KWTC News :

World Trade Day was a great success!

The Kentucky World Trade Center's 17th Annual World Trade Day was held on September 4, 2009., The event was attended by many business leaders, including 45 foreign dignitaries from 20 countries. These countries represented some of Kentucky's most important trading partners. The event featured a morning educational program, an international trade fair, and an awards luncheon. Morning breakout sessions featured panel discussions on doing business with China and Asia, as well as export financing structures.

The keynote address was given by Dr. Chris Neely, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Other luncheon speakers included Mayor Jerry Abramson of Louisville, Mayor Jim Newberry of Lexington, Congressman John Yarmuth, KWTC Chair and Former Governor Martha Layne Collins, Michael Francesconi of UPS, Commissioner Jim Navolio, and KWTC President & CEO J. Edwin Webb.

Dr. Neely's presentation, "Prosperity in a Challenging Global Economy," discussed the current economic outlook and the benefits of international trade. Dr. Neely received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and his undergraduate degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

There were three winners of the Governor's Award for International Trade Excellence (GAITE): Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company, PHOENIX Process Equipment Company, and Zoeller Company. All were recognized for their success in international trade.

Above: Governor Collins and Jim Navolio with Roy Burger of Link-Belt (center)

Above: Governor Collins and Jim Navolio with John Waugh of PHOENIX (center)

Above: Governor Collins and Jim Navolio with Billy Walker of Zoeller (center)

International Trade News :

Legislative Update: Senate to Advance MTB, Customs Bill Hearing Could Come Soon
With Congress returning to action for its fall session, several trade-related initiatives are expected to see action in the coming weeks. The Senate is likely to move forward on a miscellaneous trade bill and hearings on a customs reauthorization bill are anticipated as well. more...

Revised Cuban embargo regulations include significant changes for U.S. exporters
New revisions to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations and the Export Control Regulations that took effect Sept. 3 include significant changes of interest to U.S. exporters. These changes expand the types of business U.S. companies can do in Cuba and should increase the number of personal and business trips to Cuba by Americans. More...

Senate Bill Would Add Uruguay, Paraguay to Andean Trade Preferences Program
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar, R-Ind., introduced Sept. 14 legislation to add Uruguay and Paraguay as beneficiary countries under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act. According to a press release from Lugar’s office, this bill would also extend ATPDEA benefits for Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, which are currently slated to expire Dec. 31, for an additional two years (Bolivia remains suspended from ATPDEA eligibility at the present time). Lugar said he would prefer to negotiate a free trade agreement with Uruguay but that “given the current domestic obstacles to bilateral trade deals, a trade preference arrangement is an interim step that would advance U.S. interests.”

Report Finds No Widespread Protectionism but Warns of “Policy Slippage”
A joint report released this week by the World Trade Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that these organizations have not observed “widespread resort to trade or investment restrictions as a reaction to the global financial and economic crisis.” However, the report warned that there has been “policy slippage” since the crisis began and called on governments to start planning to remove undesirable elements. More...

U.S. Hikes Tariffs on Chinese Tires, Beijing Initiates AD/CV Cases
The White House announced Sept. 11 that the U.S. will impose a three-year schedule of increased tariffs on all imports of passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China. The decision to impose the so-called Section 421 China-specific safeguard came in response to allegations by a labor union earlier this year that a surge in imports of Chinese tires had caused market disruption. More...

APHIS Revises Lacey Act Implementation Schedule
On September 2, 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published in the Federal Register a notice to implement revised Lacey Act provisions as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill), now Public Law 110-246.More...

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

Featured Events :

Global Connection Series:
Selling Your Product in Germany

Tuesday, October 13th
11:30am-1:30pm

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

$10 KWTC members
$15 nonmembers

Click here for more information

SAVE THE DATE!
Export Documentation and Compliance Management Seminar

Louisville
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Speaker:
Sarah Reynolds
Senior Consultant and Trainer
American River International / World Academy

Sourcing in China for China: Standard Terms and Conditons for Chinese Purchase Orders

Friday September 25, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Lunch/ Presentation

This event is presented by Frost Brown Todd and the KWTC

Click here for more information and to register

4th Annual International Trade Conference: Selling to the Middle East & North Africa

Thursday, October 22
8:00am-3:00pm

Cintas Center
Cincinnati, OH

Experts will provide you with the necessary tools to capitalize on opportunities in this dynamic region of the world.  Presenters include: U.S. Department of Commerce, Procter & Gamble, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR),  U.S.-Saudi Business Council; FedEx; and selected companies covering legal, financial, & regulatory considerations.

For questions contact:Marcia.Brandstadt@mail.doc.gov or call 513-684-2944

Click here for more information and to register online

Check out our
Calendar of Events!

Member News :

SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL AWARDS GRANT FOR AFRICAN SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT TO SISTER CITIES OF LOUISVILLE  

{LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY}—Sister Cities International has awarded a three-year, $115,000 grant to Sister Cities of Louisville, Inc. to perform projects to address sanitation, health and water issues in urban areas of Africa. The grant is part of Sister Cities International’s Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program.

“This Sister Cities International program represents a major effort to address fundamental needs of citizens of urban areas in Africa," said Patrick Madden, President & CEO, Sister Cities International. "These sister cities represent some of the strongest partnerships between the U.S. and Africa and will become the measure of how cities can help each other and leave an enduring legacy in tangible ways."

The seven grant recipients were selected from a pool of 34 applicants by an independent panel of five experts in the areas of sister city relationships, aid administration, and international development.

The other recipients include: 
-Boulder, Colorado, and Kisumu, Kenya
-Corvallis, Oregon, and Gondar, Ethiopia -Fort Worth, Texas, and Mbabane,  Swaziland
-Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Ga -East/West Districts, Ghana
-Lansing, Michigan, and Akuapem South  Municipality, Ghana
-The State of Maryland and Bong &  Maryland Counties, Liberia 

In preparation for the project, Dexter Mahaffey, SCL AUPAP grant coordinator, will travel to Washington, DC, September 11-12, 2009, to meet with Sister Cities International staff and receive program training. In late October 2009, SCL staff will travel to Tamale, Ghana to begin work on their project.

“We are proud to be part of the inaugural phase of the Sister Cities International’s Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program. With this grant we will be able to substantially increase our efforts in clean water supply and medical service for our friends, colleagues, partners, and fellow students in Tamale,” said Ms. Joanne Lloyd-Triplett, Executive Director of Sister Cities of Louisville.

For more information:
www.sister-cities.org

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