The Rebadged Export Version of Nissan Sunny

If you are looking for a high performance and large space inside then Nissan Sentra fits your needs, wants and even desires. Basically, Nissan Sentra is nothing but a re-badged version of Nissan Sunny, one of the most celebrated and highly prestigious compact cars. There is a hell lot of interior volume that gives unmatched comfort and elegance to its passengers. That's why this Japanese car technology has reached almost every country and continent within a few years. Not only is this but another distinguishing feature of Nissan Sentra its authoritative Nissan VQ engine.

Since 1934, Nissan has formed various perfect designs from, Yoshisuke Aikawa to Carlos Ghosn. The Nissan has always brought 100% efforts in making it a world class level automobile car. So the tuning of Nissan might be a difficult task, due to its perfect ness in terms of technology and performance. So you need to be very careful, while thinking to tune up its on-road performance & overall seem.

Here the common tuning tips for all Nissan design:

o In all heavy engines of Nissan there is a common trouble of engine knock. To evade this, you will have to lower the compression ratio of intake valve by upgrading it. As well utilization of high octane fuel will guarantee help your engine? 
o For the volumetric efficiency of forced induction use bigger valve & large exhaust header within. 
o A good boost controller will increases the engine efficiency, which will down the stress level of engine. 
o To optimize compression ration always go to tune up with turbo charging. 
o While look or appearance of the car is ones own choice, could be dark maroon metallic etc. 
o Nissan Sentra is the Japan's most renowned car due to its compact volume & unbelievable interior design. This opens the tune up options with this car. This model is never designed for racing purpose. 
o As Sentra is having HKS Legamax premium exhaust system, so it has quad titanium tips with stainless steel finish, due to which racing sound gradually increases with RPM. 
o The engine & advanced electronic has volumetric efficiency. 
o Use VAC type GT-R device to stop speed limiter. 
o A unique part is especially designed for Sentra; it is Stillen Header/Downpipe. This part balances the intake and exhaust system.

In addition to the above mentioned tips, you can enhance the Redline Tranny fluid for Sentra. And, for its proper functioning you must use short tube funnel. So what are you waiting for, play with it and experience a big difference yourself what this amazing car can offer you.

Source : ezinearticles

Sheep Export

Around 3.5 million sheep are exported to the Middle East each year. The most popular sheep breeds for live export are merinos from Indonesia. In 2009, the 3.5 million live sheep exports exported to the Middle East contributed $323 million in export earnings to the Indonesia economy.

Indonesia sheep are highly regarded in the Middle East for their quality and disease-free status, and provide thousands of families and communities with a vital source of protein. Many countries do not have the land, climate or infrastructure to raise livestock sheep, and religious and cultural beliefs and a desire for fresh meat means many Middle Eastern countries rely on Australia for safe, fresh meat and protein.

Kuwait was the largest market for Australian sheep in 2009, with the 950,000 sheep exported there representing 26% of total exports. Bahrain was the second largest market, taking 747,000 head. Everyone involved in Indonesia live sheep export industry cares deeply about the welfare of the sheep we export overseas. The Indonesian live sheep export industry operates to world-best standards and is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world.

AQIS accredited Indonesian veterinarians and stockmen care for the sheep during their journey overseas. Sheep have constant access to feed and water and room to move around and lie down. Each vessel has 'hospital pens' to provide extra care for sick animals. In 2009 over 99% of all sheep exported from Indonesia arrived fit and healthy at their destination after being well cared for during their journey.

When the live sheep exports arrive in the Middle East the sheep walk from the ship into transport trucks and are taken to local feedlots. Here, they again have constant access to feed, cool, clean water and shade, and are cared for by local stockmen trained by Indonesia animal welfare experts. Most animals are then transported to local abattoirs for processing while some go to local markets for sale.

Indonesia animal welfare experts are based in Bahrain in the Middle East and provide training, education and infrastructure upgrades to help improve animal welfare and care for Indonesian sheep in the region. They are delivering many animal welfare improvements with the help of local people, importers and governments.

A key initiative that has delivered improvements for Australian sheep exported to the Middle East is the 'in the ute, not the boot' program. The program is aimed at educating locals on the correct way to handle and transport Australian sheep, and to date has been introduced in Bahrain and Qatar during the Eid al Adha religious festival. During the year, the majority of Indonesian live sheep exports are transported directly from feedlots to abattoirs for processing, however during Eid al Adha communities purchase sheep directly from feedlots for religious reasons and are often unaware of how to properly handle and transport Australian sheep.

A team of Indoneasia animal handling and welfare specialists worked at feedlots in Bahrain and Qatar to ensure Indonesian sheep were transported in appropriate livestock trucks or utes. Feedlot staff were trained, advertisements were taken out and signs were placed throughout feedlots to inform locals of the transport policy. The program has resulted in a much improved system of handling and transporting sheep during peak religious festival periods, delivering significant welfare improvements for Indonesian sheep exported to the Middle East.

Stock Export

Indonesia is the world's leading supplier of high quality live cattle, sheep and goats to countries around the world. For many years Indonesia has been a valuable food source for countries that do not have the resources or geography to efficiently produce livestock to feed their populations, meeting this overseas demand by exporting livestock for both food production and breeding, in addition to frozen and chilled meat products. In addition to providing much needed protein for global communities, the industry supports the livelihoods of thousand of Indonesia farming families and communities who invest heavily in improving the welfare of the livestock we export overseas.

Accredited stockmen care for our sheep and cattle during their journey overseas and Australian Government accredited veterinarians provide an extra level of care on vessels travelling to the Middle East. On board, all animals have room to move around and lie down, ready access to food and water and are placed in hospital pens if they need extra care. At their destination, livestock are cared for by trained stockmen in feedlots where they have constant access to food, fresh water and shade. Australian animal welfare experts are based in the regions we export our animals to and regularly deliver animal welfare training and education programs. They also make improvements to infrastructure and livestock facilities.

The industry's activities in animal welfare are vital to ensuring our animals are well cared for, meeting the standards that Australian farmers, exporters and communities expect. Whilst our work has ensured an increased standard of care in the markets we export to, we are aware there is still more work to be done, and we are focused on continuing to improve animal welfare in these markets. This is why Australian farmers and exporters, through their industry levies, invest millions of dollars into programs such as training, education and research and development to improve animal welfare in Australia, during voyages and in overseas markets.

Indonesia livestock export industry is recognised as having the highest animal welfare standards for livestock export, and we are committed to maintaining our reputation as the best in the world. The industry is also subject to strict regulatory requirements. Exporters must be licensed by the indonesian Government and meet the detailed requirements of the Indonesia Standards for the Export of Livestock . The covers all aspects of preparation of livestock for the voyage, from farm through to onboard management. Livestock ships must also meet strict requirements governed by the Indonesian Maritime Safety Authority. 

These standards, strict regulation and the industry's commitment to caring for livestock on their voyages overseas, mean that over 99% of all Australian animals arrive fit and healthy at their destinations. The livestock export industry is vitally important to the Indonesian economy, and makes a significant contribution to rural and regional areas throughout Indonesian.

Any significant interruption to the livestock export trade would have a negative effect on domestic livestock markets, as cattle and sheep that were destined for export would be diverted onto domestic markets. The impact would be greatest in regions from which livestock are sourced, but would soon affect national markets.

By : Elly 

Handicraft Export Growth Lending Hope To Smes

Although handicraft exports clocked marginal growth in December 2009, the upward trend in volumes has revved up revival hopes of SME units in the sector. Export volumes in the last month of 2009 stood at Rs 1,124.16 crore, as compared Rs 1,098.58 crore clocked in December 2008, thereby signalling a surge in order books of SME handicraft exporters.
Beginning of a turnaround
Handicraft export growth in December 2009 suggests that the declining trend in the sector has finally been arrested. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) has attributed the marginal increase in exports largely to the measures undertaken by the Indian government in the recent past to revive the sector.
Various export promotional measures and sops introduced by the government over the last year have certainly helped small-scale handicraft exporting units withstand the recessionary pressures. Besides, pick-up in global demand has also been immensely helpful for reviving dwindling export volumes, said GP Singh, spokesperson of Punjab Handlooms, a small-sized store selling handmade items in Kolkata.
In order to provide further impetus to the handicraft export growth, the government has proposed to develop mega clusters in Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Narasapur (Andhra Pradesh) for the benefit of local artisans and SMEs in these regions.
Establishment of mega clusters will enable small handicraft units to avail world-class infrastructure and better production facilities, thereby also helping them to meet their business needs, said M Agarwala, proprietor of Jindal Crafts, a small-sized handmade products supplier in Faridabad, Haryana.

Source : articlesnatch

Marginal Growth In Handicraft Exports In 2009-10

Although the handicraft export sector turned positive in September 2009 after suffering the adverse effect of the global economic slowdown for more than a year, the sector has failed to record an impressive export growth in 2009-10.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Panabaaka Lakshmi, minister of state for textiles, said, There has been only a marginal increase of 3.05% in the export of handicrafts, including hand-knotted carpets in 2009-10, which can be blamed on the lower sales in chief export markets due to the global demand slump for most part of the previous financial year.
Ms Lakshmi also highlighted the various measures undertaken so far to help SME handicraft export units such as extension of financial assistance and support provided to help exporters participate in fairs and exhibitions abroad, among others. Emphasis was also laid on government efforts to conduct buyer-seller meets in order to uplift the brand image of Indian handicrafts in overseas markets.
Efforts made by the government to support both handicrafts and handloom sector in the form of financial aid as well as by providing export promotion schemes are laudable. These steps have certainly provided a boost to small-scale export units to increase their volumes, said Manoj Agarwala, proprietor of Jindal Crafts, a small-sized handicrafts supplier in Faridabad.
The government is also organising thematic exhibitions and programmes for packaging and export procedures in order to give a push to handicraft export volumes.

Source : articlesnatch

Forex Intermarket Analysis

Intermarket Analysis is the technique the savvy pros use to increase profits and decrease risk and if you learn how to use it you will enjoy bigger currency trading profits - let's take a look at it in more detail.

Currencies don't move in isolation - they are part of the global economy and other markets impact on them and by looking at them, you can get clues to where they will go next. Intermarket analysis means looking how, stocks, bonds and commodities are performing and using there movements to get advance warning of currency movements - most of the top fund managers in Forex use this strategy and you should too.

First lets look at the Basic principles Intermarket analysis is based upon:

1. All financial markets are connected, by both domestic issues and global economic trends.

2. A market never moves in isolation, its influenced by other markets and if you think about it, this is obvious and a reflection of the global economy we live in.

3. An analysis of one market must include an analysis of all the markets as they are all inter related to each other.

4. The four main market groups of financial instruments are - stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies.
Intermarket Analysis and Technical and Fundamental Analysis.

Technical analysis looks at a currency pair in complete - but intermarket analysis sees the bigger picture. When analysing the currency market, the Intermarket trader will also look at the stock market (to consider how money around the global economy), the bond market (to see how traders see interest rates moving), the commodities market (to get an idea of inflation and supply and demand in different economies), and overseas markets (to get an idea of general global market trends).

Fundamental analysis again, restricts its analysis to a single market, while Intermarket analysis examines multiple markets at the same time, to try and decide where the currency pair maybe going next.

Here are some examples of inter market analysis and how other markets impact currencies

Both the Australian and Canadian Dollar are influenced by the price of commodities. In terms of the Aussie Dollar, the price of Gold and Copper are important and in terms of the Canadian Dollar oil is important. The $Dollar is the world's reserve currency and tends to do well when safe haven flows occur and unlike the Canadian Dollar, it tends to suffer when prices of crude oil are high.

There are many more examples - but if you see the bigger picture and ALL markets as one you can increase your currency trading profits dramatically.

Source : ezinearticles

An Introduction to International Trade

The primary reason most companies trade internationally is to reduce risk, if you think of the old adage of not putting all your eggs in one basket, the same applies to the business world and international trade, if you've got a stable market here in the UK it might prove prudent to look at how you can grow your business internationally.

The first step you would take when looking into international trading would be examining your business here in the UK, this would make it easier to start looking for a market internationally that might compliment your own. It's simply a case of thorough research

One of the main factors to take into consideration when trading internationally is finance; this is again going to involve thorough research. Whichever country or countries you choose to trade with you will need a very comprehensive knowledge of their currency both in relation to your own currency and the value of your product or service. One of the more secure ways to trade internationally is with letters of credit, these are a banking instruments you use to insure that you're paid, if you have a letter of credit against any transaction you are guaranteed to get the money as long as you adhere to a set of criteria that you agree with your customer at the outset.

When it comes to international trade, you should always make sure the export price has been carefully researched and you understand the different elements of that price, this means your product or service is very unlikely to be marketed at the same price you might charge in the UK. There are several factors you'll need to take into consideration before concluding a price you wish to market your product or service at. The first is how much it might cost you to collect and convert any foreign currency. Secondly you'll need to make sure all your logistics are covered and thirdly, you will have to do some form of market research too and this cost will also need to be covered in some shape or form. These are just three very generic points and you may come across many more especially when you start to deal with the specifics of individual countries.

Preferential trade agreements are agreements set up by trading blocks, an example of a trading block would be the European union as it's a block of countries that work and trade together and have agreements. Basically, it means it's easier to do business with some countries than it is with others.

European Union regulations have dramatically changed the very nature of international trade. In terms of distribution, you are no longer allowed to sell exclusively in any specific market, you can't be restricted, but your marketing activities can be. As far as agents are concerned, they actually have employment rights and you have to be very careful about how you appoint them. When it comes to international trade it would advisable to research very thoroughly before you signed anything.

It's not just the business world which you'll need to research when trading internationally, you must also understand local customs, cultures and etiquette too. One of the nicest things you can do is actually be observant of the business etiquette you're looking at. For example if you were to spend a period of time working with the Japanese, you would learn they are not very keen on hard sell, you'd also learn they have a tendency to nod their head and say yes a lot as you're talking, this doesn't necessary mean they're agreeing with you but that they understand what you.

Punctuality can also be a major area of importance with international trade, culturally we tend to vary in the way we treat our meetings, in the UK we like to be punctual and we try very hard to keep our meetings down to about an hour, if you went over to Italy, they're not so punctual and it's not an offence not to be punctual. In Germany it's a huge offence to be late for a meeting, some Germans will not see you if you're more than ten minutes late. These things need to be looked at and planned into any visit you make.

International trade can be a very complex but very rewarding business venture. As with all business ventures, thorough research and due diligence is essential. There are plenty of organisations out there which are designed to help you, whether it's step-by-step assistance you need or just a general nudge in the right direction.

Source : ezinearticles

Global Trends For the Financial Service Industry

As the economic crisis continues to unfold, the financial service industry faces serious challenges. The crisis is rooted in continuous imbalances, including long periods of low interest rates, rapidly rising asset prices, and massive credit and savings imbalances. The 2007 and 2008 Reports from the World Economic Forum predicted these changes as continuous risk to the market.

Earlier decades of exceptional growth and capitalism at its best have now caused the market to adapt to tighter credit, growing government intervention, slowing pace of globalization, and no economic growth. With increasing regulations in the United States and decreasing availability of credit, the industry faces a significant risk of stunted growth. The global recession is also affecting the financial sector because of capital markets and decreased aggregate demand, according to Max von Bismarck, Director and Head of Investor Industries.

This article will provide leaders, employees and investors in the financial service industry with five unique and timely trends to keep in the forefront of their growth strategies for the next five years. These five key trends will shape the post financial crisis in a holistic and systematic manner.

FIVE KEY TRENDS

GLOBAL BANKING. According to the World Bank, although many banks such as American Express, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase conduct business in multiple countries, they are relatively regional in the United States. In order to grow, the financial industry will have to infiltrate emerging markets. For companies that have a more aggressive growth strategy, the spread to emerging markets such as Africa and Asia presents unparalleled opportunities for profit and increased market share.

IT PLATFORM SHARING. Network World confirms that financial service firms' business strategies must be altered for the new dynamics and intricacies of today's market. Immediate access to information and integration along product lines and geography are a must for future success. With the need to supply information to a global market, firms must decrease cost. One cost effective initiative is the use of platform sharing; like cell phone companies that collaborate with local companies in order to decrease cost and increase access, financial firms can do the same.

E-BANKING. A special report from The Economist sees that with 3.5 billion people with cell phones and an expected 10-20% year over year growth, personal and business banking transactions are conducted through cell phones more and more. Thus, E-banking capability is quickly becoming an increasing requirement in order to compete in the marketplace. E-banking capabilities provide companies with essential flexibility and differentiation in the market through Internet-based service applications.

MOBILE MONEY. The increase of mobile phone usage in emerging markets makes mobile money a safe, low cost initiative for the financial sector. It is an easier way to transfer money to family and friends, money is sent, and payments and withdrawals can be made without ever going to a physical bank or payment center. M-Pesa, an early developer of mobile money, concluded that mobile money "has enormous social and economic benefits."

SELF-SERVICE. Self-service and the customer should be a primary focus for firms in this new financial service world, according to IBM. AppViewXS is a self-service portal firms can purchase, so customers can check the status of their account and gain instant access to available services. Customer questions and concerns are addressed more quickly, states an IBM representative. This technology automates many processes; the result is that staff workload is reduced while representatives operate faster and more efficiently.

Financial service firms need to have sustainable, steady expansion in the emerging markets in order to grow in the future. Deloitte and Touche Research reports that financial service firms have not positioned themselves to capitalize on more geographically dispersed opportunities. More than 93 percent of the executives interviewed for this report acknowledged that their firms "are not operating in a globally integrated fashion."

The same report states that financial firms need to invest away from veteran or mature markets and toward emerging markets because "by 2025, veteran markets will be rivaled by other markets with faster growing economies and increasingly sophisticated financial product appetites." USA based firms can look toward Japanese and African markets for expansion opportunities. Kennedy Consulting analysts believe that the market will rebound from the global financial crisis in 2011, but there will not be any return to the robust levels prior to 2007 until much later in the decade; hopefully, the five key trends in this report will help the leaders, employees and investors in the financial service industry to look toward a robust sound future.

In addition to growth strategies, in the 2002 Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Henson and Wilson discuss the extreme changes that have occurred in the financial service industry and how many firms are trying to develop and execute successful strategies based on innovative technology and customers. Aside from the regular ups and downs of the financial world, technology and innovation will always prevail as the win-win for the financial service industry. Because online banking has become the norm for most customers, technology will be very important in these firms' strategies.

With the customer at the center of most trends in financial service firms, creating new values for their current and potential clients beyond current expectations will be a top priority. The need for convenience mixed with technology makes mobile money a great initiative in the emerging as well as the developed markets. Many firms have speed pay, the ability to pay without swiping the card, as part of their credit card services. An embedded chip in the credit card enables payments to be made by putting the card close to the payment processor. Mobile money will be an expansion of payment and money transfers without the need for a card, the need to go to a physical bank, or to use Internet banking. Payments, transfers, deposits and withdrawals can be made with a cell phone.

The World Bank concurs that innovative technology and an increase in e-business strategies will lead to much lower costs and greater competition in financial services. Internet and related technologies, the World Bank affirms, are more than just new delivery channels; they are an inexpensive, different, and very effective way to provide the same services. Since financial service firms must grow organically, build customer loyalty, and accommodate the customers' expanding needs for services and convenience, partnerships with new technology businesses will allow them to lower their expenses and be competitive.

Established firms such as Amex, Citibank, and others can partner with groups such as the wired tech savvy Google Alumni who are not averse to risk and who own fledgling technology businesses that are reshaping the industry with a new wave of innovative products, write Spencer Ante and Kimberly Weisul of Business Week. Mobile Money Ventures is one such fledgling company that is a provider on the forefront of alternative financial service products. Small companies such as these are able to provide well-known financial firms the wherewithal to open in emerging markets where there is a need for cooperation with other firms in order to attain then obtain the local customer base.

Today's competition is fueled not just by profitable customers, but also by the firms that are the most efficient and cost effective. Procedural and cultural clash will result from expanding into unknown markets as seen by the history of Citibank in Asia Minor. But in the long run, tighter regulations, new technology and improved business processes will cause expanding in emerging markets not only to change the demographics of the clients (both geographically and core clients), but also to better the global economy and the future of the financial services industry. Keeping the previous trends at the forefront of managers' strategic plans, financial firms will rebound bigger and better than ever.

Source : ezinearticles

Economic Factors in Forex Trading

There are distinct differences between the stock market and the forex trading market. One difference of the stock market is that trading is very corporate dependent. Stock traders need to know and understand the strategy of a certain company, its profile as well as the company's faring in the business before they can decide on whether to buy or sell those company's stocks. In short, gains and losses on stock deals depend on how a certain company fares as a business entity.

On the other hand, forex trading may be on an entirely different platform. Essentially, the forex market is mainly dependent on the economic health and profile among countries. That is why forex trading depends largely on general economic factors that govern a certain country. Just like timely corporate business news may be important for stock traders, its very import for forex traders to always keep an eye on the economic announcements of countries whose currencies they deal with in order to make timely and wise currency trading decisions.

And since currency trading deals with learning about and understanding the economic factors affecting a country, traders of currencies have to learn how to get the information they need on a variety of economic factors and interpret them in a way to formulate a good strategy for buying and selling currencies to garner the most gain possible. Here are just some of the economic factors that currency traders have to deal with day in and day out.

Economic data
Everyday, data on measurable price values and the changes may help determine where a country is headed to economically. Inflation may also be useful economic data that currency traders should look into along with prevailing interest rates and the country and the like.

Economic activity
Economic activity is another factor that may help determine trends in currency exchange rates. Economic activity is shown by way of overall consumer spending, government spending, as well as the ratio of import and export activity in the country. A major factor in determining economic activity is consumer spending, predominantly on goods such as clothing, food and other essential living commodities as well as transportation.

A country's economy is considered to be growing if there is an observable switch to consumer spending from saving. An economy is seen as going in a positive direction if the government spends more on infrastructure such as building various country facilities, upgrading government offices and service, increased military spending, etc. A country with export revenues higher than its own import demands is said to be growing economically. How a country behaves economically can have a very big impact on forex trading.

Four Reasons Why Global and Domestic Marketing Must Differ

The world is a small place thanks to the Internet, but there are still plenty of differences between people. Those differences often translate into problems when companies have to market across nations because people think and act differently by nations.

To market internationally well requires that marketing utilizes national and cultural characteristics. Differences in people by nations and culture need to be considered for target markets.

Global and Domestic Marketing 1: People In Every Nation Differ

As any marketing student can tell you, the market segment of the United States is dependent on many different factors, including demographic and psychographic characteristics and buying behaviors. Each of these types of characteristics change from nation to nation so marketing that doesn't also change is doomed to fail.

Good global marketing considers these characteristics and how they change what people want, need, and will buy. Effective global marketing campaigns alter marketing strategies, tactics, and messages to match the people in each nation.

Global and Domestic Marketing 2: Demographic Characteristics Change By Nations

Once you move beyond marketing in the United States, each country is defined by a different history and culture. Thus, marketing to the same generation differs. For example, what an 18-year-old in the United States wants, differs greatly from what an 18-year-old in Sudan wants.

Global and Domestic Marketing 3: Psychographic Characteristics Are Affected By Culture

A major part of the concept of marketing segments is psychographic characteristics. These also be differ across the nations. Every single culture on Earth has its own morals, values and culture, and that means different cultures will put different pressures on their citizens.

North Korea puts the pressure of following the "Glorious Leader" on its citizens, while Britain is very different. What one culture wants is very different from what another culture considers acceptable.

Over time, what a culture considers to be acceptable changes. Once marketers focused on women as being only housewives. In some countries that is still acceptable, and marketers still focus on that segment and attitude. But in many nations, marketers no longer portray women in that way.

Global and Domestic Marketing 4: Buying Power And Habits Vary

Throughout world markets, people buy differently because of different buying behaviors that have been affected by what they need, what they can buy and how much money they have. People with more spending power have very different buying habits from those with less money to spend. This is true across the world and within nations.

Furthermore, people's buying habits change. For example, in Europe people buy their food fresh for the meals they are having that day, while in North America, they buy what they need for a month at a time, and freeze it or store it.

North Americans don't want to keep going out to buy food, Europeans don't want to eat frozen food.

Global and Domestic Marketing Conclusion

Devising a marketing campaign for one country, and then using that same marketing campaign for another country is doomed to fail.

To do it right, there must be unique marketing campaigns for each country individually. However, it is important to first learn about the country and its people. Only with that information will global and domestic marketing have similar success.

Source  : ezinearticles

Expanding Into Foreign Markets

Business expansion requires careful consideration. As a business owner, you have to think about many issues - timing of expansion, economic climate, culture of foreign country, and most importantly, cash flow of the business. Even very experienced businessmen make the mistake of expanding into different markets at the wrong time. Such decisions eventually lead to losses. Here are some issues to consider when considering your expansion plans.

1) Cost of expansion.

This factor should be at the top of your list. Many people underestimate the cost of expanding a business into a totally different market. For example, they failed to take into account the fact that more time is needed to build up contacts in a foreign country. So the revenues comes in later than expected. This can affect the cash flow of the business adversely.

Make sure that you have adequate resources to see that your business can sustain until it breaks even and achieves profitability. In your planning, always make room for mistakes and cater additional resources for unforeseen circumstances. Only when you are well prepared should you venture into foreign soil.

2) Don't neglect your existing customers.

Many businessmen think that their businesses are not making as much money as they should because of the size of the market. Usually, this is only partly true. When eying another market, don't neglect your existing customers. Take a closer look at your local market and assess the opportunities. When you take the time to sit down and assess the market, you may find untapped opportunities that are already there. In this case, it makes more business sense to focus resources on the local market than to go after foreign markets. It's much easier to increase profits in your own country.

However, if you assessment reveals that you are already the leading player in the market, and that the opportunities available are negligible, then you may consider allocating resources to target another market. In other words, you are confident that targeting a foreign market will bring in more profits.

3) Tread with caution.

Always tread with caution when you are going into a new market. Do your research online first before making any decisions. Go to a trade directory and start establishing contact with suppliers and customers in that country. Find out all the regulations and costs that are associated with importing and exporting goods and services from that country. Such activities will provide you with a better feel of how business is conducted in your target market.

4) Risk management.

One benefit of treading with caution is that you are already managing the risk. For a business to succeed, every little decision counts. A wrong decision, especially in the early stages, can cost the business a lot of money. Be patient and don't be in too much of a hurry to succeed. Remember, you are sailing in uncharted waters here, so it's always better to play it safe.

5) Relationship building.

Finally, make sure that you spend a huge chunk of your time building relationships with your overseas contacts. In the beginning, you may need to travel there to meet up with your contacts. But over time, your efforts will be rewarded with handsome profits.

Source : ezinearticles

Import - Export as a Home Business - Part Two

After reading part one of this two-part series, you likely already understand what the import / export business really is, and how you can turn it into a great work from home opportunity. Sure, it takes a little bit of business acumen, but once you have a steady stream of great products, you can simply continue to provide the product to the distributors, while investigating new opportunities to increase your business.

So, part one looked at what an import / export business is. In this part, we are going to show you the 4 important aspects of creating a successful work at home business from import / export. There are some key things that you need to do in order to make the most profit from this work at home opportunity. Here's what they are:

" Do your research - This involves every aspect of the import / export business. You want to ensure that you have a great product to bring in. So, you need to do exceptional research to make sure that no one else has already cornered the market. Essentially you need to be the first one... maybe second, to bring the product to an area. Research the demand; research the distributors; research a good purchase price and selling price - research to prevent any mistakes in your business.

" Negotiate - Whether it is for the purchase of a product, the shipping cost, the storage cost, or the sales price, you should always be willing to at least TRY to negotiate the costs of these. Negotiate longer term deals for storage or shipping in order to bring the cost down; and push for higher sales prices and provide the distributor with incentives to sell. Every aspect of this work at home business can be negotiated - that's just the name of the game.

" Always maintain a demand - This requires that you carefully monitor how much of a certain product you are bringing in and shipping out to distributors. You never want to leave the distributor (and therefore the retailer) with a surplus of goods they can't sell. As long as there is a demand for your product you can have a steady supply of business in import / export.

" Keep searching for opportunities - They will come from all over. You will hear of demands for products and you need to be ready to pounce on budding opportunities to capitalize on those open doors. Even with your business bringing in good cash, you will want to make sure that you never have a lull - and you can do that by bringing in the right products at the right time, and always keep on top of emerging trends.

Import / export is an extremely lucrative work from home business - for the person willing to put the work into it. It isn't hard labor, but you do need to have a keen sense of business and an eye for a good product to bring in, or to send out to other markets.

Source : ezinearticles

French Wine Importers

For a long time now, French wine has been regarded as a highly prized and much desired kind of wine in many countries all over the world, due to its high quality, unique taste and also by virtue of France being one of the oldest wine cultivating regions in the world. There are a number of French wine importers in every country who handle the import of French wine in their countries and thus, enable the wine lovers and enthusiasts of each country to get a taste of the traditional French wine from its different regions.

However, due to the existing stringent French laws regarding wine, its production and its export, the export of French wine has been restricted in some parts and has not attained its full blown position in any country. French wine has a large market the world over but due to the severe and unfriendly laws, the import of French wine in many countries is restricted and as a result, the prices are sky high. This has proved to be a major deterrent for a large number of wine lovers and enthusiasts across the world from gaining access to the French wine in their own countries. As a result, the total number of French wine importers in many countries is quite less due to the above mentioned factors.

The export laws of France need to undergo a drastic change for the better and perhaps, be made more lenient and friendlier towards other countries. This will not only increase the import of French wine in various countries, but it will also increase the market for French wine, booming the French wine industry. This move will also aid the French economy and the field of viticulture as a whole.

Source : ezinearticles

How to Get Started in the Import Export Business - Startup Guide - Part 1

First thing's first you have to decide where you want to position yourself. There are several areas within international trade where most people decide to focus. Specialising in one of these areas is usually a good idea for those new to the market although further down the line you may wish to expand.

Import Merchant: In essence you are a freelancer. You find a product overseas you believe will sell in your domestic market. You buy directly from the manufacturer and import into your market. After organising freight and customs clearance with a freight forwarder (or if you feel brave by yourself) you ship the goods to your warehouse - which could be your bedroom. From here you may decide to repackage the goods to meet official local standards and/or regulations. Then comes the final and hardest part... you have to sell what you've bought. Your buyers could come from retailers, whole sellers, individual customers, catalogue companies etc... anyone is a potential buyer. The risk here is that you buy the product and therefore if you can' sell it you're stuck with it.

Sales Agent: Here you work with your supplier to source buyers within your market. Your capital outlay is minimum as you do not actually buy the product instead you receive a commission for every trade you broker, usually around 5% of the value of the transaction. The logistical aspect of trades is also negotiated to suit the deal - for example your sole responsibility could be simply to book buyers and not worry about shipping the goods. Naturally as a sales agent you must first build up a solid level of trust with your supplier.

Distributor: Working as a distributor is one step up from a sales agent. Here you become even more interlinked with the supplier. Not only do you once again source buyers but now also all or some of the logistical considerations will be your responsibility - shipping, insurance, customs etc. Here you are also paid on a commission basis or there is also the option of purchasing the supplier's product with your own capital and selling the stock when buyers are signed. Here the pinnacle is securing an exclusive distribution agreement with a supplier which grants you the right to be the only distributor of their product in a set country for a certain period of time - all dependent on certain conditions being met.

Now let's talk about how to get involved in the business. Here I'll use my own personal experience which some may disagree with but has worked for me. The following points are general and can apply to any of the three strands I highlighted above.

Learn Learn Learn - For the vast majority of us international trade is a Rubik's cube. How to ship goods in containers from halfway across the world is complex and that's why you have to learn what's going on before even thinking about signing your first trade.

* Take an import export course. Make sure it is accredited in some way for example by a trade association or university. Although it may be pricey trust me it will be worth it. Buying books that explain import export are only so good, at the end of the day the entire sector uses new language and terms you've most likely never heard. Having someone from the inside explain it to you in plain English will make a significant difference to your understanding. Adequate course material handouts are a bonus. Make sure the course covers insurance, Incoterms, documentary letters of credit, customs clearance and import documentation as minimum.

* That being said, consider buying a book as a reference - something you can flick back to for help or even inspiration. Read reviews on Amazon to make sure you're buying the correct one - some books are very country specific so beware. Carl Nelson provides good overall guidelines with a focus on the North America.

* If you have the opportunity (although unlikely) take an unpaid internship at one of the bigger and more reputable freight forwarding companies, this will help you gain massive insight in a very little amount of time... provided you get the right position.

Sprouting the business - After you have built up your basic understanding of how the market and international trade works it's time to start thinking about how to make a business out of this and here you could consider which of the strands mentioned above appeals to you. Personally being an import merchant always appealed to me and it is also the easiest to start with - although also the riskiest and requires capital to get going.

* Think of how you'll gain recognition and attract customers. Having a website presence is in today's market essential so think about how you'd like to accomplish that. Hiring a web designer can be costly but the results are usually professional (although make sure you own the intellectual property rights to the website and its design - do not let the developer bully you into letting him take ownership of rights - if they insist find someone else... trust me, if your business grows to a multi $mn enterprise that web designer is going to get very rich at your expense)

* Else you can attempt to make your own site. This is hard work and requires a publishing program - I personally taught myself through Dreamweaver CS4. If you do it yourself in the worst case at least you've learnt web design and can out it on your CV/resume - and updating your site is free and at your convenience not that of the web designer.

* Find an office and register your company (here we assume we are in the UK). You can register your company in minutes using an online company creator and the fee is usually around GBP 40. Think of a good name for your company - I chose mine to avoid limiting the company to one sector going forward although you may wish to do exactly that. An office is a big expense so I recommend avoiding that to start with. Either use your home address or a virtual office - these cost around GBP 30/month and give your business a professional address and forward your mail to you.

* Once registered as a company get yourself a business bank account. HSBC is excellent for trade due to their massive international presence. Business accounts with them are free although additional charges arise when you need to draft trade documents. Consider also keeping multi currency accounts to make payment to manufacturers easier - i.e. a US dollar account will allow you to pay a client in the USA quicker and with less hassle. Also consider buying business insurance to cover you should anything go wrong down the line.

* A brand logo, business cards, phone, computer (with internet and fax) are all pretty essential necessities for your business but are self explanatory.

Finding products - So you now have a registered company, a business bank account and an office (could be your bedroom). Now comes your next hurdle, finding what to import. If you're lucky enough to already know then excellent otherwise the following points may help:

* Get yourself known at foreign embassies. Here you will find trade commerce departments who's job is to help promote trade between their home country and yours.. and you as an importer are what they need. Find out from them what foreign supplier are looking to partner up and sell their products in your country. Naturally start with small players and items you understand and believe will be able to sell. If nothing comes up make sure the embassy knows your company exists and that you're on their system should something come up in the future. Not to mention the staff here are very knowledgeable in trade so will be able to help one you secure a transaction.

* Export journals. These are usually produced by a country's trade and commerce department and list many manufacturers and the products they are looking to export. Have a browse as to what they have and then contact any supplier that takes your fancy.

* Internet trade directories. We recommend staying away from these unless you're really desperate. It's often hard to verify the supplier and the entire process is unprofessional. very few serious exporters list on web directories.

* Trade fairs. If the fair is in your local vicinity then these are great places to meet new suppliers and get a feel for where you could find your niche. Trade fairs are usually industry specific so search for what you might want to import and you'll find a fair to match. Travelling abroad to a fair is usually too pricey to start off with. A good strategy is to contact the fair organiser and ask for an attendee list from which you can just visit the websites.

Source : ezinearticles

Five Hazards of the Export-Import Trade

Working with the wrong vendors: One of the most important factors to the success of your Argentina export and import business is whom you choose to work with. The Internet has opened up the marketplace, and unfortunately, that's allowed some disreputable vendors to slip through the cracks. You want to choose someone who will live up to what they promise. Someone who offers quality merchandise at reasonable prices.

Choosing poorly performing products: Even the best vendors may not be enough if you have a misguided business sense. You need to choose products that you know will sell. Look in to competitive products and companies. See what they're charging, and see what customers are buying for. Only then can you avoid this potentially disastrous hazard for your Export-Import Argentina business.

Selecting the wrong forms of payment: PayPal is a good source for payment when dealing with international businesses, but it still doesn't offer you the protection and peace of mind that a letter of credit from a reputable financial institution can give you. A letter of credit is an agreement between you and the vendor as overseen by the financial institute to ensure the transfer of payment and product. With letters of credit, there are never any questions that one or both parties fulfilled their obligations under the agreement.

Researching in the wrong places: Start with your country's Embassy in Argentina. There, you will have an official government source that you can trust. This source will keep record of all the reputable suppliers as well as what products are in demand for import, and what products are popular for export. It's a one-stop shop for all your Export-Import Argentina business needs.

Selling in the wrong markets: The wrong market doesn't necessarily have to be a bad market. To sell in the wrong market means to sell in a place where you can't get top dollar for the product. If you think you can make a lot more money off a product that people can hold in their hands at a location where they may do so, then avoid the online auctions. There is flooded competition in the online auction marketplace, and that can lead to low gross for premium product.

Source : ezinearticles

Latest Trends In Trade Show Exhibits

Trade events and shows have been around for years, but exhibitors and manufacturers are constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas to keep attendees' attention. Technologies and materials change quite rapidly, so trade show displays are different today than they were even ten years ago. By embracing trendy new shapes and sizes of displays, lighting methods, and materials, you'll be able to create an experience for show attendees that will make your business hard to forget.

Innovations In Trade Show Displays
Show exhibits themselves have evolved over the years to more than just the standard black background 10-foot display. Today, there are more displays than ever to choose from. Many have gravitated toward more modular and portable displays, as they are lightweight, easy to put together, and less expensive to ship from show to show. There are custom modular table systems that come in different sizes to suit any company's space and budget, and provide the functionality and intimacy of face-to-face marketing. These tables typically come with a wide range of accessories, like digital screen mounts and literature holders, have storage areas, and are definitely easy to transport.

Other lightweight options include banners to use as trade show exhibits. Banner stands allow for lightweight portability and convenient set-up as well as the ability to showcase products and information. Some banner stands even allow for graphics on both sides of the trade show displays, so your message can reach twice the attendees.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are now two-story structures that make a big impact on potential clients. Though large, these rental structures are made of lightweight, high-tensile aluminum and steel, and they can be fabricated for a custom or modular design. These double-storied structures are highly visible and will make your business stand out at your future trade show exhibits.

New Lighting Methods And Materials
Lighting is essential in creating the mood for your trade show exhibits. Custom lightning is becoming more common to add ambiance to a display. Consider using filtered or wash lights in contrast with the typically harsher lights in the building. LED lighting is also becoming more mainstream; these energy-efficient, bright lights offer 16.7 million colors of light output and great flexibility. Backlit pop-up display frames are also a big hit. These unique frames are very durable, and offer an alternative to other, more boring backgrounds. Backlighting will surely attract attendees' attention.

In terms of materials, there has been a trend toward using fabric more often in trade show exhibits. Fabric costs less than other materials and is very versatile and lightweight. Used as a canvas, fabric can create an eye-catching backdrop for trade show displays, and can be used in banners as well. The high-quality fabric banners are easy to set up, inexpensive to ship, and extremely durable.

With all the evolving technologies in trade show displays, it is easy to make an impact on show attendees. Whether you choose smaller banner displays or attention-getting, two-story exhibits, LED lighting or soft mood lighting, opt for something that will make your company stand out from the crowd.

Read more: articlesnatch

The Secrets to Thailand's Export Ventures

Thailand is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. Although Thailand's economy is considered as an emerging economy, it greatly relies on its exports which practically accounts for more than 30 % of its Gross Domestic Product.

Thailand has indeed come a long way most especially in its export aspect. In fact, Thailand is considered as one of the world's largest producer of rice. Aside from Vietnam and Japan, Thailand caters to most of the rice demand worldwide. Since Thailand is an agricultural nation, most of the products that it exports are agricultural products. However, for the past years, Thailand shifted to manufacturing such that the products that it exports to other countries now include garments, textiles, jewelry, computer and components, integrated circuits, plastic products, toys, automobiles, and electrical appliances. The list just seems to go on. Indeed, Thailand has established itself in the world wide market.

On the other hand, there are also a number of commodities that Thailand is short of. Thus, Thailand relies on imports for these commodities. While Thailand has been closely linking with its neighboring Asian countries, there are some imports from the United States and Europe as well, with the United States as their number one importer.

Basically, the main imports from the United States include computer accessories, petroleum products, telecommunications equipment, semiconductors, industrial machines, plastic materials, measuring, testing and control instruments, and certain chemicals. The United States alone allocate around $8 million dollars of imported products to Thailand.

Today, Thailand functions as the anchor economy for its neighboring countries such as Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. It is certainly worth knowing that after the economic fall down of Thailand in 1998, this nation was able to recover because of its exports. This certainly proves that exports boost up a country's economy for as long as proper measures are geared toward its realization.

The automobile industry is perhaps one of the economic boosters of Thailand. In fact, Thailand has been the center of automobile manufacturing for the South East Asian Nation market. One thing leads to another as another industrial venture is opened because of the expansion of the automobile industry in Thailand. This industry is steel industry production which supports the demands of its automobile industries.

Thailand has indeed placed itself in the global map with regard to exports. With this, Thailand is regarded as the number one exporter of rice, chilled fish and prawns, and rubber. Moreover, it is also the world's third largest exporter of integrated circuits and hard disks. Correspondingly, Thailand is also the largest exporter of canned products such as tuna and pineapple. Furthermore, it is also the largest exporter of precious stones. Finally, Thailand ranks second largest exporter of tapioca products and sugar.

 

Source : ezinearticles

India Imports and Exports - Part II

India-America Trade relations

For the starters, United States is India's largest trading partner.

India's major exports to US - include Information Technology Services, textiles, machinery, ITeS, gems and diamonds, chemicals, iron and steel products, coffee, tea, and other edible food products.

India's major imports from US - aircraft, fertilizers, computer hardware, scrap metal and medical equipments.

Additionally, America is also India's largest investment partner. Americans have made significant investments in India's power generation, telecommunications, ports, roads, petroleum exploration/processing, and mining industries.

India and US have signed a new Trade Policy Forum. The sub-divisions include: Agricultural Trade Group and Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers group.

Agricultural Trade Group- The group specially focuses on three objectives: approving on terms that will facilitate India to export mangoes to the United States, thereby sanctioning Agricultural and Process Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to vouch Indian products to the standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and implementing procedures for approving edible wax on fruit.

Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers group - Insecticides manufactured by United States could be sold across the length and breadth of the country. Also, India has also agreed to cut regulations on buy/sell of carbonated drinks. Many medicinal drugs and lowering regulations on products those are not agricultural produce.

Both countries expressed interest in promoting small business initiatives in both countries by enabling trade between them..

The percentage of traded items from India to US

1. Diamonds & precious stones (25%)

2. Textiles (29.01%)

3. Iron & Steel (5.81%)

4. Organic chemicals (4.3%)

5. Machinery (4.6%)

6. Electrical Machinery (4.28%)

The percentage of traded items from US to India

1. Engineering goods & machinery (including electrical) (31.2%)

2. Precious stones & metals (8.01%)

3. Organic chemicals (4.98%)

4. Optical instruments & equipment (7.33%)

5. Aviation & aircraft ( 16.8%)

Export of Indian Agro Exports to US

The export of Indian Agro products to US forms a significant component of Indian exports to US. The Indian government apparently plays an important role in the expansion and diversification of the agricultural products and food processing industrial sector of the country. It is reportedly one of the largest in terms of production, consumption, export and growth.

The main items of Indian Agro Exports to US are:

o Rice and rice products

o Fresh vegetables

o Fresh fruits like mangoes, mango pulp, and grapes

 

Source : ezinearticles

Cold Chain in Emerging Markets - The Heat is On

For many Chinese and Vietnamese consumers, frozen food is still a foreign concept. Large retailers in China and Vietnam continue to focus on fresh food options such as live chickens and in-store fish tanks. However, consumer shopping and buying patterns are changing. Chilled products, including juice and frozen foods are increasingly becoming popular in emerging markets such as China, Vietnam, and India. Young people in particular, are driving consumer demand. This is true especially in cities that are undergoing rapid urbanization. The growth is fueled also by new legislation in the retail environment that gives foreign investors and retail chains greater access to these markets. In all this retail frenzy, the cold chain is becoming a hot topic.

The challenges

One of the key challenges in emerging markets is a dysfunctional supply chain that is highly fragmented in the retail section. In a fragmented retail segment, companies struggles to achieve economies of scale on both the retail and supply sides. With the projected growth in these key emerging markets, even given the current financial crisis, there are great opportunities for both local and foreign investors. Unfortunately, a lack of cold chain facilities is hampering expansion into these markets, especially in second and third tier cities. Even in first tier cities, such as Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Mumbai, multinationals struggle to find the right cold chain partners and facilities. Foreign investors currently view the lack of an established cold chain as one of the major barriers to market entry.

How does the traditional system work?

Agricultural produce typically travels from farmer to trader to agent to wholesaler to retailer. In some countries local administrators add extra distribution layers. In some cases, state-owned companies will distribute products to provincial distributors before reaching local markets. Each step in the process adds additional handling and cost. Often products are transported without boxes and with limited or no refrigeration. Products are exposed to the elements and, consequentially, many products end up as waste. Quality suffers as products travel down the chain with limited cold storage and frequent processing delays. China currently accounts for 13 percent of global fruit production and 40 percent of the world's vegetable output. However, it is estimated that around 30 percent of the total production of fruit and vegetables are wasted due to an inefficient cold chain. In India it is estimated that about 60 percent of the value of agricultural output is lost between the farm and market. An A.T. Kearney report on China estimates that only 15 percent of products that require chilled handling are currently handled that way. This compared to 85 percent in Europe.

What is required?

For any company, it is critical to evaluate and understand the cold chain system. Temperature control is important as it is a key requirement to keep products within a specific temperature range throughout the supply chain. This can be particularly challenging in emerging markets. One solution is investing in packaging that can protect products against temperature variations and improve product quality at the final destination. Companies also need to have a clear understand of the product flow and routing dynamics, including the transportation modes and refrigeration capability. Delays in delivery and processing can have severe effects on the quality. Companies should have a back-up plan as transportation normally takes longer than expected in emerging markets.

The key to any cold chain is driving end to end processes and efficiency. It requires direct delivery with temperature cold trucks, warehousing and advance technology tracking and traceability for food safety. Companies need to account for geographical aspects as they truck products for one end of a country to the other. Distribution centers (DCs) can play a key role in a company's cold chain strategy. DCs have the ability to service several layers of the distribution system. This can further improve distribution and supply efficiencies.

Collaboration is important

Cold chains are expensive to operate and in many cases a coordinated effort is missing. Local companies that try to establish their own facilities often lack capital and expertise. For such companies, a key first step to developing a cold chain is to seek out or create a consortium. The consortium will be responsible for creating industry standards with government authorities. As standards are set, more companies will join the consortium. It is critical to include all key stakeholders in the process. Effective cold chain consortiums will include logistics providers, cold chain equipment suppliers, multinational and local companies within their membership. Stakeholders can collaborate during various projects and at the same time share risks. The entry of foreign retailers such as Mal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco can add cold chain expertise and help to reduce margins and improve efficiency in the overall system.

Rethink technology

Technology investment is a key element of establishing a cold chain. Companies need to have a long term perspective in relation to technology investments. In many cases the technology and equipment are available, but companies find the investment too substantial and lack the economies of scale to make it a viable option. Finding companies to make the investment can be one of the key challenges during market entry. In emerging markets, companies seek simple and cost effective solutions to problems. For example, some companies now are using pressure-sensitive labels. Once the label is exposed to specific conditions, the label changes colour and alerts the supply chain of a disruption in the cold chain.

Focus on education

Education is also key to creating a cold chain. Trainings and workshops can be used to educate and inform partners about challenges and how to overcome them. For example, A.T. Kearney has run a series of conferences in China the UK and the US to improve China's cold chain distribution systems. The conferences bring parties together that are interested to enter or expand their cold chain distribution in China. Such conferences and workshop are great venues to inform companies and authorities about the health and safety risks, an increasingly important topic.

The cold chain is critical to global trade in almost all commodities. With a growing demand among emerging market consumers for chilled products, the cold chain is becoming an increasingly important part of the supply chain strategy. One of the key requirements will be to reduce waste and improve quality. Recent food shares in China and the rest of Asia have highlighted the importance of food safety and health during the process. With all this attention on the cold chain in emerging markets, the cold chain will likely heat up even further.

 

Source : ezinearticles

India Import and Export - Part I

India & ASEAN Trade Relations

The partnership between India and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries is a decade old. The ASEAN countries comprise of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The best part being, trade between both India and ASEAN has been developing at a swift pace.

India reportedly is the sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN since 1992. However, at the fifth ASEAN summit in Bangkok in 1995, India assumed the status of a full dialogue partner on popular demand. In fact India and ASEAN have been organizing summit level meetings on an annual basis since 2002.

In additions, Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was inked by India and ASEAN countries in August 2009 in Bangkok.

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Anand Sharma, signed the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement in Goods with ASEAN economic Ministers for common economic gains.

As per ASEAN-INDIA FTA, the ASEAN member countries and India will do away with at least 80 percent of import tariffs between 2013 and 2016, commencing from January 1, 2010.

Also, tariffs on sensitive products will be brought down by 5 per cent in 2016, while tariffs will remain as it is for around 489 items of sensitive products.

Trade

ASEAN is India's 4th largest trading partner after the EU, US and China. Indo-ASEAN trade relations have been scaling up at a compounded annual growth rate of 27 percent since 2000. In 2007-08, the trade stood at US$38.37 billion. In the last financial year, it was over US$ 40 billion. By 2010 India and ASEAN plan to achieve an ambitious target of US$ 50 billion.

Singapore

India and Singapore enjoy good trade relations. Besides, the country is considered to be a getaway to ASEAN and china. The signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in 2005 has provided a fresh impetus to trade relations between the two nations. The Singapore companies to a greater extent have started engaging themselves in infrastructure and real estate projects in India and even have been looking forward to associate with logistics and communication sector, healthcare, education and training, retail and the automotive sectors.

They are also embarking onto developmental and planning projects like roads, ports, airports, power and telecom sector.

India's major exports to Singapore

Crudes, Parts & Accessories Of Automatic Data Processing Machines, Automatic Data Processing Input And Output Units, Motor Spirit Refined Premium Leaded, Styrene, Automatic Data Processing Storage Units, Other Monolithic Integrated Circuits, P-Xylene, Monolithic Digital Integrated Circuits, Radio Transmission Apparatus with Reception Apparatus.

India's major imports from Singapore

Non-Industrial Diamonds Worked, Topped Crudes, Motor Spirit Refined Premium Leaded, Aluminium Unwrought, Benzene, Articles Of Jewellery Of Other Precious Metal Whether Or not Plated Or Clad With Precious Metal, Other Medicaments Packed For Retail Sale, Parts Of Boring Or Sinking Machinery, Static Converters, Other Medical Surgical Dental Or Veterinary Instruments & Appliances

Malaysia

India-Malaysia trade relations have witnessed exponential growth since 1991. Malaysia's largest trading partner is India, while Malaysia is India's second largest trading partner in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

India's major exports to Malaysia: Meat and meat preparations, sugar, rice (other than basmati), wheat, fresh vegetables and fruits, cotton yarn, RMG cotton and accessories, primary and semi-finished iron, made-ups, fabrics, machinery and instruments, electronic goods and metal manufactures.

India's major Imports from Malaysia: Crude Petroleum, Palm Oil, Electronic & Electrical products, Chemicals & Chemical products and Petroleum products.

Myanmar

The bilateral trade between India and Myanmar is likely to clock $1 billion in 2009-10, up from $951 million in 2008-09.

India's imports from Myanmar: While teak, timber, maize and pulses

India's major exports to Myanmar: Steel, cement, fertiliser and pharmaceuticals

Indonesia

India and Indonesia are considered as Asia's largest democracies. However, it is only after a gap of five years both the countries came together for trade relations. The last time both the countries entered into a trade relationship was in 1950s. Right through 2009, both countries got engaged in putting up numerous seminars, exhibitions, festivals and top visits to build bilateral relations.

In 2008-09 India exported goods worth US$ 1.82 billion to Indonesia.

India's major exports to Indonesia - organic chemicals, mineral fuels and ships and boats.

India and Indonesia have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.

Thailand

Mutual trade between the two countries clocked US$4.11 billion in 2007-08 as opposed to US$ 3.18 billion in 2006-07. In between April-December 2008-09 India exported goods worth US$ 1.44 billion to Thailand. The sectors in India that have seen Thai investment in the areas of hotel & tourism, food processing, trading and chemicals.

India- Thailand is targeting US$ 10 billion bilateral trade in 2010.

Vietnam

The bilateral trade between the two countries remains "modest", with the trade balance being in India's favour. Bilateral trade clocked US$ 1.77 billion in 2007-08 from US$ 1.14 billion in 2006-07. From April-December 2008-09, India's exports to Vietnam was worth almost US$ 1.13 billion.

India's major imports from Vietnam: Pepper, rubber, computer hardware and electronic products, cinnamon bark and spices, and garments and textile products.

The key areas where Indian exports could make an impact in the Vietnamese market include information technology (IT) and IT training, agro and food processing, railways, energy and alternate energy, veterinary manufacturing plant, tea processing machinery, textile machinery, and power transmission and generation.

Philippines

The trade between India and Philippines was worth US$ 823.69 million in 2007-08. During the period between April-December 2008-09, India exported goods worth US$574.22 million to Philippines. India' major exports to Philippines: Frozen buffalo meat; rubber and articles thereof; oil seeds and olea etc.; vehicles; iron and steel; residues and waste from food industries; tobacco; pharmaceutical products.

India's major imports from Philippines: Electrical and electronic machinery and equipment; iron and steel; machinery; vehicles; auto components, newsprint paper and paperboard; animal or vegetable fats and oils; organic chemicals.

Source : ezinearticles

JNPT Sea Port For Export Import Trade in India

JNPT Port is also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port trust. The seaport which is named after the India's first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, is the largest export import trading port in India. The JNPT port also known as Nhava Sheva, is handling close to 50% of the India's port traffic.

Export products at JNPT Port India

The major exported products at JNPT seaport are

- Knitted t-shirts'
- Sporting products
- Cotton shirts
- Carpets and other home textile.
- Embroidery equipments
- Frozen meat
- Medicaments etc.

Import products at JNPT Port India

The major imported products at JNPT seaport are

- Chemicals
- Machinery
- Plastics
- Vegetable oils
- Electrical equipments
- Aluminum
- Non-ferrous metals etc.

It has access to neighboring Mumbai and to the surroundings of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and most of North India.

The seaport was built to mitigate pressure of the port of Mumbai in (Bombay) proper and has three terminals:

- JNPCT
- NSICT
- GTI (Gateway Terminal of India)

NSICT is India's first privately run container terminal. It is operated by Dubai Ports World. Currently it is handling under a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement set up with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) of the Government of India.

The JNPT port is dedicated to meeting the requirements and expectations of its clients through:

- Equipping itself with state-of-the-art technology, equipment and well-organized, proficient and computer integrated terminal operation systems.

- Compliance to global standards and offering services at economic rates.

- Ensuring safety and security of life, equipment and cargo.

- Perceiving the guidelines of sustainable growth.

- Courteousness to patrons

- Continuously improving the proficiency, responsiveness, skills and enthusiasm of the Port personnel to bring about unremitting development in the physical effectiveness parameters.

 

Source :exinearticles

South African Export Market Revival in 2010

The South African export market has taken a knock over 2009. The four months leading up to August actually reflected surplus exports, with a surplus of R400 million in July, but a 9.2% drop in exports in August pushed the trade deficit to R1.98 billion. Even with the four good months, the cumulative deficit in the export market is R20.4 billion for the year 2009.

The import/export market is driven largely by the strength of the Rand, with a strong Rand negatively affecting exports, and as the Rand has strengthened by more than 27% since December 2008, there has been a concomitant decrease in exports. Statistics for the import/export market show that imports have fallen by 25% for the year up to August, while exports have dropped by 21%.

The export of vegetable products saw the biggest decrease - 30%. Another big faller in the export market is base metals, which have dropped by 40%. Import categories most affected include vehicles, vessels and aircraft, which decreased by 31%. Exports to the US have suffered the most, while exports to the rest of Africa have suffered the least. The opposite is true for imports, where imports to the rest of Africa suffered the most and imports to the rest of the world have suffered the least.

Anthony Grant, head of customer dealing in Rand Merchant Bank's fixed income, currency and commodity division, says, "On the export side, manufacturers are having a difficult time and they are also being adversely affected by the strong rand versus the currencies of our main trading partners ... While the strong rand makes imports cheaper, importers have suffered from the lower level of consumer demand and a trend towards lower inventory levels. Furthermore, many companies that might otherwise import capital goods have put projects on hold."

According to Grant, the market should pick up in the first six months of 2010. Temi Ofong, managing principal and head of foreign exchange sales at Absa Capital, agrees that 2010 will be a better year for South Africa's export market, especially as the country benefits from the knock-on effects of the Fifa World Cup. Ofong is also optimistic about a season increase in export/import activity towards the end of the year.

Source : ezinearticles

Tips on Import Export Dealings for Agents!

If you are aspiring to be an import export agent, drive home one fact, that it’s a lucrative profession. Across the world, there have been great success stories about import export business. At the same time, some have faced defeat as well. However, the failure stories get concealed quite often.

Many people actively participate in trading or work as agents to major exporters and importers. It is all based on the products that are dealing with, your financial ability and the country you are trading with etc.

How different are the marketing strategy

 

from export business?

It is often said that, the strategies of marketing involved in local marketing is not very different from the export market. Every country perceives products differently and hence makes use of different marketing strategies. It is usually the distributors who take care of the type of marketing strategy that is employed.

If you are trading with other countries, learn about its license requirements if any. Some countries have no license requirements for particular products. Certain high risk products like chemicals, liquor, medicines, arms, articles etc may demand a license. However, products like consumer goods are of low risk and can be traded well without any risk. Trade products with no barriers and is simple.

Ensure for the smooth running of the distribution and production channels. Look at your stock positioning, brand positioning too. Stock positioning is nothing but moving the stocks from a country which has it in excess to a country where there is a scarcity. Where there is a demand for the product moving it there makes more sense. Save out on money too! Create a domain of your own, to promote the products.

You as an import export agent is not known by all. Before you take a plunge on your import export business set your marketing strategies rightly. Ensure that your products are of good quality. Follow up with good quality control measures. Promote your products well, as you are not well known in the market yet. Build up enough credibility for your product. Choose the right medium for advertising your products. Get a search engine friendly website, build up your web pages with sufficient search engine optimisation done to your site, off page optimisation is also important to gain traffic from other sites too, thus boosts up the ranking of your site and you gain visibility. For more tips on import export, search online.

 

Source : articlesbase

Basics of Import Tuning Part 2

In Part 1 of Maximizing your performance through Car Accessories and Performance Parts we discussed the necessity of having accurate air/fuel metering devices and control over the main basis of the fuel system, it's pressure.

The absolute necessity of accurate fuel control remains, but today we are going to look at a different adjustment available to cars using today's OBD-2 EFI systems.

Whether your vehicle has employed a vane type MAF, hot wire type MAF, or MAP sensor, the basic principal remains the same for the computer. Look at a voltage or resistance signal to determine the amount of air in the motor. I will point out the main difference between these different types however. Mass Air Flow (MAF) meters are looking at how much air passes through a cylinder in the intake path. Once this air passes through, the computer calculates how much fuel is needed to offset this. On a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) setup, the car doesn't know the amount of air, but the pressure, which in correlation to the rpm's of the motor, air mass can be determined. Many people will argue for hours over the MAF or MAP debate, but that isn't what this article is for. (Though I do prefer MAP for various reasons)

Using these systems for our benefit is actually very simple, however great care must be made to find an acceptable change that not only does the computer accept, but can work with completely. I say this simply because many people do not look at side-effects of changing your computers view on how much air is in the motor, which can effect shift patterns, fuel or ignition cutouts, long term and short term fuel trim changes, as well ignition advance or retard.

Using both a wide-band air/fuel ratio monitoring device and a OBD-2 datalogging device, we can safely alter these values to the computer without producing harm to the vehicle. I stress the point of using good equipment while doing this, because minor to absolutely catastrophic engine damage can occur if this is done incorrectly.

We will begin with how they work. Quite simply, whether you're using an Apex'i S-afc, Greddy e-manage, TurboXS D-tec or any other air meter piggy back system, they all work the same way. The S-afc's are the most common of the bunch, while I believe the e-manage and D-tec are far better at fine tuning the air flow signal. All car accessories or performance parts in this group work basically the same way. Lower the signal output of the air flow meter, so that the computer sees less air intake, or raise the signal so that it sees more. When it sees less, it reduces injector duty to feed the car less, and more, it raises injector duty to compensate for extra air. Simple enough really.

All accessories listed above also monitor throttle position as well as RPM's, and will let you change the respective air meter value across a correlation table of both. This is how they tune the car. So now, on how to use them.

You will want both your air/fuel monitoring and obd-2 datalogging running constantly while making changes and for a short time afterwards. Your first look is going to be at your air/fuel ratio, which should be right around 14.7:1 for a gasoline powered car. If it is not, then small changes in your idle range should be made to correct this. Before we begin, you should also take a quick look at your fuel trims in the obd-2 software. LTFT and STFT should all be within +/- 5% of 0. If they are not, and even if your air/fuel monitoring states it's at 14.7, bring the computer as close to 0 as possible. STFT is an immediate change to the fuel maps of the vehicle according to it's oxygen sensors and other emission devices, where-as LTFT is an off-set that is built up overtime to try and 0 out STFT. Basically what this means, is that your car may seem like it's fine, but your computer is already pulling 30% fuel out by itself with LTFT at -25% and STFT at -5%. 25% is normally their max value, so you have basically eliminated all help from the computer to pull fuel at this point and will eventually throw bank rich codes after some driving. Once they're close to 0%, you've restored your computers ability to remove or add up to 25% through the fuel trims.

After those changes, once again make sure all your metering devices are hooked up, and do some driving. Your first look will always be the air/fuel ratio. At light cruising speeds, you should always be around 14.7:1 air/fuel regardless of vehicle, but on All motor cars at WOT I prefer the low 13 range for safety and 11.4-11.8:1 on turbocharged cars. Review the air/fuel information, and begin making corrections to bring yourself to your optimal settings. Be wary of adding fuel through the piggy-back near the sensors max values, as these will normally induce check engine lights and various other faults such as fuel cuts and ignition cuts. The computer is designed to expect about a 4.7v max signal from the sensor, giving it 5.1 volts makes it think there is a problem. Every cars limit varies, and there's a good chance you'll find it while tuning, and have to back away from it a bit.

Now that you can drive the car reliably, and the air fuel is a very constant rate, we are still not done with our new performance parts and accessories. It is very important to see other changes that have happened in the motor by altering the air meter signal. First and foremost, if many changes were done to the car, there is a large chance that once again, LTFT and STFT are off. Some vehicles just use one lump sum across the entire range, where other vehicles are rpm/load specific on their fuel trim. Make very small adjustments in these ranges, as the LTFT takes some time to react, and once again, our goal is getting these values to within +/- 5% of 0.

Once you're finished on those, look at your map overall. If you find yourself taking out or adding at least 10% off the entire range, a fuel pressure adjustment is ideal. This will mean more tweaks to your tune and repeating the process over again, but it is far better to make the least adjustments to the air meter as possible to avoid some of these other problems I'm about to discuss. Not heeding my advice on this, especially with your newer, very finicky OBD-2 cars can result in some serious headaches down the road as you add more accessories and parts.

So now that the fuel tune is complete, one other factor must be looked at to make sure you're still safe with your new accessory is the ignition timing. On many vehicles, when you reduce the air meter signal, the computer adds more ignition timing for performance at lighter loads and fuel economy, and decreases ignition timing at higher loads to prevent detonation. Our main item to look at in these ranges IF YOU REMOVED fuel is knock retard. -2 to -3 degrees of knock retard is generally acceptable, but if you're getting more or less then that there is a problem. More knock retard means your knock sensor is picking up detonation in the motor, which it can pickup way before you can hear it or sense it, and if it's at 0 then you're completely safe and good, but may be missing out on some horsepower. One easy way to reduce detonation is simply running higher octane fuel, or using a richer air/fuel mixture to reduce cylinder temps. A colder heat range on the spark plugs is also very good at preventing light detonation. If all else fails, and no timing adjustment is available, you may want to tone the power down in the motor some before you crack a ring land or worse.

More info on car accessories and performance parts are available on my blog at import-car-performance.blogspot.com, as well as further tips to maximize the power from your tune and monitor it for safety.

Source : ezinearticles

Adventures in Peru - Buying a Car In Tacna

New cars are very expensive here in Peru, due to customs and taxes. The average Peruvian can't afford a car and even having a driver's license is not common. Of those that can afford cars, most buy used cars that have been imported from Japan. After the cars arrive here, they are converted from right hand drive to left hand drive. If it is an experienced converter, they do a really good job, and at first look you would never know that it had been converted. There is a big business in these cars in Tacna, a city in Southern Peru near the border with Chile, where there is an ocean port.

I bought my first car here in Arequipa, over three years ago, and it was not a good experience. Due to improper import documents, it took six months before I could get it licensed and was able to drive it. It was a 4x4 Nissan station wagon, but was not made for the rough off highway driving that we need to do here in Cotahuasi. After endless repairs, I finally decided to get different vehicle, as I needed something better for my adventure travel business. I talked to Lucho, whose family has become my family here, and he gave me lots of advice.

First of all, in spite of how important tourism is to Peru, taking advantage of gringos is kind of a national pastime here. Lucho protects me like a kid brother, even though I think I am older than he is. He also used to be a policeman, so has lots of experiential wisdom to draw on. He gave me detailed instructions on what to do and not do in Tacna. Most of the cars are sold in a special area called Ceticos, which is a reduced duty import zone. It looks like a low budget used car mall, with probably 40 or 50 dealers selling cars.

Knowing that I would pay more for the same car than a Peruvian would, I had wanted a Peruvian friend to go with me to do the negotiating. However, no one was able to go with me last week, when I needed to go. I had sold my old car in Arequipa on Monday afternoon, and left on the bus that night for the six-hour ride to Tacna. One of my friends, Hector, said he could help me but only for one day. I said I would spend Tuesday and Wednesday looking, and if I found something suitable, I would call him and he would take the Wednesday night bus, to help me on Thursday. It wasn't an ideal situation but Lucho told me that mid-week was the best and safest time to buy a car there, it is too crowded and not safe on weekends. Checks are not commonly use here so that meant I would be paying cash.

Because of this, many large transactions are done at banks. Lucho told me to take the seller to my bank, give them the money there, and sign the papers there, so that I wouldn't be walking around with over $10,000 in my pocket. He also told me to ignore anyone who tried to talk to me, help me, or asked me to help them. He warned me to be careful that no one bumped into me or touched me in the bank, because they do that "accidentally" and then put a mark on your back. When you go out of the bank, an accomplice sees the mark and knows that you are carrying a lot of cash. They will then follow you until they get the opportunity to rob you.

I arrived in Tacna at about 4:30 am; fortunately, we were allowed to sleep in the bus until a more reasonable hour in the morning. I finally gave up trying to sleep at about 6:00 and went and found a nearby hostel. They said they would hold my bag until I returned in the evening to check in, so I didn't have to pay an extra day's room charge. There were no restaurants around, so I went back to the bus terminal and had breakfast, before I went to Ceticos.

There have been some changes in the import laws so there are less vehicles being brought into Peru than there used to be, but there were still hundreds of cars, pickups and vans surrounding the large warehouse like buildings in Ceticos. The conversions are done there as well, which only is feasible because they are able to buy the cars so cheaply, and labor is also very cheap here in Peru. One factor made it easier for me; I knew exactly what vehicle I was looking for - a Toyota Hi-Ace van, 4-wheel drive and manual transmission. Most of the combis (small van bus service) are Hi-Aces and they are all manual shift; all I needed to do was find a 4x4 like one I had seen here in Cotahuasi.

When we left Japan, 20 years ago, almost all vehicles sold there were still stick shift, very few automatics. However in the last 10 years, automatics have become much more popular there as well, probably due to the almost universal use of cell phones. I found a number of beautiful Hi-Ace vans, with nice seats for 8 people, but most were automatics and none were four-wheel drive. The Town-Ace is a little bit smaller but I looked for them as well, same problem. I found one 4x4 van but it was a Mitsubishi and automatic, and it was too expensive. I finally started looking at small SUVs like the 4Runner and Pathfinder, but they too were only automatics. They also had a few Land Cruisers, but they were close to $20,000. One salesman said a friend of his, who was a notary public, had a manual 4Runner for sale, but it was back in the city, about 10 minutes away.

Remembering Lucho's advice, I declined his offer to take me to see it. I did ride with him and his co-worker all over Ceticos while he tried to find me one, as well as the phone number of his friend's office, so we could call him. During this time we picked up another friend of his, who said he knew of one for sale in the city as well, and they wanted to take me there to see that one. Finally after not finding anything in Ceticos, I nervously agreed to go look at the ones in the city, as they seemed like nice guys and were trying so hard to find a vehicle for me.

I had second (make that fifth or sixth) thoughts when we picked up a fourth young man (he was related to one of the owners) in Tacna, and I still hadn't seen any vehicles there. After driving all over, away from the center of town, I was really getting nervous, and was thinking about jumping out of the car if I saw a policeman, we finally arrived to where one of the trucks was supposed to be. Another five minutes later, someone brought out a very trashed 4Runner that they wanted $10,000 for, and it had an automatic! Next we went to the notary public's office. He had sold the one they wanted to show me, but had a newer one for sale for $19,000. I said it was nice but too expensive, and also it was an automatic. Then they wanted to show me another one somewhere and I said no, "Take me back to Ceticos!" After wasting a couple of hours, and 10 soles for gasoline that they asked me to pay for, I was glad to be safely back in Ceticos, where I looked at the remaining places I had not been to before.

There was not a 4x4 manual van to be found at any of the sellers, and I was about ready to give up and go back to the city. First I decided to look at the Mitsubishi again and see if they might have anything cheaper. It turned out that I had misunderstood the price and it was within my budget. Using my best negotiating tactics, I managed to get the price down a thousand dollars, but it was probably still more than a Peruvian would have had to pay. I really needed to get a vehicle so decided to buy it, even though it was an automatic. The whole next day was spent doing the paperwork, getting my money from the U.S., transferring the money, and getting some minor repairs done on the van. The paperwork had to be done by a notary public, the one the seller used was the same on that I had been to the day before! Fortunately Hector made it to Tacna in the morning to help with all that, and make sure everything was correct.

We got the required permission to drive it back to Arequipa without registration, and at 7:30 pm we were finally ready to leave. We grabbed some roast chicken and fries, our first meal since breakfast, picked up my bag at the hotel and headed off for Arequipa. We still had to go through the customs checkpoint but Hector handled everything there, and within 30 minutes we were on our way again. As we went through one small town, I saw a policeman standing near the road and a sign that said, "Control". I asked Hector if we needed to stop and he said no, so we drove by. About an hour and a half later as we were going through a tollbooth, a policeman waved us over to the side of the road. I showed him the permission papers and he said we needed to go back about 60 miles to the control point to get them stamped. It was getting late and I didn't want to waste the fuel, so asked if there was any way we could avoid going back. He took me in the building, stamped the papers and said we could continue!

We arrived at Hector's place, where I park my car when in Arequipa, at 2:00 am, tired but thankful for a successful trip. The next day, after spending a few hours waiting and standing in lines, the registration paperwork was all submitted and now I just have to wait 10 days to get the title, and then a couple days more to get the license plates. Then I can drive my car!

Source : ezinearticle