Dear Subscriber
Welcome to the Wade Trade News import-export bulletin for September 2009. The aim of our free monthly bulletin is to bring you some carefully selected leads and news you can use in these tricky economic times. This month we have good news - and some handy websites you will find really useful - if you want to trade with China, Russia, ASEAN countries, Switzerland and Japan .... and a useful site for information on opportunities for importing and exporting fair trade products. Check it out now .... you could find something that will help you make money!
China & ASEAN To Have Free Trade Area Next Year
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The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) should come into force next year - according to agreements made at the Fourth Pan Beibu Gulf Economic Co-operation Forum held recently in Nanning, Guangxi, China. From that point over 90% of products traded between China and ASEAN countries should enjoy a zero tariff, making the Pan Beibu Gulf area a major sub-region in Asia. The Pan Beibu Gulf Economic Co-operation Zone already comprises seven countries - China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Philippines. China-ASEAN bilateral trade reached US$231 billion in 2008, up 13.9% despite the effects of the world recession. China and the ASEAN countries are each other's fourth largest trade partners, and China's trade with the Pan Beibu Gulf countries amounted to US$226 billion or 98% of the total trade volume between China and ASEAN countries last year.
The membership of ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ASEAN's official website offers news and useful information plus links to official government websites and trading ministries for most of the member countries:
www.aseansec.org
Russia Economy Declines 10.9%
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Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) fell 10.9% in the second quarter of 2009, according the latest report from the Federal State Statistics Service. However, this still represented 7.5% growth over the previous quarter. Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina has predicted that Russia's economy may contract between 8-8.5% this year as a whole and suffer the first budget deficit since the country entered the free market economy. The Russian economy is heavily dependent on exports of oil and gas and raw materials, both of which have fallen sharply in the global economic crisis.
Accurate information on trading with Russia is difficult to find. BuyUSA, part of the US Commercial Service, offers lots of useful information for free whatever country you're based in:
www.buyusa.gov/russia/en
Switzerland-Japan Free Trade Area Now In Place
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The newly agreed Free Trade Area (FTA) between Switzerland and Japan came into force on September 1. The treaty was approved by the Swiss parliament in June, with commentators saying that it marks the most important development for Swiss trade since an FTA was agreed with the EU back in 1972.
Japan is the fourth largest market for Swiss exporters after the EU, the United States and China and the FTA is Japan's first with a European trading partner. The FTA includes provisions on the trade of goods and services, grants greater travel freedoms for business people, and provides protection for investments and intellectual property in the two nations.
China Wholesale Contacts
**********************It can be difficult to find good China wholesale trading contacts. There are certainly lots around, but there are lots of scam operations too. However, here's a China wholesale contact that seems to be reliable:
www.ePathChina.com is a professional supplier of electronics worldwide. Their main product ranges consist of MP4 and media players, cell (mobile) phones, car accessories, computer and office products, cameras and camcorders, security and surveillance equipment, home electronics, games consoles and gadgets, general accessories. Trade discounts are available on as little as 2/3 items, all products are guaranteed and they have English speaking support. You can also pay by PayPal which should in theory at least offer you an extra layer of protection when buying. Website:
www.epathchina.com
Find The Best Countries To Do Business With
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There are over 200 countries in the world today - and some make it very easy to import-export, while others make it very difficult. Obviously you can save yourself a lot of hassle and boost your profits by choosing the ones that are easier to do business with.
You can find out how easy (or difficult) a country is to do business with by consulting The Doing Business website at
www.doingbusiness.org. There you'll find information on matters such as starting a business, obtaining licenses, getting credit, trading across borders, using contracts and more. There are also some high quality reports on doing business in various countries which you can download free. By the way, Singapore is currently the easiest country to do business with, followed by New Zealand, the USA, Hong Kong, Denmark and the UK!
Exploring Fair Trading Opportunities
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Fair Trade is an economic partnership between producers, buyers and sellers which is based on dialogue, transparency, and respect. It's a growing niche offering good opportunities for small traders to get involved in, importing all kinds of products from clothing and textiles to food and giftware. Actually, fair trade is a much larger sector than you probably think. According to the UK's Fairtrade Foundation fair trade sales in 2008 alone amounted to US$4.12 billion. The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is a trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organisations who are fully committed to fair trade. The Federation is part of the global fair trade movement, building equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and creating opportunities to alleviate poverty. You can find all sorts of useful information and links on their website if you'd like to explore the opportunities in fair trade:
www.fairtradefederation.org.
More Useful Links
****************That's all for this month .... we'll be back to you in October with more helpful news and tips. Meanwhile, if you need more help or information on the products Wade World Trade has for you, including our seminars and courses, just visit our site at
www.wadetrade.com. Look forward to seeing you there!
Until next month,
Mark Hempshell
Editor