WadeTradeNews

Welcome to Wade Trade News import and export news for April 2008. Read on for the latest news from the World Trade Organisation, and trade opportunities you might like to take advantage of in Montenegro, China, Malaysia, Nigeria and Switzerland.

Doha Trade Talks To Be Concluded This Year
****************************************
The Doha round of world trade talks could still be finalised by the end of 2008, the head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) announced recently - despite a European warning that the risk of failure is high. WTO Director General, Pascal Lamy, said after meeting South African President Thabo Mbeki 'We are nearing the end game. Whether it's a success or failure I can't say, but it's doable.' The talks, launched in the Qatar capital in 2001 and aimed at liberalising world trade, were due to be completed by 2004. However, they have stalled because of disagreements between the 151 developed and emerging economies who make up the WTO.

Montenegro Joins EU Business Programme
*************************************
Montenegro recently joined the European Union (EU)'s Competitiveness and Innovation Program (CIP) - following Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey who also joined earlier this year. European Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy, said Montenegro's membership confirms it aspirations to be part of Europe. He said 'Participation in CIP, and, in particular the co-operation in the new Enterprise Europe Network, which Montenegro has already successfully entered, will help Montenegro to increase the competitiveness of its enterprises, in particular SME's.'

Under CIP, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, encourages innovation, entrepreneurship and trade with small and medium sized enterprises (SME's). Small and medium sized enterprises are the mainstay of the Montenegrin economy, and the fastest expanding sector.

Canton Fair Will Soon Be World's Largest
*************************************
With the latest phase of construction due to be completed this year, China's Canton Fair will become the largest trade show in the world - larger even than Germany's Hanover Fair. Chairman of the China Foreign Trade Centre Zhang Zhigang recently announced that the fair will have the largest exhibition area with an area of 840,000 square metres.

The China Import and Export Fair, as it is also known, has been held twice a year in the spring and autumn since 1957. It is already China's largest high profile trade fair, with the widest variety of exhibitors, largest attendance and greatest business turnover. Typically, US$37 billion of export deals are done at the fair.

Even if you're not able to attend you can get lots of useful information and contacts - you can download e-catalogues with lists of exhibitors - from the official website, here: www.cantonfair.org.cn.

Malaysia Exports Likely To Pick Up
*******************************
Malaysia's exports grew more slowly than expected last year at just 2.7% - as shipments of electrical and electronic products shrank. However, growth is expected to pick up this year, the trade ministry announced recently. Exports rose to US$187 billion in 2007 as increasing sales to emerging markets such as China helped offset a slowdown in shipments to the United States (the country's top trading partner) Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said recently. Imports grew 4.9% to US$158 billion.

Rafidah Aziz said export growth last year came mainly from traditional and emerging markets such as China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia and the Netherlands - helping to offset a 14.5% decline in exports to the USA. Manufactured products accounted for around 75% of Malaysia's total exports last year. Crude oil and other mineral fuels contributed 14%, while palm oil and other agriculture products accounted for another 9%.

There are plenty of Malaysia trade sites out there, but a lot of them tend to be useless portals with few genuine contacts. These are ones you can trust: Matrade at www.matrade.gov.my. Miti at www.miti.gov.my. Malaysia Yellow Pages at www.yellowpages.com.my.

Nigeria Needs US$3 Billion Imported Food Each Year
**********************************************
Nigeria needs about US$3 billion in imported food annually to ensure food security over the next four years - the National Economic Council (NEC) said in Abuja recently. Imo State Governor Mr. Ikedi Ohakim gave the figures while briefing State

House correspondents along with his Ogun and Edo State counterparts and the Minister of National Planning, Senator Sanusi Daggash, after the NEC meeting.
Governor Ohakim said the government was concerned that the country could not feed itself - even though it has 76 million hectares of arable land for farming and good farming weather.

When trading with Nigeria it's very important to use only established and reputable contacts. The official government information gateway Nigeria Direct site is a good starting point: www.nigeria.gov.ng

Swiss Confectionery Exports Booming
*********************************
Exports of Swiss confectionery grew for the fifth year in a row in 2007, while the domestic market remained stable, according to industry figures released recently. Around three quarters of Swiss made confectionery goes abroad and in the last year exports rose by 13.7% to 20,772 tonnes, the confectionery and biscuit manufacturers' association Biscosuisse reported. In the last five years export turnover and volume of sales have risen by around 30%, while the imports of sweets rose by only 3.7%. Boiled and soft sweets, chewing gum, marzipan and nougat had the biggest increases in sales.

The Biscosuisse website (www.biscosuisse.ch) is, unfortunately, only in French and German. But Swissinfo offers you lots of useful trade and business links for every corner of Switzerland: www.swissinfo.ch/eng/country_information/swisslinks

Wade World Trade : Your Expert In International Trade
*************************************************
We hope you find these FREE monthly trade tips and leads useful. If you're not already signed up to receive this bulletin automatically, every month, you can do so here: www.wadetrade.com/tradenewsreg.html

You can also get much more help on our website any time you want it. Our products and services include professional self-study courses, personal mentoring, online resources and contacts and our unique World Traders' Club - more or less everything you need to start up or expand your import-export business. To find out more, visit us anytime at www.wadetrade.com.