International Business

Critical Metals Vital to Our Lives in Tight Supply

2012-02-08T06:17:00.001-08:00

We begin 2012 similar to how we started 2011 when it comes to rare earth, rare technical metals and rare industrial metals. China has over 90% of production and refining. The US and EU governments are scrambling to legislate, source, produce, open and reopen mines. The West has decided to continue down the road of the idea that the markets will take care of the supply and price of these metals. What is alarming is how easily the West was lulled to sleep by China´s ability to supply the world its metals cheaply and efficiently. The West concentrated on making money trading stocks and futures that dealt with these commodities. China concentrated on building the most extensive mining industry in the history of man. Here in 2012 the Department of Energy in the USA has approved a spending bill that includes $20 Million to focus on the supply issues of these metals.

The metals I am speaking about are so vital to our everyday lives. These metals are found in your mobile phones, computers, LCD and LED TV´s, hybrid cars, solar power, wind power, nuclear power, efficient lighting and medical technologies. Here is a list of metals that have been deemed critical.

* Indium RIM (Solar, Mobile Phones, LCD)
* Tellurium RIM (Solar, Computers, Semi-conductors)
* Gallium RIM (Solar, Mobile Phones, LED´s, Fuel Cells)
* Hafnium RIM (Processors, Nuclear, Lighting, Plasma Cutting Tools)
* Tantalum RIM (Capacitors, Medical Implants, Mobile Phones, Nuclear)
* Tungsten RIM (Nuclear, Armaments, Aviation)
* Yttrium REE (Lighting, Medical Technology, Magnets in Hybrids)
* Neodymium REE (Magnets in Wind power, Super Magnets, Hybrid Vehicles)
* Dysprosium REE (Computers, Nuclear, Hybrid Vehicles)
* Europium REE (Lighting, LED´s, Lasers
* Lanthanum REE (Hybrid Vehicles, Magnets, Optics)
* Cerium REE (LED´s, Catalytic Converters, Magnets)

RIM=Rare Industrial Metal
REE=Rare Earth Element

The supplies of these metals could hold back the production of green technologies. According to the latest report by the Department of Energy, ¨Supply challenges for five rare earth metals may affect clean energy technology deployment in the years ahead¨. If Green technology is to become main stream, the costs of these technologies have to reach cost parity with traditional energy sources. As long as there are serious supply issues with these metals the costs can´t reach these levels. The other option is finding alternatives like Graphene and Nanotechnologies.

The US and EU need supply chains of the metals that include both mining and refining of these metals. Relying on sovereign states for critical metals such as these, leave a nation vulnerable to outside influence in both politics and economics. Environmentalists have succeeded in influencing politicians to close mines throughout the West. Politicians have legislated the mining industry into the position it is in today. The Western nations must start now to build its supply chain or continue to be at the mercy of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations for its metal needs.

The best the West can do now is provide, enough metals to meet its own demands. China has reached a point where it can now demand that certain industries produce their products there. If a company decides to try to produce the product in another country China will make producing that item cost prohibitive outside of China by raising the prices of the metals.

Professional Business Translation Services

2012-02-08T06:16:00.001-08:00

The online marketplace today offers some very stiff competition. In fact, any kind of corporate landscape today is fiercely competitive. Most corporations--and even small businesses, cannot neglect the global market. Selling your products internationally provides for an increased earning potential both online as well as offline.

The problem is that entering into this type of marketplace can be fraught with pitfalls. There are challenges in any kind of marketing, but this is especially true of international marketing. No matter what the language that you are translating to, Chinese to Spanish, German, Russian, or French, marketing has its own language which must also be looked at.

How can you convey your products and services accurately in a language that you do not know, to a culture that you are not a part of? Given the many businesses today that are dependent upon selling their products globally, translators have over time -- learned those businesses and become experienced in translation of the products and services.

Business or corporate translation services can vary dramatically, depending of course on the business that you are in. When you require translation for a medical business, the language style and the tone used will be vastly different from what is necessary for a software company.

This is what makes it imperative to use corporate translation services who have a team of translators in place for your work. The team approach is much more effective when accomplishing business translation because there will typically be someone who is experienced or has expertise in your type of business.

For those who are very inexperienced in hiring translation teams, there are some guidelines that you can use which will prove helpful in a European Standard that was released in 2006 entitled "Translation Services - Service Requirements." EN 15038. Even if you and your business are located in The United States or Florida, the European Standard is relevant to your translation services.

The European Standard, while not perfect, does offer some quality guidance on the topics of translation project management, competency in linguistics, as well as offering information about relationships with clients and businesses and technical guidance. It is well worth the time to review and understand the meat of the standard in order to more effectively select and assess your own translation team.

In addition to the methods and guidance mentioned in the European Standard, one further method used assess the potential quality of a translation team is to look at their quality assurance and hiring standards. Check out their certifications and the certifications of the translators who will be working on your project. While not all encompassing, they are a good indication of the kind of quality and training that the company brings to the table.

How to Protect a Document - DRM, Public Key and Encryption Provide Best Solutions

2012-02-08T06:01:00.001-08:00

For many organizations the protection of their documents is tantamount to protecting their revenue streams and thus they will do anything to ensure that their documents are always secured from unauthorized persons. Encryption is the best way of how to protect a document as anyone who does not have the decryption key cannot view the documents. One way to encrypt document files is through using passwords as encryption keys. This is however a very weak form of encryption method as first of all passwords can be passed on to unauthorized persons, and two, many types of crack-password tools are readily and freely available in the market.

The best approach to encrypt document is whereby the file is kept encrypted in the disk and is only decrypted in the memory. Further, the decryption keys are sourced from the server of the document owner. The keys are then held encrypted in a keystore, which is locked to individual computers such that the keys cannot be shared with other users. We of course desire the most powerful encryption available, and we now have it in the AES algorithm at its highest strength i.e. 256 bit. AES is the perfect algorithm for encrypt document files use; it is also the algorithm that is used to protect US Government confidential information. When used together with public key technology, AES encryption provides a robust and secure way of how to protect a document ensuring that it will only be accessible to authorized users.

However, most cases of intellectual property theft are orchestrated by users who are authorized to access protected documents. This means that even if you encrypt document, once it is decrypted it becomes open to all forms of abuse including unauthorized copying, printing, sharing, and even editing. We therefore need a method of how to protect a document once it is decrypted. Such a solution is fortunately available in the form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) controls.

With DRM controls we not only look to stop copying, sharing or printing, but indeed a finer level of control based on regulation. These controls are imposed if we use a special document viewer to access the documents. With DRM we can determine if the document can be printed and if so how many copies can be made. We can also determine if the document can be viewed and how many times, and can revoke its viewership anytime we detect an irregularity. This solution can also help us to make a log of how the document was used. In conclusion, we can confidently declare that the best way on how to protect a document is via using a combination of DRM, encryption, and public key technology.

Offshore Investing - Why Is It Underutilised?

2012-02-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

There are many stigmas attached to the ideas of international, or offshore corporate bank accounts, as well as offshore companies. Basically, this refers to the practice of investing assets or setting up a company in a jurisdiction other than your place of residence, hence the term 'offshore'. The truth is that offshore banking and offshore company formation are legitimate strategies if done correctly in respect to the laws of the investment jurisdiction and laws of person's, or company's, resident jurisdiction.

Unfortunately what most people see are stories in the media about cases in which these financial tools have been misused for things such as tax evasion and money laundering, and so the result is a perception that these strategies are not an option. Without international markets, the majority of businesses today would not exist. Globalisation and technology means international business operations are not just for large multinational companies. Entrepreneurs and small business can just as easily take advantage of offshore opportunities to maximise efficiencies.

Some of the most common reasons why offshore investing is underutilised are actually myths. They include:

1. It's illegal

As outlined above many assume that setting up an offshore account or registering an offshore company is illegal because of publicised cases of criminal activities. However, these are strategies that can help to legally minimise tax obligations and improve operational efficiency.

2. It has a bad reputation, only criminals use it

It is true that offshore bank accounts have been used for illegal activities. It is also true that governments such as the US, UK and Australia have implemented programs to fight tax evasion by finding cases of people, or businesses, hiding financial assets. However, there are also plenty of successful entrepreneurs who legitimately implement offshore investment strategies.

3. I can't afford it, it's not for me

This is not true. Offshore company incorporation and setting up a supporting company bank account does not require high wealth. There are jurisdictions that do not require high capital investment.

4. You need special privileges to open international bank accounts and companies

There are certainly due diligence requirements, which vary depending on the jurisdiction. However, this shouldn't be an obstacle for a legitimate business that is properly structured and operated. In fact these due diligence requirements are a necessary aspect to help eliminate illegal practices within this industry.

While the strategy of offshore companies and bank accounts may seem challenging, and require some research and planning, there are jurisdictions such as Singapore and Hong Kong that provide many incentives for entrepreneurs and established businesses and have exceptional reputations as international business centres. Engaging an experienced corporate services firm can also help to alleviate concerns as they can develop an appropriate strategy and manage all the processes involved.

Construction and Real Estate Litigation Firms - A Helping Hand in Property Disputes

2012-02-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

Property related matters are always a typical subject for a layman. It is mainly because there are many laws and complex formalities attached with it that confuses an ordinary person. So, here comes the role of a construction and real estate litigation law firm. These law firms comprised of qualified lawyers holding good amount of experience into construction projects and other relative real estate matters. The lawyers in these firms very well understand and are familiar with the important party dynamics, documents and laws that govern such matters. In addition to it, if you face any sort of property dispute then these firms will help you in dispute resolution, especially mediation and arbitration.

In addition to it, there are many other reasons for which you must hire a construction and real estate litigation firm that will stop you committing deadly mistakes, errors in the documents, errors in the figures and other problems that could lead to time-consuming and expensive legal actions in the coming future. And with proper legal support, you can simply avoid big financials too such as bankruptcy, foreclosures and many more. The wide range of services that you will get to enjoy with construction and real estate litigation firm may include:

Loan modification

In case if you have take up a loan for purchasing and are unable to cope with its terms. Then the litigation firm will help you modifying the term of your existing loan resulting in a more affordable repayment. As at the time of negotiation with the lender, the legal representative definitely puts you in a more favorable position.

Foreclosure protection

The litigation experts completely understand that purchasing a home is a major investment. In case of lack of funds you are losing the home to the bank then definitely the litigation firm will help in either stopping or delaying the foreclosure. They will make earnest efforts to let you stay in your house and meanwhile will assist in finding alternatives like external financial support or short sale.

Financing

The real estate lawyers assist the lenders as well as the borrowers in a range of financial transactions such as acquiring a property, development and construction loans, bridge and permanent loans, securitized lending and many more.

You can gather more information about the construction and real estate litigation firms through the Internet. Besides, you can simply avail the services of these firms online only with ease.

An Easy Way to Shorten the Distance Between You and Your Beloved Ones!

2012-02-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

The present world is drastically different from the previous ages of mankind where communication was sluggish and making a vocal conversation from two disparate places was next to impossible. Then gradually the world revolutionized and fast communication channels were proposed, especially the starting of the 21st century was a hallmark in this field due to the exploration of electronic transistors and diodes, and different waves in the atmosphere that were used as means to transfer your coded voice which was decoded at the receiver's end. And this has made the task even simpler by controlling your phone usage, as there is a limit to the calls that you are going to make. This is more ideal to use rather than using your post-paid telephone line. When you use a post-paid line to make international calls, you will have a tendency to go over your budget. There are different prepaid international calling cards that are available. Some of them may have different call rates. Online phone cards have become very easy way to switch off high mobile bills. And international prepaid phone card made calling overseas cheaper. They are very popular among people who live far from home and need to regularly keep in touch with their families by phone. International phone cards have made overseas calling inexpensive.

Prepaid phone cards have become popular among students, professionals who keep on traveling, business people who regularly keep calling and tourists from overseas who want to save money on their calls. International Calling cards are very useful to people who travel regularly and need to keep in touch with family always. It provides cheap international calls so that you can call out of country whenever needed at cheaper rates. Phone card products allow you to place low rate international calls from anywhere in the world no matter where you have traveled to.

The additive advantage of a prepaid phone call that is generally known is that the international call rates are relatively very much affordable and cheap as compare to the usual calling channels, that is the reason that the use of this prepaid card is growing worldwide and people are more inclined to it, but on the other hand if the negative aspects are analyzed then it comes to light that some of these international calling cards are not that effective, fluent in communication and the quality level of the voice is not very good, but not all the international calling cards are that low compliant, there are some that are really very extraordinary in their services to consumers. Therefore users of international calling cards must scrutinize and find the right choice for them in order to properly communicate throughout the world.

Nowadays it has become even easier to order a prepaid phone cards through Stores, shopping malls but World Wide Web made it easier to buy a calling card online, as you can buy a card from the comfort of your home.

You should only choose a phone card, pay and receive a PIN-code. You don't have to go to the store, but remain at home and order your phone cards through the Internet.

Easy Steps to Buy a Prepaid Phone Card Online:

1. Select Your Prepaid Calling Card
2. Get your calling card PIN via E-mail
3. Start calling worldwide immediately

International Calling Cards Online are:

1. Best Calling Rates
2. Toll free access from any phone in the US
3. Crystal-clear connections, no Internet calls
4. Numerous benefits are the basis for such a success
5. Lowest rates for domestic and long distance calls

Are You Looking for a Website Translation?

2012-02-04T05:57:00.000-08:00

Are you looking to have your website translated into another language? With the recession still affecting businesses in Britain, a website translation seems to be a good idea to branch out into new markets, generate new business and ultimately make more money. Before you get started though, there are a few things you should consider before choosing a translator for your website translation.

It is important to know that not all translators are even good. Some even go as far as not even making an effort to translate your website, but they simply cut and paste your content into a translation tool, hit enter and ready is your translation. Sounds easy, you think? Yes it is very easy, so easy that you could do it yourself, rather than spending money on it. The problem with translation software is though, even though it translates most words reasonably accurate, it doesn't take into account the grammar of a language. So the result is a literal word for word translation which doesn't make much sense to the reader. It also doesn't look very professional or even trustworthy. And who would want to get involved with a business that doesn't look trustworthy.

Another thing to bear in mind when looking for a translator to translate your website is to ensure they are native speakers. A native speaker is not only able to translate your website correctly, but they can also adjust it to suite the market of their home country. What I mean by that is they can ensure to take out parts of the site which might be clever and funny in English, but might be insulting in another language. And I'm sure you don't want to step onto your potential customers' toes. But a professional translation company, which specializes in the translation of websites, can do more than that. They can help with the keyword research and make sure your keywords, meta tags and meta descriptions are adjusted to the target country. Often they are familiar with several CMS and can translate straight into your new website. This can help you to save a lot of time and money.

So whatever market you are looking to expand into, make sure to find a competent partner to help you to get your website translation spot on. At the end of the day, this is your shop front and you want to present yourself as good as possible.

Do You Really Need a Professional Translation?

2012-02-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

A lot of people, who are looking for translation of their documents or a website translation, go about this in a very casual matter. But should they? If you are looking to have some personal documents translated, there is nothing wrong with this approach. However if you're aim is to have important business documents translated or you are looking for a website translation, thank you might want to think more seriously about who to trust with your translation project. Translating these types of documents is far from easy and accuracy and competence are key to achieve the desired good results.

But why is it so important to choose a professional translator for your translation task, rather than asking someone you know, who might speak the language? There are several answers to this question. Firstly, when you think about a contract with a business partner abroad, you want to make 100% sure that everything is translated correctly. Only an experienced translator will know all the required terminology, to translate the contract correctly and protect you from any misunderstanding or even worse with your business partner in the future. Another example is medical translations. We all know that the medical terminology is almost like a language on its own, and again, only a qualified translator with experience in the medical field and knowledge of this specific terminology can translate this type of documents correctly. In this case, depending on the nature of the illness involved, it can be a matter of life and death to get things right. A third example is the translation of your website. Your website is your shop front, your business card in a way to present yourself to the world, so it is imperative to make that first impression count. We all know that potential customers don't spend as much time on our website as we would like them to, so we need to ensure that what they find on our website is not only interesting to them, but also correct. With correct I don't only mean the information as such, but also the way it is presented, i.e. the spelling, grammar and the way it is adjusted to the culture of the target audience. The last point is another important thing to consider when translating a website.

Only a native speaker will be able to pick up on elements of the website that might be funny in one language, but maybe not so funny or even insulting in another language. In order to avoid stepping on potential customers toes, I recommend you consider using a professional translation company for your website translation.

The Perfect Translator

2012-01-30T05:55:00.000-08:00

In the popular mind, a translator is someone who has a good knowledge of both the language he/she translates from and the language he/she translates into. In other words, as long as a translator knows all the equivalents for the words in the text to be translated, there is no question about the ability of said person to produce a good, reliable translation. Nothing is farther from the truth. There is a great deal more going into translation than words, just as there is much more going into a musical performance than sounds.

To begin with, there are feelings, both in music and in translation. The most perfect rendition of a musical composition done without feeling remains flat and hollow. The same is true about translation. One could be technically correct in the way one translates a text, but may fail to convey the feel and spirit of the text. Take, for example, a business letter translated from English into Spanish. A thorough knowledge of both languages may well yield a correct rendition, which will give the Spanish-reading businessman an accurate picture of what the English-speaking colleague is saying. But there is more to business than information.

There are feelings in business just as there are in anything else in life, and when it comes to feelings, the Hispanic world, perhaps even more than the Anglo-Saxon world, is the leader. A Hispanic businessman expects more than cold information in a business letter. He/she expects courtesy, sensitivity, friendliness, proper form, and a proof of one's willingness to stand behind one's commitments. English-language business letters are generally not known to convey much beyond the bare facts, but Spanish business letters do. The task of a truly accomplished translator of English-into-Spanish business letters is to go a step further than merely render what's in the original. After all, the English-speaking client may count on him/her to make a good impression on the prospective business contact, and much can ride on how things come across in the other language.

Looking at the foregoing in a broader context, a truly accomplished translator of any text or subject does not simply transform words from one language into another. What he/she must do, is develop a deliberate split personality. In other words, become two persons in one while engaging in the art of translation. In the case of English and Spanish, one half of the split personality pretends to live in Chicago and the other half in Caracas, Venezuela. The half in Chicago interacts with other people in English, and the half in Caracas in Spanish. The Chicago half must be able to visualize Caracas and put him/herself into that Spanish-speaking environment, trying to figure out how the same thing could be said most effectively in that particular cultural context. To do this, of course, one has to be equally at home in both cultures. This is usually the case only with people who have actually lived in both cultures, which is entirely different from knowing two languages. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, but very few in this case.

And then there is something else most people are not aware of. Language is a living organism which, like any other organism, grows and decays. Some cells die, and new cells are born all the time. You cannot learn a language, either in school or in your youth, and then claim to know it for the rest of your life. A truly accomplished linguist is a life-long student of the language, closely following its growth and changes, dedicated to its many nuances, checking and rechecking his/her utilization of the language. A U.S. president several years ago made the mistake of taking a linguist to Europe with him who had been out of touch with his native European language for many years. The results were disastrous. The president was not reelected.

One more thing. Almost every profession, social class, region and so on has its own way of using language. U.S. Air Force personnel, for instance, talk about "cannibalizing" an aircraft, which means taking a part from one aircraft and installing it in another. This is a purely technical term without any pejorative connotations. A police report, on the other hand, which refers to an act of cannibalism, is another matter altogether, with serious legal implications. Therefore, it is not enough to know the root meaning of the word "cannibal." One also has to learn how to use it in different contexts if one is to become a credible translator.

There is more to be said about the attributes of the "perfect translator," but the point has been made. There are, of course, always intangibles, as there are in any other form of art. Some translators are born great, some become great, and some have greatness thrust upon them, to paraphrase the Bard.

China in 2012: What's Next for the Emerging Economy

2012-01-27T05:55:00.000-08:00

It's nearly impossible to open a newspaper or flip on a world news station without coming across a story covering China's economic growth within the last few years. With consistent annual growth rates of around 10 percent for the last decade and the title of country that is the largest global exporter of goods, the nation is an industrial powerhouse that is understandably the aim of many companies considering international expansion.

Watching China's meteoric rise throughout the last few decades has been fascinating, but recent news about slowing growth begs the question: What's next for this emerging economy? Is growth sustainable? What factors will come into play and what challenges will develop for those looking to do business in this opportunity rich nation?

Global interconnectedness and the impact of a linked world economy

Economies traditionally viewed as cornerstones for worldwide economic health are faltering. The Eurozone is teetering on the brink of crisis, while the United States hopes to avert a double-dip recession. But China can no longer count on remaining insulated from these issues. Our integrated world economy does not allow for any one country to function as an island. Economic trouble, whether in a G8 country or in a tiny, far-flung nation, causes a ripple effect worldwide.

In China's case, the impact of a world economy in turmoil could be particularly devastating. As the globe's single largest exporter of goods, shrinking buying power in places like the U.S. and Europe reduces consumer demand, meaning a reduced need for the nation's low-cost products. China has a vested interest in the positive growth of economies worldwide

Dealing with internal deficiencies

While China's push in recent years has been to boost economic strength, rapid growth is beginning to catch up with its inadequate infrastructure and internal state of affairs. Lax environmental regulations, sharp income inequality and an overloaded national pension system are just some of the issues that this still emerging nation needs to tackle in order to maintain consistent growth.

The Chinese government is working to address these issues through reform. While its 12th five-year plan, released March 2011, is heavily focused on sustaining the country's extraordinary success (targeting an annual GDP of 7 percent), the plan also outlines several objectives around improving infrastructure and improving quality of life for the average Chinese citizen. Some highlights include: developing the western regions of the country, investing in priority industries (clean energy, biotech, high-end manufacturing and more), reducing pollution, increasing life expectancy, developing affordable housing units, and boosting the service sector.

A challenging environment with huge opportunities

Though China is working to improve its infrastructure, it's a market that is still notoriously difficult for foreign companies to break into. This is not likely to change; in fact, it may become more difficult as the country works to cultivate more sophisticated, native industries, rather than looking to overseas businesses to take the lead.

While no one has a crystal ball that can tell us what will happen next, the writing on the wall is pretty clear: China is an arriving economic superpower, presenting huge potential returns for businesses looking at overseas expansion. A potential investor need only look at recent economic numbers and predictions for growth to know that expansion to China, though challenging, can be a worthwhile investment. Such expansion however should be undertaken with diligent planning and much forethought.

Red Flags When Working With a Translation Company

2012-01-27T05:50:00.000-08:00

Getting your company's business communications translated for foreign language markets can be a complicated and time-consuming process, especially if you've never worked with a translation company before. Fortunately, most are professionals who know how to take large and/or complicated projects and make them as painless as possible. That usually means on time and on budget.

But without having worked on a translation project before, how can you know if your chosen translation company is living up to the expectations they set.

Here are a few red flags to watch out for:

Quality

Quality begins with a translator only translating into their mother tongue. There are, of course, exceptions, but if your translation company is translating your documents from English to Spanish, German, or Chinese without any native Spanish, German, or Chinese speakers on staff, then you may have your first red flag for working with them.

A quality translation also requires subject matter expertise. Legal experts should translate legal documents. Business experts should translate business documents. And so on. It is impossible to stand behind the quality of a translation if subject matter experts aren't involved with the project. When translating specialized industries, someone that just knows the language will not provide a quality translation. It is important for the translator to really understand the specialized terminology so the translation will be accurate. A word for word translation will not provide the same meaning as intended in the original document.

Costs

Cost should be a secondary consideration to quality, but, as we all know, sometimes costs and budgets dictate choices. Avoid making choices strictly on cost alone, but, if cost is a major factor for your project, then consider these points:

* The cheapest service will most likely create expensive headaches down the road with missed deadlines, inaccurate translations, and poor customer service.
* Most expensive doesn't mean best. Again, look to quality to see if they are worth the price they are charging.

Scheduling and Project Management

After achieving the best translation possible, your translation company should be committed to getting your project done by the deadlines promised. To do so they you should have a project manager dedicated to your project. Quality project management delivers quality projects. Make sure that you have and they are committed to the success of your project.

Until the work is actually done, it is difficult to truly judge the quality of a translation company, but if you look out for the red flags above, you can save yourself some aggravation and money down the road.

CISFTA - Free Trade Within the Russian Union

2012-01-19T02:18:00.000-08:00

The early 1990s saw drastic changes in global politics, trade, and geography in Europe and parts of Asia. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, numerous independent states became recognized, and many would form an association of sorts to promote trade and financial support with each other and outside nations. The Commonwealth of Independent States, formed for the purpose of maintaining friendly relations among former Soviet territories, sought to create free trade boundaries with member nations, though this agreement was never officially ratified. Only recently have CIS nations consented to a formal trade agreement which will impact all members involved, in particular the Ukraine, which also seeks a relationship with the European Union.

CISFTA Member Nations

Officially, only eight nations within the Commonwealth of Independent States are involved in the current free trade agreement:

* Russia - Within the CIS, the Ukraine and Belarus are Russia's major trade partners. Known for its mining and agricultural industries, Russia exports iron ore and precious metals, as well as various machinery.

* Ukraine - Ukraine is a major producer of coke and coal, and exports a good percentage of their petroleum and chemical output to Russia, the United States, and Germany.

* Belarus - Largely industrial, Belarus relies on trade relations with Russia and the Netherlands as they export vehicles and machinery.

* Kazakhstan - A smaller economy within the CIS, Kazakhstan produces on average 65-70 million tons of oil and gas condensate annually.

* Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyzstan encountered difficulties economically following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but continue to grow slowly. Main exports include precious metals and hydropower.

* Tajikistan - Turkey and Russia are major exports partners and benefit from Tajikstan's production of aluminum and cotton, among other agricultural crops.

* Moldova - Moldova has struggled post-dissolution to establish a foothold in global trade beyond Russian borders, but has managed to export food and textiles to Turkey, Romania, and Germany.

* Armenia - Metals and mineral mining are prime industries in Armenia. Russia, Bulgaria, and Germany are among their top trading partners.

Current Issues Within CISFTA

Foremost in the media regarding the CISFTA agreement is Ukraine's role and the effect, if any, it will have on relations with the European Union. While Ukraine's involvement in CISFTA should not negatively impact the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, it should be noted that both treaties are important to the country. According to OdessaTalk, the bulk of Ukraine's trade, little over forty percent, is concentrated within the CIS borders. Trade with European Union members holds just under thirty percent, but could have the potential to grow. Should this potential be realized, one may find other member nations of CISFTA taking advantage of such a relationship.

Compatibility of CIS nations with the procedures of non-member nations is key in forging successful trade relationships beyond the old Soviet borders. It is worth watching Ukraine closely to see if others in CISFTA follow suit.

The Modus Operandi of International Shipping Companies

2012-01-19T02:14:00.000-08:00

There has always been discussion about the Modus operandi of international shipping companies, and this discussion is valid too. Individuals and import/export companies who are moving household goods and commercial cargo are often in confusion as to what is the modus operandi of international moving companies.

It also becomes significant since in the changing times and world economic scenario, international shipping companies have diversified their activities, and they are not acting as mere transporters of cargo. It would not be wrong to say that today, international transport companies are playing more diversified and responsible roles as they offering comprehensive solutions in container solutions, packaging, and vehicle transportation.

With times, the competition in cargo and freight business has grown tremendously. Competition is also one of the possible reasons why international shipping companies have become flexible in offering the moving services. Not only this, the professional worldwide moving company has devised the ways of carrying international cargo ad freight shipping in reliable manner.

To put forth in one simple stanza, international moving companies provide, booking, documentation, packing, loading, inland transportation and overseas movement and then final unloading and unpacking of commercial cargo or household good in the destination country.

The whole process of cargo and freight movement is carried out in reliable manner and with complete professionalism. If you have specific requirements for international automobile shipping, it becomes very important that you start searching and comparing the services offered by worldwide transport companies.

Vehicle shipping is indeed one of the refined set of services which are being offered by international shipping companies. When opting for automobile shipping, it also becomes very important that you have the knowledge on the shipping quotes. Some of the international transport companies do not charge separately for the vehicle shipping and they include it as the part of international shipping only.

On the other hand, there are several professional international worldwide moving companies which charge separate quotes for the shipping. Therefore, it becomes very important that before making the final choice of the worldwide moving company, you have details of international cargo and freight shipping company and its services.

A professionally organized worldwide moving company will always provide superb and streamlined cargo and freight shipping services and moreover, you will also be saving on the international shipment taxes, and customs duties. It is because the cargo and fright moving company will provide complete set of services in one customized package.

Shipping Documents play crucial role in the overseas for smooth transportation of goods. Therefore, you should make sure that the worldwide moving company is professional to offer you complete and documentation as well as detailed inventory services.

Cargo and freight movement is a multidimensional activity. For reliable and customized shipping, it becomes very important that you are ready with your preferences and the necessary knowledge on the modus operandi of the international shipping companies. It is the time for you to be ready with the international shipping.

Marketing and Translation-Advertising Translations Offer Significant Challenges

2012-01-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Marketing your product anywhere today is a challenge. It is a combination of selecting the right place, the right product, the correct method of promotion and the right price. Choosing where to place the correct product and how to promote it can be mind-boggling.

That being said, if you seek to sell to a new target audience in another country you must adapt your message to not only that language, but also the culture. It is not enough today to market to a language, we must also market to cultures and each one has different values and foibles that you need to look at in order to market effectively.

For this reason alone, translation has become essential for large businesses. Advertising translation for business can help you to gain the ear of thousands--if not millions-of prospective customers from around the globe. Just the internet alone adds an entirely new dimension to marketing, making it possible to reach those people as quickly and as easily as if they were in your own neighborhood... with one exception.

The exception and the barrier to marketing globally is, of course, language. Most of us don't have knowledge of the top ten languages that are in use today online. We can't effectively market to the world because the means to communicate with them is beyond our scope.

That is where marketing translation can be helpful in the expansion of your business. Marketing to other countries takes a kid-glove approach. Knowing something about the language, such as Chinese, German, Russian, or Spanish as well as the culture and the business for which you are translating is imperative in order to create a quality translation of the product or service.

The translation of your website can net you a dividend of many thousands of new customers. With the state of the current economy and the slow recovery, website and advertising translation can be the key to increasing your business and your bottom line.

When you select from among the many quality translators who offer marketing and advertising translation services , it's sometimes difficult to know who will be best at your task. A tip in selecting them will be to find a translator who has experience in your area of business or expertise and give them a small project to test the waters.

Ensure that the translator you use knows not only your business, but the culture of the area as well. This holds true for advertising to foreign languages in your own country as well as to other countries. Those who speak Spanish in Los Angeles will use a different style of phrasing and dialect than those who live in Florida for example. Dialect and terminology mean a great deal with marketing.

Quality marketing translation can help you to market your products and services more effectively, and if done correctly, can reflect well on you and your business.

A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing in the World of Exporting

2012-01-13T02:13:00.000-08:00

The penalties assessed by our government agencies for even unintentional violations of the export regulations (Export Administration Regulations and International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and others) are such that small and medium-sized manufacturer/exporters can cause serious harm to their own future by taking a cavalier attitude toward exporting. The regulations are written such that it is not easy, without some training and experience, to wade through all the various rules and exceptions that may apply to your specific export action. I have recently experienced a few incidents of companies using "a little knowledge" to address complex subjects. Some of those follow:

Dual Use. While the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the Department of Commerce is generally responsible for dual use items, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) in the Department of State has "first rights of refusal" for taking jurisdiction over the items. In addition, there can be a significantly different approach for an item initially designed for the military and modified for commercial applications than for one initially designed for commercial and later modified for military applications. There is no recipe available that can assure a company that it is taking the safe approach. Each situation is unique.

The Canadian Exemption. An initial reading taken a face value of the information available concerning the Canadian Exemption to license requires for International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR) type items seems to indicate that there is no issue with any military items going to Canada without requiring an export license. However, upon further investigation, the astute export expert will find more than 21 exceptions to the exemption, in addition to the normal general prohibitions to export. Even if a license is not required, a certain amount of paperwork is required so that the Census Bureau can keep their statistics.

Commodity Jurisdiction. It's tempting for a manufacturer to self determine the jurisdiction of commodities and in most cases it's relatively easily done by the manufacturer on those items that clearly have no military application. In fact, the vast majority of items require no license for exporting. However, there are two inherent dangers: 1) certain records MUST be maintained for all exports, including those that do not require a license, and 2) it is often difficult to determine whether an item has a military or terrorist application. The government has recently made the process safer for manufacturers by offering to define the ECCN number for any commodity, and by providing an electronic means for submitting a Commodity Jurisdiction request. I would always recommend that a company take advantage of these services.

I have discovered over many years of association with the government in various capacities, that nothing about government regulations is easy or obvious. The idea of writing these documents in "plain English" has been discussed over the years, but it's never really caught on. Even the definition of "plain English" has not yet achieved agreement. A cursory reading of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and ITAR and publications on the Internet relating to those documents can lead one to error.

For instance, not long ago a member of a client organization stated to the effect that since most items do not require an export license (something he read on an official government website), the item he was exporting obviously would not require a license so he could safely proceed with its export. In addition, in his previous company he had done the same and since it was a large company they obviously knew what they were doing. I advised him, and his supervisor, to first determine the ECCN of the subject item, which he had not done, then go to the EAR and see if a license was required and, if so, whether an exception was allowed. Whether he followed through, I don't know.

In another case, an item was stated to be ITAR controlled - which was probably correct - but a derivative item, nearly identical, was not. Again, this determination was made without researching the regulations or exercising a Commodity Jurisdiction determination. I advised the company to determine the ECCN, either themselves or via SNAP-R, and request a Commodity Jurisdiction. In this case, I have been lead to understand that the company will follow through on my recommendation.

Both those situations involved small companies and relatively small exports. The odds of getting caught in a violation were likely small, but the penalties, if they had committed the violations, could break either company. The risks are too high.

American Manufacturing Jobs and China

2012-01-13T02:12:00.000-08:00

The perception for some politicians and citizens in the United States is that the manufacturing jobs that were lost during "The Great Recession" (spanning from October 2007 through June 2009) went to other global markets such as China, South Korea, and Vietnam. The misunderstanding is that the jobs were transferred in parallel to these other markets. The problem with this perception is that by comparison to the labor population in a market such as China, a one-to-one match would be counter-productive for multi-national firms if this transfer occurred solely due to the cost savings alone.

The result in recent years to this threat in the United States has been the "Right-to-Work Movement" that attempted to neutralize collective bargaining and labor unions in an effort to make states such as Texas and South Carolina more competitive in respect to the lower cost in labor. Unfortunately, this is a one-dimensional approach with labor cost being the sole focus. Some states have lowered corporate tax-rates to attract more businesses.

One major fundamental flaw in the aforementioned approach to the perception of losing manufacturing jobs overseas is a gross lack of consideration when it comes to global sourcing and labor practices and standards. China has some distinct advantages over the United States such as closer access to suppliers of products and raw materials for manufacturing. Besides the obvious savings in labor-cost by operating in places like China, manufacturing costs are cut. The lack of stringent labor laws like those in most Western nations, allow firms to operate at full capacity whenever materials are available. Also, the parent firm of a multi-national is not directly exposed to many of the risks and cost associated with the equity-joint-venture as it would be in the United States.

Under Chinese Law, foreign firms must form equity-joint-ventures with existing or new partnerships that are affiliated or backed by the Chinese government or Communist Party as a limited liability company (LLC). A factor that may dismiss the notion about the job-for-job transfer from the United States is Article 5 of The Law of the People's Republic of China on Joint Venture Using Chinese and Foreign Investment which requires only advanced technology and equipment to be used to suit China's needs. The transfer of old technology may result in compensation to the government. This requirement implies that the old technology from the United States for instance by a firm would not benefit the organization. Therefore, the skills (job) and technology transfer would be counter-productive for an American multi-national to implement. However, enhances in the productivity of those jobs would fall in line with qualifying.

Under Article 4 of Chinese Labor Law, the employer or equity-joint-venture is given the right to establish the perfect rules and regulations under the broader labor laws with a right for the laborer to fulfill his or her obligation. This is the deregulatory area by American standards that equity-joint-ventures in China can create the advantage in respect to working conditions, requirements, and in some cases labor cost. This explains why it is legal for these firms to have dormitories that house the employees to work long hours at low wages in accordance with the rules, regulations, and policies set-forth by the company.

A portion of the 400,000 through 600,000 jobs that left the shores of the United States per month throughout The Great Recession were modified or enhanced by technologies and a larger non-union labor-pool in China. In some cases according to recent investigations, workers are compensated as low as $.64 (cents) per hour in outer-lying areas to $1.00 or more per hour within the cities.

Lower corporate tax-rates and the repeal of collective bargaining in the United States fall far short in attracting American multi-nationals back into the country to just bring back jobs. Many of the parent firms have invested heavily in China and have established local suppliers to prevent delays in product sourcing. Also, there is a lack of enforcement and regulation in these other markets by comparison to the United States in respect to the environment and employee litigation.

The fundamental problem is that the United States cannot compete in respect to labor or geographically. Even though labor cost is rising in China, it remains cheaper to operate there for most firms than within the United States. As an example, if an American union worker makes $20.00 per hour and a person under right-to-work state make $10.00 per hour, their labor-rates remain far higher than a Chinese worker.

When we talk about manufacturing jobs lost in the United States, most think of jobs that have traditionally been American such as auto manufacturing or some other job that has been a symbol of the national character. Fortunately, the Obama administration made the decision to assist the automotive industry during The Great Recession because there was a good possibility that firms like General Motors and Chrysler would have gone to China to restructure or re-establish. Other firms such as Ford did not fall under the aura of the housing-bubble with investments, but sought lines of credit prior to the crisis while working with labor to avoid problems that came about later.

Apple and other firms like it took advantage of the cost-cutting opportunities in manufacturing in China by employing about 43,000 people in the United States for technology development and about 500,000 there for manufacturing. Unlike the auto industry that had jobs established in the United States for decades, Apple's new technologies never had those estimated 500,000 jobs on American shores in the first place.

The challenge now is for America to avoid the temptation of The Right to Work agenda in that it will lead to a state vs. state battle in respect to wages while others multi-nationals continue to bleed into China. The ultimate result would be a labor market with lower wages that would require a higher-level of skills and education that could potentially lure the best and brightest to other nations willing to compensate better than the United States for professional talent. If left unchecked, there will be no distinction between a college graduate and high-school graduate in respect to wages.

The initiatives proposed by the Obama administration to promote advances in technological education and innovation are the keys to the American future in manufacturing. Instead of focusing on the short-term outlook for manufacturing jobs, there needs to be an emphasis on technological development that adds value to products and services. This means that Americans will have to educate themselves more in order to compete now before China catches up and it becomes the leader in technology and the United States is resigned to manufacturing products through cheap labor.

Translating My Website: Where Should I Start?

2012-01-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of statistics out there that show how the Internet is one of the best business tools available today. One of the most relevant, however, is that website visitors are four times more likely to buy from a site that is presented in their own language. Simply put, engaging a website translation services provider can increase the likelihood of a visitor purchasing form or engaging with your website by 400%. What other change can you make to your site that could change buying behavior so dramatically?

Where to Begin

Okay, so you know that you should make your website available to a global market, but what languages should you use? That depends on two things:

* In which foreign markets do you want to do business?
* In which foreign markets is your business likely to succeed?

And yes, there could be two different answers to those questions.

If you want to concentrate on European markets, then you may want to consider French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Asian markets might require Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and Malay to begin with. An experienced website translation services company can help you with these types of strategic decisions.

What You Should Know

You will also have to take stock of your technology needs when translating your site into foreign languages. Which Web technologies does your site utilize? Some of the most common include:

* HTML
* XML
* Java
* CSS
* ASP
* AJAX

Not only do you need to know this, but your website translation services provider needs to know it too. They will need to know how to work with these technologies in order to make an accurate translation of your site.

Your translation company must also be skilled with design software so that all of the graphics in your site can be translated and localized for the markets you are targeting. If your website is not localized, it will not make sense to your target audience which will result is less interest in your products.

If your translation services provider is not skilled in the software you require, find one that is. It is important for your website to represent your product in another language as well as it does in the first language. If the spacing is off, words may not look right in the target language and some letters may even be cut off because they do not fit in the space allotted.

Working closely with your translation company is important to determine your needs and developing an action plan to best suit those needs.

Cross-Cultural Management Basic Tips

2012-01-05T02:08:00.000-08:00

I am British and have been married to a Brazilian lady for 25 years. I remember how we both had cultural surprises in trying to understand each other in the early days of our relationship. For example I thought she was not grateful for certain things, like a dinner out, because she did not say the words "thank you". I had learnt that they were compulsory. Instead she would surprise me with a thoughtful gift as a way of expressing gratitude. Her way was more real and more thoughtful. Mine was automated, but nonetheless important in my culture.

That's the risk in many cross-cultural exchanges. We can see the world through our own cultural "lenses" and make assumptions and judgments based on our own experience and education.

These differences are often thought of in terms of different national characteristics, but they can also apply wherever two or more people have different educations, experience, values, attitudes to time or authority, or different ways of using verbal or body language or physical proximity. So culture can, for example, also apply to the different subcultures in an organization or to regional or organizational differences in the same country.

How can we best manage these risks? How can we build bridges from one side of the cross-cultural divide to the other?

Whole books and studies, indeed lives, have been dedicated to this goal, both in the broadest sense and also between specific cultures. Leadership and management have also been widely studied across cultures.

Here we only have space to set out some of the most important fundamentals which will help you to grow your cross-cultural understanding and skills, before going into any specific management or leadership skill (for example planning, collaborating, delegating or controlling):

1) Understand how others see you and your own culture (as relevant, i.e. your department's sub-culture, your corporate culture or your national culture). Start by getting an outside perspective on how you can be different. This opens your mind to then studying others and being more open and respectful to differences. Visualize, or even better, film, the culture in action. Listen to your film with and without sound. What do you hear and see? What adjectives come to mind to describe the culture?

2) Develop the best support resources you can. Who seems to cope best or has the most relevant experience? Observe and listen to how they deal with different situations. Who could mentor you and help with your own challenges or things you just don't understand? What can you study to help you better understand? Is there a relevant text or course? What are the generally accepted behaviors and actions in terms of etiquette?

3) Develop your ability to delay judgment, actively listen and ask good open questions. Suspend your judgment on what is right or wrong. Challenge your own thinking - what assumptions are you making? Slow down, knowing that when you are learning a new culture speeding up and making quick judgments can lead you to make unnecessary mistakes. In other words, do your best to take off your normal "lenses" and imagine seeing things through neutral eyes.

4) Can you learn some of, or master, the others' language (technical or national)? Coded in language are valuable roots and interpretations of values and ways of being and doing.

5) Cross check for understanding by asking respectful questions, perhaps coming at the same matter from different perspectives.

6) How can you best accelerate your learning in lower risk social or other learning environments outside of work or business? Can you make friends who are interested in your culture and can reciprocate sharing experiences and perspectives?

7) Be cautious in using humor as it can vary greatly across cultures. Even lower risk self-deprecating humor may be seen as showing a lack of self-esteem or other undesirable characteristic. Observe what kind of humor "works" positively.

8) Take a positive attitude. You can really grow yourself though cross-cultural experience. It can help you to be a better listener, a better communicator, a better "reader" of the unsaid and most of all help you understand yourself in new ways. Remember cultures are dynamic changing things with infinite variations possible. Even if something clashes with your values and really needs to change, respect where it actually is. Often it has come about through a long period of human interaction. Condemning it too quickly could shut down your compassion and learning and ultimately your ability to help it change for the better. Look for the positive.

Translation Services Improving Information Accessibility

2012-01-03T02:05:00.000-08:00

Translation Services for technical and especially medical information is a critical function that needs to be performed by experts who are knowledgeable in their fields as well as being expert linguists. A prime example of this was when the first information portal for HIV/AIDS information was developed for use in Africa. Finding reputable and technically accurate information for the portal was the first process and involved contracting information providers who had a sound reputation in the area.

The next step was to translate the information into one of the official African languages so that the portal could serve as a resource in a broad spectrum of communities. Although computer assisted translation can be useful in these instances it still requires a human operator to ensure accurate translation of the information. Also in the case of languages that are not widely spoken, mother-tongue language speakers are the best to use. In certain older languages there may not be a corresponding word for some of the more modern terms and an appropriate description then needs to be found, for example with the African HIV portal the term for vaccination in Xhosa did not exist.

Another type of translation service used in the portal was Research Translation. Research Translation can be viewed as a sub-category of Knowledge Translation where research findings are made accessible to the general public to improve decision-making relating to health and well-being. A proposed definition of Research Translation is: a socially responsive practice that effectively involves the re-packaging of existing knowledge, derived through research endeavours, into accessible formats, which will be ethically-sound, to facilitate informed decision-making by a particular interest group. A significant amount of medical and scientific research has not filtered through to be used to the fullest by laypersons. There appears to be a gap in understanding gained through scientific research and the knowledge acquired by the general public. This type of translation service is a highly specialised skill as in addition to subject matter expertise translators must be able to communicate concepts in a way that makes them accessible to a broader audience. Examples of this type of translation are often seen on patient care and information websites.

When you consider that the top three most spoken languages in the world are Mandarin, Spanish and English it demonstrates the need for efficient translation services when conducting business across international boundaries. Making information of all types more accessible whether they are marketing materials, technical documents or training and educational manuals, improves information dissemination across the globe.

The Importance of Market Research in Repairing the World Economy, BRIC by BRIC

2011-12-20T02:04:00.000-08:00

We all know about the BRIC countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China. These countries are widely regarded as a one way ticket to prosperity, in a world where most of the G8 have taken multiple hits to their economy, and 5 years on, still struggle to regain their former financial positions. China could practically bail out the world, while Russia has more billionaires than any other city on the planet, Mukesh Ambani built the worlds first billion dollar home in Mumbai and Brazil's GDP just overtook the UK's. Did any of this come from what we would call first world countries? Hardly, and while most of the UK and Europe scrape together the pennies for bills or witness strikes on the news, billions are being made in the countries that 30 years ago, no one with a bit of cash would bat an eyelid at.

For those that managed to sustain and even grown their level of wealth throughout the financial crisis, it will be crossing their minds now that these countries that are growing at such a rapid pace, opulent restaurants and bars popping up on every street, might be worth a look at, and they would be right.

The only problem is, how do you invest in a what a country has to offer when you may never been there, possibly don't know the language, and don't possess a vast knowledge of the best markets to put smart money in?

Here is where intelligently conducted market research comes in to play. What market research allows an investor, is easy to grab knowledge that enables he or she to gain an idea of what is out there, what they stand to make, over what period of time, and the safety of their investment... among many other details.

For example, on a recent trip to Moscow, driving past the soon to be completed financial district is simply breathtaking! Imagine Canary Wharf and then shoot it full of steroids... twice, and then you have some picture of what this place is like on the eye. When you think the financial district isn't even finished yet according to the Ministry of Economic Development, the infrastructure is only 40% formed. The prospect of how much money will be floating around these skyscrapers in years to come is mind boggling.

In this area, market research allows investors access to knowledge including the types of firms occupying the buildings, the number of jobs that will be created, and the construction companies building the skyscrapers, what foreign business owners stand to gain from opening an office in Moscow, along with many other facts and figures about the market.

When such growth, intelligence and untapped resources are sitting, waiting to be used and nurtured. It seems a waste, to stay cocooned in one country.

International Shipping Companies - Working Towards Efficient International Logistic Operations

2011-12-18T02:02:00.001-08:00

International shipping is one of the most important aspects in international trade. It is something that keeps exports and imports happening all year around. While shipping to international destinations takes place through water and air ways, ocean shipping is considered the cheaper and the safer option, although air deliveries are faster.

A lot of things go into ensuring that the goods are shipped to the right destination and in the safest manner. Planning is of foremost importance when it comes to international shipping. In addition, there are a number of professionals who are involved in the process of shipping besides the officials of the shipping agency. Beginning from road transport companies who bring the load to the port, the port authorities who ensure that all goods are legally being transported to customer broker who ensure that the goods are delivered and passed through customer regulations of the destination country, there are a lot of operations involved in international shipping.

The professionals in international shipping companies need to have expertise in various aspects such as packaging and loading of goods, ensuring that all the paperwork such as custom documents and insurance are in order, safe unloading at the destination and warehousing. Safety and security of all articles that are being shipped have to be ensured by the shipping company.

Loading and unloading are two major factors that need to be handled very carefully. A lot of damage to goods takes place not during transportation but during loading and unloading operations. Proper equipment and labor are required in order to ensure that goods remain unharmed. In fact, improper load balancing in the cargo carrier can also cause an imbalance and the aircraft or ship tends to be unbalanced which affects stability. If the cargo carrier has to make several stopovers on its way to the final destination, goods are to be arranged in a precise manner so as to aid easy access for unloading. Weight of the carrier should be balanced even when goods are unloaded.

In addition to these aspects, one of the most important operations that are involved in international shipping is cargo management and consolidation. These two operations bring down the cost of shipping up to a large extent, thus saving money for the international shipping companies and their customers. Consolidation refers to the practice of using one container to house several smaller containers instead of assigning an individual container for each customer.

GAFTA - Improving Trade Relations Among Arab Nations

2011-12-17T01:57:00.001-08:00

The American perception of Arab nations as a whole may be colored by media reports of unrest of conflicts. We turn on the news to watch revolutions unfold and troops trade fire, nonetheless the Greater Arab Free Trade Area remains intact. Recent summits held for the discussion of economies in the Arab regions, however, suggest that this trade zone has become irrelevant. The UAE Daily News reported in 2008 that the belief that Arab countries should unify as a bloc in dealing with the rest of the world. By learning from the examples set forth by the European Union, it is believed such a move could better boost trade among Arab nations.

Members of GAFTA, fourteen of which have been involved in the agreement since its inception in 1998, include:

* Algeria - A recent addition to the treaty (Algeria was admitted in 2009), this country exports mainly petroleum and natural gas and their byproducts to the US and Europe.

* Bahrain - After oil, aluminum and banking concerns make up the majority of Bahrain's exports. Recent internal conflicts have put the country's status as a financial power in the Gulf at risk.

* Egypt - Egyptian cotton and cotton apparel are coveted around the world. Outside of the free trade zone, the country exports goods to the United States, Italy, and France.

* Iraq - Like other nations in this region, oil is the primary export, which is traded to the United States, India, and Italy among other nations in exchange for food and medicine.

* Jordan - One of the larger economies in the region, Jordan maintains FTAs with countries throughout the world. Phosphates and pharmaceuticals are prime exports to India and Iraq, while they tend to rely on neighboring countries for oil.

* Kuwait - The majority of Kuwait's oil exports are transported to Asia, with Japan and South Korea taking nearly a quarter of all goods. Kuwait is also known for their production of fertilizers and construction materials.

* Lebanon - Lebanon claims one of the less economies among this group, and relies heavily on imports from Syria, France, the United States and others. What precious metals and chemicals they can export go mainly to Syria and UAE.

* Libya - Italy is one of Libya's major markets for crude oil and related products. Though Libya maintains agricultural resources, they import the majority of foodstuffs from Europe and Asia.

* Morocco - Moroccan textiles and phosphates are popular in Europe, particularly Spain and France. The country also relies upon their fishing industry and electronics.

* Oman - This oil rich nation relies upon their natural resources to export crude to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

* Palestine - Palestine relies on their agricultural sector - citrus fruits, olives, and vegetables for exports to their trade partners.

* Qatar - Natural gas and petroleum products make up the majority of their export commodities, more than a quarter of which are sent to Japan.

* Saudi Arabia - The Saudi oil-based economy accounts for nearly $250 billion in export revenue, which comes from trade partners the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

* Sudan - Sudan's recent issues with tariff barriers have caused a number of problems with trade. Crude oil is a primary export, though Economy Watch has reported the nation suffers a trade deficit close to $6 billion.

* Syria - Crude oil and petroleum comprise the majority of the country's exports, which are sent to Iraq (more than a quarter of all goods) and Lebanon.

* Tunis - Tunisian textiles and apparel and agricultural goods are popular in Europe, where France, Germany, and Italy receive the majority of exports.

* United Arab Emirates - Much of the UAE's oil exports are shipped to Japan and India. Thanks to their rich resources, the UAE is ranked third among Middle Eastern nations for GDP.

* Yemen - Depletion of oil fields has threatened Yemen's export income. Until a solution is found, the country also relies on their fishing industry to trade with Asia.

In 2009, the Gulf Daily News reported that member nations took the first steps toward creating a common market, which is expected to see fruition in the next decade. Whether or not GAFTA will remain relevant by then remains to be seen, but those countries that rely upon the Arab nations for oil and other commodities will definitely want to monitor their progress.

A Successful Conference Needs Successful Audio Video Equipments

2011-12-14T01:59:00.001-08:00

We live in a developed society today, where the entire functioning of all activities in the areas of business, education, medicine and media has changed. Most of it has been in the business world where the corporate sector uses all methods available to it, to reach out to its customers and clients. Business presentations are now mostly audio visual where the speaker uses all kinds of audio visual equipments for an impressive presentation.

To stay at the top and economically utilise the best - Companies are extensively hiring audio and video equipments for their presentations where the presenter uses all kinds of audio-enabled gadgets for his speech. The presentation utilises either a slide projector, or a laptop or a desktop that is connected to a projector. The entire presentation is developed as a software program, easy to install and run.

Many companies now avail the services of quality and efficient audio visual rentals for enabling the presentation with audio visuals, or the AV, which primarily is a package of both sound and visual components and its usage with the appropriate equipments. Films, television shows and slide tapes presentations, are examples of audio video shows.

Multi national companies and corporate houses have online board meetings, online seminars, senior placement recruitments, and online training sessions. For all such events companies now prefer to follow the system of video conferencing. With the introduction of high capacity and low cost broadband telecommunication services, video conferencing is becoming quite popular with all organizations. Today it is not only the corporate sector which is benefiting from video conferencing equipment rental services, but the media, education and health sectors too are showing interest in leasing video conferencing equipments.

Benefits of Video Conferencing

Time Saving: Travelling to far off places to interact with all your clients and partners is a time consuming process whereas with the impact and proximity of your clients and associates by a video conferencing system you are one jump ahead in your business. In fact, you can be present virtually at more than place at the same time.

Cost Saving: The cost of your business travel is saved by opting for AV rentals over personal tours. Moreover, you acquire more knowledge and share your views more constructively among a group of senior executives placed at diverse locations. At the same time the costs of your staff travelling to your office for an important meeting are saved.

Problem of Disparity in Locations is Overcome: All companies have their marketing executives and distributors spread out at different places. Multinational companies have their branches functioning all across the globe. Connecting to the entire workforce via video conferencing enables the management to address specific departments of each branch office most effectively. The staffs are more focused as they too can have their say and can be seen which results in faster decision making, projects getting completed in scheduled time and an overall increase in productivity. To obtain the best results for their businesses, companies look for the best and latest equipments for video conferencing. That is why all companies target the efficient and quality audio visual equipment rentals for their services.

Recruitment Processes Made Easy: Hiring processes are time consuming and costly, more so when the number of interviewee is large and all located at far off places. By utilizing the services of a good audio video equipment rental, the expenses and time can be reduced effectively much to the benefit of the company. Companies can gather the candidates to one of their nearest branch offices and effectively interview them over the audio visual system. Interviews conducted over audio video can be recorded and played later to review the candidates' answers. Those from the interview board who missed the interviews can always go back to the recordings.

Better Employee In-house Training: Audio video conferencing systems has resulted in some quality in-house trainings for the employees, especially when they are based at different offices. Moreover the much desired feedback from them can also be received at the same conference. The grievances of employees can be addressed to; all of which results in the employees' satisfaction and hence retention.

Effective Board Meetings and Seminars: Many big business houses are often sourcing the services of outstanding and competent audio visual equipment rentals.

Companies have their annual or bi-annual board meetings as well as seminars and interactive lecture-sessions. Corporate offices may have their own conference rooms or they hire some hotels' conference rooms. Irrespective of the venue they do require good conference room audio visual equipments which are usually leased by them.

An added benefit of video conferencing is to the society and the environment as people now need to travel less in the corporate world. This factor has contributed much in the reduction in carbon emissions; and this further has resulted in an overall reduction of global warming.

For all requirements of effective video conferencing systems and AV rentals, choose your IT rental company very carefully, for it will have a long term impact on your business.

Drilling Fluids Companies

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When researching drilling fluids companies, the three names really stand out are Mi-Swaco, Baroid, and Baker-Hughes. Mi-Swaco is at the head of the field, belonging to industry giant Schlumberger. Right behind Mi is Baroid which is owned and operated by Halliburton. And smallest of the three is the legendary service provider Baker-Hughes. These "Big 3" provide drilling rigs with the "Mud" that they need so that wells can be drilled for oil and natural gas. To learn more about each of these companies in more detail, continue on the page below.

Mi-Swaco

Mi-Swaco is a division of Schlumberger which employs 113,000 people in over 85 different countries. It was formed by Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger in 1926 as the Societe de Prospection Electrique which is French for Electric Prospecting Company. They started out by simply conducting geophysical surveys in areas of Romania, Canada, and even the U.S. Although Schlumberger began as a mapping company, they now have one of the largest operations in oil field services, reporting a 2011 net income of over $5 billion. Schlumberger currently has offices in Houston, Paris, and the Hague to help facilitate their worldwide operations. Following the company's appearance on the New York Stock Exchange, many of their high-ranking officials were moved to New York. In 2005, Schlumberger's corporate offices were relocated to Texas to be closer to other oil and gas companies. Mi-Swaco became part of Schlumberger through its 2010 merger with Smith International, another large drilling company. According to Schlumberger, the primary reason for this merger was the continual improvement of its drilling technology. The Mi-Swaco portion of Schlumberger now operates in more than 75 countries and employs over 13,000 people.

Baroid

Baroid is a product service line of the Halliburton Company. They specialize in supplying products used in all steps of the drilling process. They also specifically provide peak performance to many diverse markets including; water well drilling, horizontal directional drilling, and geothermal heat loop applications. The Halliburton Company operates in more than 70 different countries and employs over 50,000 people. Reporting a net income of $3.0 billion in 2011 Halliburton is sure to be expanding their services. Erie Halliburton started the company in 1919 by introducing the revolutionary idea of controlling wells with cement. Eventually, the Halliburton Company expanded around the world and as they continued to develop new drilling technology. This helped them maintain a large share of the drilling market throughout much of the 1900's. They even help to maintain a clean and healthy planet by working with the Clean Gulf Associates to contain oil spills. The Halliburton Company has many divisions besides Baroid Industrial Drilling Products, specializing in several different aspects of oil and gas drilling. The most significant parts of the company focus on formation evaluation, production optimization, and drilling fluid systems.

Baker-Hughes

Baker-Hughes started out as a tool company owned by Walter Sharp and Howard Hughes who invented the two-cone drill bit. After Walter Sharp died, Howard Hughes purchased his half of the company and renamed it the Hughes Tool Company. Meanwhile, Reuben Baker was developing the casing shoe which would revolutionize the ability to run casing into oil and gas wells. Later, the two would eventually merge to form Baker-Hughes and today the company employs over 57,000 people in 80 different countries. Baker-Hughes reported a net income of $812 million in 2010 and they are considerably smaller than Halliburton or Schlumberger. Baker-Hughes now focuses on innovative problem solving as they work with their customers to develop new technologies.

5 Exhibitions for the Paper Industry

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Although quite a niche and specific industry with which to be involved, the 'Paper' industry does account for some significant business in the UK and worldwide. We take a look at some of the very best shows worldwide for the paper industry, both for people within the trade and for the general public.

Paper, New York, USA
It can be argued that this is the best and most comprehensive paper exhibition in the US. Although the show is generally held in Chicago it sometimes also held in New York and in other major U.S. cities. People from all areas of the paper industry attend this show, ranging from merchants and distributors, to end use customers such as printers, corporate companies and stationary companies. Some of the key features are speed networking sessions and sessions geared towards forecasting the trends in the paper industry.

SPCI, Stockholm, Sweden
This Swedish exhibition is one of the largest of its type in the world for the paper and pulp industry. The exhibition is held every three years and during the 3 day event there are focussed exhibitions and presentations on the paper and pulp industry. International leaders in the field and from countries including Russia, India and Brazil tend to attend this show. SPCI is a great opportunity for meeting other companies worldwide involved with the paper industry. If you are a freight company for example, the movement of paper is a major opportunity for some companies.

Tissue World Americas, Miami, USA
Tissue World is a series of exhibitions and conferences for the tissue industry and the Miami leg of the tour is one of the most popular. People from South and North America gather to share and exhibit the latest developments and techniques in the tissue paper industries to an increasing number of people each time. The popularity of the show in Latin America in particular is on the increase. Visitors can explore various aspects of the tissue paper industry including the chemicals used and the paper making tools.

Intergrafika, Zagreb, Croatia
This is the most important paper and printing exhibition in this area of Europe, held in a country where this industry accounts for almost ten per cent of GNP. This event is held every other year and attracts manufacturers from around the world in equipment, machines and devices who look to take advantage of the large industry in this region.

Apex, Cairo, Egypt
This North African exhibition is now approaching its seventh edition and is concerned with paper, printing and packaging. Apex is considered to be one of the best places to meet representatives from emerging markets and showcase the latest technologies to them. North Africa is slightly behind other more developed areas of the world in these industries so this is a good opportunity for companies from outside of Egypt to expand their books.