Dear Subscriber

 

Welcome to the latest Wade Trade News import-export bulletin. This month you will find the latest trade news from China, Thailand, Chile and Africa - plus details of two useful sites to help you find international trading contacts. Check it out now .... you could find something that will help you make money!

China's trade surplus with the European Union (EU) for 2009 will be less than last year - according to the country's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) - english.mofcom.gov.cn. According to Sun Yongfu, the ministry's department chief in charge of European affairs, the trade surplus with the EU has fallen so far this year. He said the decline in China's exports to the EU has accelerated while the fall in the country's imports from the EU has eased. Customs figures show China's surplus with the EU was about US$55.7 billion in the first seven months of the year, less than half of last year's total of US$160 billion. China's exports to the EU were worth US$103.5 billion in the first half, down 24.5% from a year earlier. China's imports from the EU stood at US$56.5 billion in the first six months, down 13.1% from a year ago and falling from 15.1% in the first quarter.

Chile's economy is beginning to recover, according to recent reports. Treasury Minister Andres Velasco said that the last six months of 2009 would be better than the first half of the year. He said the consumption and construction sectors had shown a slight growth of 0.4% as a result of the economic stimulus package. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet added that the country's economy is beginning to "turn a corner and leave the economic crisis". However, Central Bank figures show that while month-on-month economic figures are showing positive growth year-on-year figures for 2009 are still gloomy.

The Export Promotion Bureau (ProChile) is an agency of the Foreign Ministry's Directorate General for International Economic Relations. It works to advance and consolidate Chilean trade policy and has a really good website, with trade and industry information and a business directory with company contacts. Find it at: www.chileinfo.com

Thailand will inject another 100 billion baht (US$2.93 billion) into the economy over the rest of 2009. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva recently made the announcement at an event to mark the launch of the Thai Khem Kaeng plan, or the 'Strong Thailand' plan at Bangkok's Impact Arena. Abhisit said that the government investments will enable the economy to recover more quickly. The government's spending is particularly aimed at boosting private investment and consumer spending and the economy is expected to start growing from the fourth quarter of this year following three quarters of contraction. Abhisit said the 1.43 trillion baht budget allocated for the Thai Khem Kaeng plan will create at least 1.5 million jobs in Thailand.

African countries haven't fared too badly in the first year of the global recession. Indeed, some have been amongst the only countries in the world to show positive economic growth. However, as other countries worldwide show signs of recovery there is evidence that growth in Africa may be faltering. Official government data shows South Africa's economy (the continent's biggest) contracted 6.4% year-on-year in the first quarter, the biggest decline in almost 25 years. The World Bank has said South Africa's economy will probably contract 1.5% in 2009, the first drop in 17 years. The IMF expects Rwanda's economic growth will slow to about 5.3% in both 2009 and 2010 after an impressive 11.2% growth last year. The World Bank says that small and open economies such as Botswana and Seychelles will probably be the hardest hit, adding that gross domestic product in Botswana and Seychelles will probably fall 8% and 10% respectively.

If you want to trade with Africa, the Africa.Tradeholding website is useful for tracking down leads. Currently it has 375,631 registered members, 160,200+ posted trade leads and 67,800+ products. It lists manufacturers, importers and exporters in the following categories: Animal Products. Automobiles. Base Metals & Articles. Chemicals. Computers & Software. Construction. Consumer Electronics. Energy & Environment. Fats & Oils. Food. Footwear & Headgear. Health & Beauty. Hides, Leather & Furs. Home Supplies. Industrial Supplies. Machinery & Electronics. Mineral Products. Miscellaneous. Plastics & Rubbers. Services. Stone, Glass & Jewellery. Telecommunications. Textiles. Transportation. Vegetables. Wood. Take a look here: africa.tradeholding.com

ExportBureau is a handy worldwide trade directory which can put you in touch with manufacturing companies worldwide - with a particularly strong focus on Asia.
It provides direct e-mail contact for buyers and useful resources for major industrial sectors including: Agriculture. Electronics. Metals & Minerals. Apparel & Fashion. Energy. Office Supplies. Arts & Crafts. Entertainment. Packaging & Paper. Beauty & Jewellery. Food & Beverage. Security & Protection. Chemical & Plastics. Furniture. Sports Equipment. Computer Hardware. Home Supplies. Telecommunications. Computer Software. Industrial & Equipment. Textiles. Construction. Machinery. Toys. Electrical. Medical & Health. Transport & Vehicles. A very useful research tool: www.exportbureau.com

Whether you're looking to import or export, Chambers of Commerce can be very useful indeed. They can provide local market information, and even direct contact with local companies who want to trade. Here's a useful site to help you find them: Chamberfind.com is dedicated to the promotion of Chambers of Commerce throughout the United States and elsewhere and the member companies who support them. Based in Seattle the Chamberfind.com team is comprised of Chamber professionals with vast experience working with Chambers in the United States and worldwide. Using the user-friendly search system you can find details of Chambers of Commerce is most major cities and regions worldwide, and in many cases find a direct hyperlink for them. Find it here: www.chamberfind.com

That's all for this month .... we'll be back to you in November 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