KWTC News :

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR NAFTA AND OTHER FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS TRAINING!

Training will take place on Thursday, April 27th, 2010 from 8:30am - 4:00pm. The seminar will be held at Stoll Keenon Ogden located at 2000 PNC Plaza in Louisville, KY. Cost: $150 for members and $195 for non-members.

Click here for the flyer with more information and here to register

Free trade agreements are designed to help countries eliminate tariffs, quotas and preferences on most (if not all) goods and services traded between them.  Free Trade agreements can help your company open new markets and increase international sales. Currently US has FTAs with 17 countries and 2 trading blocs NAFTA & CAFTA-DR.  Understanding the rule of origin and other criteria is important. For instance, NAFTA reduces tariffs only on goods that qualify under the NAFTA rules of origin. Goods from non-NAFTA countries may qualify for preferential treatment if they are sufficiently transformed in a NAFTA country.  Products from other countries being transferred or undergoing only minor changes in North America are not eligible for NAFTA benefits. 

Anne Schmidt, Compliance Manager, Expeditors with over 20 years experience will be the instructor for this training. In this class, you will learn how to accurately complete the certificate of origin document necessary to receive the preferential rate of duty specified in each agreement. You will also learn how to legally document your activity and classify your products. The seminar will cover real-life case studies and common compliance errors.

Sponsored by:

International Trade News :

Groups Say Draft Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement Raises Concerns

The U.S., the European Union and others negotiating the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement released this week the draft text of that agreement after coming under increasing pressure to make it public. Several groups said that while the draft text omits some of the provisions that had been of most concern, others remain.more

Obama Administration Details Proposed Export Control Reforms

Defense Secretary Robert Gates outlined this week the Obama administration’s long-awaited proposal to reform the U.S. export control system. While there have been many export control reform efforts in recent years, this one is very different because it is being driven by senior government officials as part of a broader effort to increase U.S. exports and related employment, one of the White House’s top priorities. The new proposal also responds to longstanding arguments that reform is needed to both more effectively limit the transfer of goods and technology to bad actors abroad as well as improve the global competitiveness of U.S. companies. The revised export control system outlined by Secretary Gates will be based on four key principles. more

U.S. Exports to China Remain Strong

Nineteen U.S. states had more than $1 billion in export sales to China last year, according to an annual survey by the U.S.-China Business Council.

"In the midst of a global recession, China continued to prove itself an important export market for U.S. manufacturers and farmers," said John Frisbie, USCBC president..more...

NAFTA Trade Dropped 23 Percent in 2009

Surface trade with Canada and Mexico in 2009 took the steepest dive in the 15 year history of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its NAFTA partners fell 23.3 percent in 2009 compared with 2008, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation said. At $637 billion, combined imports and exports fell 8.8 percent below the level reached in 2005, BTS said. more...

ST&R Leading New Coalition to Increase Duty-Free Allowance for Small Shipments

Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., is working to create a new coalition that will seek to increase the duty-free allowance for small shipments for the first time in nearly 20 years, from $200 to $1,000. This statutory change would reflect the increasing costs for mail-order businesses, Internet retailers and others that rely on this exemption to provide competitive prices to U.S. consumers.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.

KWTC Events:

20th Kentucky International Trade and Investment Conference

Thursday, May 6, 2010
8:30am - 5:00pm

The event aims to help you:

- Expand your knowledge of global market opportunities

-Connect with key international resources

-Understand challenges of doing business with different cultures

-Increase business opportunities

The 20th Edition of the Kentucky International Trade and Investment Conference will be held at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, Covington, Kentucky

Click here for more information about sessions and speakers AND to register!

Export and Import Compliance and Documentation Program

June 17, 2010
8:00am -5:00pm

Frost Brown Todd LLC
Louisville, KY

KWTC Members: $95
Non- Members: $140

For more information click here

  Check out our
Calendar of Events!

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Member News :

UPS Sets "Green" Standards for Shipment Packaging

(April 15, 2010) –UPS (NYSE:UPS) today became the first carrier to offer its customers an assessment of their shipment packaging based on environmental standards.

Under the Eco Responsible Packaging Program, UPS will evaluate a customer's packaging processes in three areas of sustainability: damage prevention, right-sizing and packaging materials. UPS will score the results and those customers who meet the requirements can display the program's logo on their shipment packaging.

Responsible packaging obviously begins with protecting the contents; damaged goods not only frustrate the recipient but often lead to the need to remanufacture and reship, doubling the carbon footprint. Shrinking the size of the box means less material used and fewer assets needed to transport the package. Finally, using packing and shipping materials with a more sustainable profile is important for the environment.

UPS's rigorous assessment methodology and processes are verified by Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS), an inspection, verification, testing and certification company. The service also has been praised by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the latter a global business network and consultancy focused on sustainability.

"Our engineers have always directed our customers to use the right kind of packaging to protect their goods," said Bob Stoffel, senior vice president, engineering, strategy, supply chain and sustainability. "This service gives our customers a new way to demonstrate that they are serious about sustainability when it comes to shipment packaging."

The evaluation will assess the customer's transport packaging systems and procedures, rather than product packaging found on retail shelves. The contractual-based service is available to customers who commit to sustainable packaging solutions. Pricing is determined on a project basis.

The program is conducted by the UPS Package Engineering Group, which is known for its expertise in transport packaging principles and also sought out the expertise of third-parties to ensure that its standards represent best practices. 

 "UPS brings an unprecedented scale to assessing the environmental impacts of transport packaging systems and their Eco-Responsible Packaging Program will raise awareness and continually inform more resource efficient and ultimately, recoverable transport packaging systems."

The service is the most recent UPS has introduced to share its best practices with customers to help them "green up" their supply chain. Additionally, UPS has extensive programs for conservation, reducing fuel use and emissions in its air and ground transportation operations and using alternative fuel technologies. To learn more about UPS's total environmental program, go to www.responsibility.ups.com or www.ups.com/ecoresponsible

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