Dear Subscriber

 

Welcome to the December 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 news on the WTO and APEC, the latest on Hong Kong-Dubai and China-Australia trade, opportunities to trade Czech beer and details of a website we think you'll find invaluable.

 

 

The USA is supporting Russia and Vietnam's desire to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO), US President George Bush announced at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Chile. Relations between the US, Vietnam and Russia have changed dramatically over recent years, tension no longer exists and age old conflicts have been resolved, paving the way for cooperation and mutual benefit in the future, Bush was quoted as saying.

 

APEC members also pledged to tighten global security and push ahead with the WTO's negotiations on lowering global trade barriers. APEC members, which comprise 21 countries around the Pacific rim accounting for nearly half the world's trade, promised to 'continue our work with a renewed sense of urgency, in order to achieve a balanced, overall outcome that will meet the high levels of ambition set for these negotiations.'.

 

You can keep up to date with APEC news and opportunities at www.apec.org and monitor WTO developments at www.wto.org.

An exhibition of products from more than 200 Hong Kong companies will take place in Dubai from December 12-16. The 'Hong Kong in Style' exhibition will show off the latest electronics, fashions, toys, jewellery, watches and optical goods. The exhibition will help to showcase Hong Kong's products to the world, but Hong Kong-Dubai exports alone rose 4.2% in the first six months of 2004.

 

You can get more details of the exhibition, and other useful information on trading in Hong Kong products, from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council website at www.tdctrade.com.

 

Australian industry welcomed a statement by Prime Minister John Howard announcing negotiations to create a free trade agreement (FTA) with China, saying trade liberalisation between the two countries would bring major benefits. Howard told reporters recently that Australia and China were making very good progress with preliminary talks, with formal negotiations likely to begin when he visits China in April 2005.

 

The Australian Industry Group or AIG (www.aigroup.asn.au) which represents export companies said the removal of tariffs and other barriers to trade with China could be 'very advantageous'. Chief Executive Heather Ridout said there was a range of potential benefits for Australian companies, and that a FTA should go beyond tariffs and deal with all the non-tariff barriers to trade that are part of the Chinese economy.

 

China is a major importer of Australian commodities, which help to fuel the country's rapid economic growth and also feed the world's largest population.

Concern over falling exports has prompted Pakistani officials to launch a new export drive. President Pervez Musharraf has decided to visit six states to promote economic relations and seek more market access for Pakistan's goods. The Federal Secretary of Commerce will visit Europe on a similar mission, and the Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau will make a trip to 11 countries.

 

Pakistan's exports fell to US$993 million last month, compared to over US$1.1 billion in the same month last year. In the first four months of the current financial year the trade deficit reached US$1,432 million. Officials are especially concerned about the pressures building up in the external sector despite a turnaround in the national economy overall.

 

The main products Pakistan exports are textiles, leather goods, sports goods, fruit, vegetables, rice, fish and fish preparations. The Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Commerce, has a useful website at www.pakistan.gov.pk/commerce-ministry/index.jsp, with contacts for trade offices worldwide.

 

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Czech beer has been very successful in foreign markets this year, with exports expected to total 2.4 million hectolitres - Jan Vesely, Chairman of the Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses, announced recently. The UK is the fastest growing export market, where sales of Czech beer jumped by over 35% this year, helped by the country's accession to the European Union. The German market expanded by 20%, USA 14% and Slovakia 5%. The Polish and Russian markets are also growing fast. Although trading in beer and other alcoholic drinks does involves some special problems with licensing and Customs barriers, once these are tackled you can import-export it very much like any other product.

 

You can get lots of information and trading contacts from the Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses website at www.cspas.cz (in Czech but includes a link to the English version). Radio Prague (www.radio.cz/en) also has an excellent site in English with information on the Czech Republic generally plus pages on Czech beer and links to producers.

The World Bank isn't a bank in the usual sense of the world, but a specialised development agency. It is one of the United Nations' agencies, made up of 184 member countries, and more properly known as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The World Bank Group's mission is to fight poverty and improve the living standards of people in the developing world. It provides loans, policy advice, technical assistance and knowledge sharing services to low and middle income countries to reduce poverty. The Bank promotes growth to create jobs and to empower poor people to take advantage of these opportunities.

 

From an international traders point of view, however, the World Bank has an invaluable website at www.worldbank.org. There you can find news and information on developing and other worldwide markets, facts and statistics, details of World Bank projects and masses of links to other trade and informational sites worldwide. Worth adding to your list of resources!

 

Wade World Trade have almost 60 years of experience, making us a world leader in world trade! Don't forget that the leads you receive in this bulletin are just a small selection of the information and help Wade World Trade can offer. Our products and services include newly updated courses, manuals, advice, information, online resources and worldwide trade and business contacts - more or less everything you need to start and succeed in import-export.

 

For more details of our products and services visit our website at www.wadeworldtrade.com or call us on +44 (0)20 8663 3577.

 

Compliments of the season from all at Wade World Trade,

 

Best Regards

 

Mark Hempshell

Editor