jobs supported by U.S.-Canada trade, while Mexico was our third largest export market in 2008. "Mexico is ready to become your partner in business, " said Consul Solana. Both consulates provide a number of services to companies wanting to do business with their respective countries.

As always, the Kentucky World Trade Center is glad to provide support and direction to Kentucky companies that wish to import, export and establish overseas operations. With offices in Lexington and Louisville, the KWTC offers counseling, market research, country programs, trade education seminars, cross-cultural training, trade missions, and referrals to local international service providers.

Canada-Kentucky trade

• Canada is a leading destination for Kentucky's exports. Kentucky and Canada exchanged over $10 billion worth of goods in 2006. Transportation, metals, chemicals and household goods dominated this trade. However, agricultural exports to Canada have grown significantly over the past five years, and are increasingly contributing to our strong trading relationship. In 2006, over $281 million in agricultural and agri-food products were traded between Kentucky and Canada.
• Kentucky sold over $16 million in alcoholic beverages to Canada in 2006, $9.6 million of which was bourbon. Tomato sauces and other miscellaneous processed foods accounted for another $17.8 million, followed by $7.1 million in live horses, asses and mules, $9.1 million worth of breads and pastries, and animal feed preparations worth $2.8 million.
• Kentucky imported a variety of goods from Canada in 2006. The top import from Canada that year was $67.1 million in whiskey. This was followed by $24.4 million in live swine, and $13.3 million in cereals. Other notable commodities were extracts of coffee, oats, beef, sugar containing products, vegetables and live horses.

International Trade News :

Surveys find support for trade on the rise despite economic downturn
Several recent surveys have found that public support for open trade has increased substantially over the past year despite the ongoing global economic downturn. The shift in opinion could aid the Obama administration’s efforts to implement pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. More...

China currency bill introduced in House, Senate
Dozens of lawmakers are supporting legislation in the House and Senate aimed at countering currency manipulation by foreign countries. The new bills were introduced this week following a recent Treasury Department report that again declined to name China a currency manipulator. Although China is the primary target of these measures, they could be used against other countries as well. More...

Trade deficit sees small increase as exports fall faster than imports
The U.S. goods and services trade deficit rose for only the second time in the last seven months in March, up $1.5 billion to $27.6 billion. Exports dropped again after a brief recovery in February, falling $3.0 billion to $123.6 billion. The decline in imports slowed from its recent pace with a $1.6 billion drop to $151.2 billion. Year-on-year the goods and services trade deficit was down $29.8 billion, with imports (down $55.9 billion) falling twice as fast as exports (down $26.0 billion). More...

African competitiveness potential greatest in textile and apparel inputs, report says
An International Trade Commission report released last week finds that sub-Saharan African countries have the greatest potential to be competitive in the production of cotton yarn, fabric and other textile and apparel inputs. As required by a 2008 law extending the Andean Trade Preference Act, the ITC conducted a review to identify such inputs that can be produced competitively in beneficiary SSA countries through new or increased investment or other measures. More...

Possible implications of administration’s foreign tax reform proposal
The Obama administration recently announced plans to reform the way the U.S. taxes the income businesses earn overseas. Few details of the proposal have emerged so far, leaving companies wondering how they might be affected and what they should do to prepare. More...

USTR highlights pending FTAs, Doha Round, engagement with Asia
In a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce earlier this week, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk indicated that the Obama administration is moving forward on a number of trade policy efforts of interest to the business community. He emphasized the importance of trade to the nation’s economic well-being and called on participants on both sides of the trade policy debate to work together to generate new opportunities. More...

Protecting your IPR in China: New regulations take effect July 1
Effective July 1, China Customs is revising its border enforcement regulations to improve protections of intellectual property rights. The updated rules will strengthen China Customs’ IPR enforcement efforts and require the agency to seek advice from rights holders when infringing goods are auctioned for public interest. More...

Did you know?
KWTC members have access to a full database of trade leads, available at wtca.org. For questions, contact marie.davis@kwtc.org.

Featured Events :

Looking Into the Immigration Crystal Ball:  Critical Topics for 2009 and 2010

part of the
Global Business Connections series

Tuesday, June 16
12:00-1:30pm

Frost Brown Todd
Aegon Tower, 32nd Floor
400 West Market Street
Louisville, KY 40202

Frost Brown Todd
Lexington Financial Center, 28th Floor, 250 West Main Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40507

Please join us for an informative session on the sweeping and potential changes that are upcoming in the area of immigration reform and compliance.  

Our speakers will address issues such as the new I-9 form and its requirements, the requirements for federal contractors to enroll in the federal E-Verify program and the inherent changes required to their compliance programs, and the continued efforts of states to require their constituent employers to enroll in E-Verify. 

We will address the new Labor Condition Application Form, the new Labor Certification Form and an anticipated emphasis by the Department of Labor on employer audits going forward.  

Finally, we will discuss the much debated comprehensive immigration reform and strategies for employer's to utilize in this economy, both their responsibilities when laying off or furloughing employees and strategies for hiring and retaining critical employees.

$10 KWTC members
$20 nonmembers
(lunch provided)

REGISTER NOW

Special thanks to our sponsor:

presented in partnership with
Greater Louisville Inc

For more info, contact Marie Davis at 859-258-3139 or marie.davis@kwtc.org.

Check out our
Calendar of Events!

Have something to share?
Send us your news!

Trade Corner :

KWTC to lead South Africa coal trade mission

The Kentucky World Trade Center, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, will lead a coal trade mission to South Africa. The trip is scheduled for October 23 - November 1, 2009, and the delegation will visit Cape Town, Johannesburg and Limpopo Province.

Click here to view flyer

South Africa has the world’s sixth largest recoverable coal reserves at 54 billion short tons, approximately 5 percent of the world total. Almost one-third of coal produced in South Africa is exported, with the primary importers being the European Union (Germany and Spain) and East Asia (Japan). For more information about the South African coal market, click here.

KWTC membership means global business opportunities.
Don't miss out! For membership information, click here.