Region of the Month
Region of the MonthNorth America is made up of the countries of Canada, the United States and Mexico. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which went info effect on 1 January 1994, combined the countries into a trading bloc. NAFTA eliminated or restricted the barriers to trade and investment between the countries. NAFTA was an expansion of the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) that went into effect in 1989. The agreements between the U.S. and Canada were transferred to NAFTA when it was initiated. So this is an effort that has been in process for 20 years.
Read more of "Region of the Month" >
- Wednesday, October 22, 2008
- Ten Reasons Why YOU Should Export
Read more of "Ten Reasons Why YOU Should Export" >
- Wednesday, August 13, 2008
- Attention Ladies…it is time to go global
Ladies...want to maintain and grow market share? Interesting article from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Read more of "Attention Ladies…it is time to go global" >
Women’s businesses will need to source goods and services from outside U.S. borders if they want to grow corporate business and avoid losing it, says a top line finding of a Global Business Survey conducted by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
- Wednesday, June 18, 2008
- Climb Aboard the Export Express
One of the purposes of my blog is to notify exporters of government programs that assist companies in different ways. Some are seminars, webinars and in the case of the Export Express program, which provides financing for L/Cs, translations, capital goods, etc. When I worked as an international trade specialist for state government, I saw how the Export Express enabled companies to compete globally. Often Export Express was the deciding factor in taking advantage of the export opportunity.
Read more of "Climb Aboard the Export Express" >
Oh the places you will go ... when you export
Learning a new culture- I travel to learn about peoples and their cultures. One of my favorite things to do is to visit an open air market
You can learn much about the people and the culture in an open air market. And what a pleasure to the senses. Before you even set foot in the door, the smells will delight you (at least most of them). The sounds from the crowd will fascinate you.
And once inside, the tastes will tempt you and oh…the colors. The fruits and vegetable all arranged just so. And the spices with their scents and hues and textures. It is sort of a history and geography lesson when you consider that much that is on offer is not indigenous to the area.
One of the markets I like to visit in Toronto, Canada is the Kensington Market. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, cheeses and spices from dozens of vendors of different heritages. There are re-sale shops with retro clothes, people with messages on their soap boxes, parades, giant scrabble boards and the like. It really is a destination not just a shopping venue. Pedestrian Sundays, when there are no cars allowed, are especially fun.
Another market I like is the St.Lawrence Market. It too is in an historic neighborhood. It is close to downtown and is named “one of the top 25 best markets in the world” by Food & Wine magazine. The Market was established more than 200 years ago. And while the fresh fish and meats are not something you can prepare in your hotel room, you can purchase deli sausages and cheeses. Early Saturday morning is the best time to shop when the choices and greater and the fresh is fresher. There are walking tours of the Market and the surrounding area led by historians. Now that sounds like fun…and you get to sample the food. What could be better?
— Kay Carrico