Dear Subscriber

Welcome to the April edition of Wade Trade News - Wade World Trade's own monthly bulletin bringing you news on developments and opportunities in international trade that are worthy of your attention. Read on now for important news about trading with South Africa, Argentina, Romania and Ethiopia, help from UNCTAD, details of a great site that can help you reduce the risk of import-exporting and two sites you'll find invaluable for background reading.

South Africa Trade Bounces Back
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The South Africa Trade Activity Index (SATAI) rebounded in February 2006 after dipping in December 2005 and January 2006, and it would appear that trade conditions are heading deeper into positive territory during the first half of 2006. A strong recovery in sales volumes occurred in February as respondents were more positive compared to January. New orders, inventories and supplier deliveries were all more positive in February 2006 than the previous month. It shows that inflationary pressures will likely be on hold for the immediate future, although there is some bias towards upward pressure from input costs.

You can get more useful info. about trading with South Africa from the South African Chamber of Business or SACOB  website at www.sacob.co.za. SACOB's mission is to effectively protect and promote the interests of business in South Africa.

Are You Interested In Argentina ?
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In 2001 and 2002 Argentina's economy almost completely collapsed. The country defaulted on its debts, bank accounts were frozen and workers went unpaid. But since 2003 strict economic measures including revaluing the currency, import substitution policies and increasing exports have contributed to a massive surge in GDP and the so-called 'Tango Revival' of the economy. The economy grew 8.8% in 2003, 9% in 2004, and 9.1% in 2005, and the Government completed restructuring of the national debt last year. According to INDEC (the National Institute of Statistics and Census) GDP expansion for 2006 could exceed 7%.
 
As ever with South America it's tricky to find good trade sites in English. Argentina's Government has a good website for information, some of which is in English. Go to www.info.gov.ar and click on the US/UK flag. The Latin Trade site www.latintrade.com is also good for South America generally.

Romania …. Europe's Boom Economy
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Back over in Europe, another country with a booming economy is Romania. From 1989-2000 Romania's economy was widely regarded as a disaster, suffering from industrial decline and severe hyperinflation. Over the last five years, however, it has boomed and become one of the fastest growing in Europe. It expanded 8.2% in 2004 and 5.3% in 2005 with growth of approximately 5% forecast for 2006 and 2007. Inflation has dropped and GDP reached a creditable US$8,800 in 2005. Foreign direct investment (FDI) reached €4.087 billion in 2004 and grew by 35% in the first six months of 2005 - an annual figure similar to Poland and higher than any other eastern European country. A further boost to the economy should occur when the country joins the EU in January 2007 - or 2008 at the latest.

The Romanian Trade Promotion Center (RTPC) can be found at www.traderom.ro - English version available. Trade-Romania is an easy to use business directory at www.trade-romania.biz.

Make Use Of UNCTAD
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Established in 1964, UNCTAD promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. UNCTAD has progressively evolved into an authoritative knowledge-based institution whose work aims to help shape current policy debates and thinking on development, with a particular focus on ensuring that domestic policies and international action are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development. In performing its functions UNCTAD works together with member Governments and interacts with organisations of the United Nations, as well as with governmental institutions, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, trade and industry associations, research institutes and universities worldwide.

It's worth taking a look at UNCTAD's website - www.unctad.org - which is especially good for trade info. if you want to trade with developing and underdeveloped countries.
 
Make Import-Export Less Risky
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While all good business deals involve a degree of risk, it's important to try and keep your risks down to a minimum. A good site to help you do this is Countryrisk.com's Country Risk Ratings Archives at www.countryrisk.com. Countryrisk is a collection of links to country rankings, supplied by various organisations and Governments. You'll find background information, statistics and ratings on things like trade credit loss, debt default, confiscation/expropriation, war risks, plus reviews by Countryrisk and their site users. Well worth a look if you're considering entering a new market.

Ethiopia Horticulture Industry Expanding
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Ethiopia earned US$7.1 million from the export of horticultural products over the past seven months - a record for the country. Sirak Alemu, head of the horticultural products department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the revenue was obtained through export of over 21,000 tons of horticultural products. Holland, Italy, Norway, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Djibouti were among the main export destinations, he said, adding finger millet and strawberry were among the major products exported. Sirak also said the ministry has been engaged in identifying areas suitable for horticultural development and has been distributing high-yield mango, apple, finger millet and strawberry varieties among farmers. Ethiopia's potential as an agricultural exporting country lays in its proximity to consuming markets, such as Europe and West Asia, its ideal climate conditions all year round, the improved investment code in the country, the accessibility of bank loans and the availability of land.

If you're interested in trading with Ethiopia then the Ethiopian Embassy Washington's website is one of the more reliable sources of links we've found - go to  www.ethiopianembassy.org/links.shtml.

Read All About It …. Online
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Long before the Internet arrived newspapers, magazines and trade journals were a good source of research information and this is still the case today. Most newspapers have an online version where you can find out trade, political and economic news and even, in some cases, find trading contacts through their advertisements. Two important tips apply
 
to using online newspapers : Firstly, there can be a 24-48 hour delay before the latest news reaches the online version from the paper version. Secondly, not all online newspapers are free. Some charge for some or all of their online content. (Often it's the case that subscription sites offer better information than free online newspapers.)

You can find newspapers with online versions either just by searching for them on the Internet or using an online newspaper directory. A couple to try are : Onlinenewspapers at www.onlinenewspapers.com, which is a directory of over 10,000 newspapers searchable by region, country and title. The Paperboy at www.thepaperboy.com is a directory of over 6,000 newspapers searchable by country and city.

Take Advantage Of All That Wade Can Offer
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We like to send you this free monthly newsletter with our compliments - but don't forget that the trade leads you receive here are just a very small selection of what Wade World Trade can do for you. Our products and services include professional self-study courses, manuals, advice, information, online resources and worldwide trade and business contacts - more or less everything you need to start up or expand your import-export export business. To find out more, visit us at our website at www.wadetrade.com - it's open 24/7.


Best Regards

Mark Hempshell
Editor