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Wednesday, October 26, 2005
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Issue 122
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Volume 5 Number 22
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Hello International Traders! Hong Kong's economy is growing steadily, and if you want to look
for opportunities in this thriving market, I have just the site
for you. Also, if you work in a small or medium-sized business,
I've got a site in this issue with hands-on advice and resources
for you. Looking for a site with detailed information about world
economies? I have just what you're looking for in this issue.
Finally, I have a site with maps and other resources for hundreds
of subway systems all over the world. And don't forget -- if you'd like more information about
international trade, go to FITA's Really Useful Links (
http://fita.org/webindex/index.html ), which has a link library
of more than 8,000 sites related to international trade.
| HONG KONG -- OUR FEATURED COUNTRY
Anyone who was worried that the bustling economy of Hong Kong
would be stifled after it reverted to Chinese control in 1997
should take heart from the last few years. Hong Kong's per capita
GDP is now comparable to the four biggest economies of Western
Europe, and it is still a trade powerhouse -- in 2004 it had
exports of US $268 billion and imports of US $275 billion.
If you'd like to research trade opportunities with Hong Kong, one good place
to visit is the Hong Kong
Trade Development Council (HKTDC) ( http://www.tdctrade.com ). The HKTDC
is the trade promotion arm of the Hong Kong government, so you know you'll find
plenty of resources for trade there. Scroll down the page and you'll find links
to economic statistics, market news, market profiles, trade show listings, laws
and regulations, a business guide, trade leads, industry news, and much more. And look in your emailbox for a special message from them in the next 2 weeks about a new sourcing program.
Another good site is the U.S.
Commercial Service Hong Kong page ( http://www.buyusa.gov/hongkong/en/ ).
This site not only has information about Hong Kong, but also Macau and the Pearl
River Delta, two other booming areas in the Chinese economy.
Another good resource is the Hong Kong Mini Portal (
http://fita.org/countries/hk.html ), one of the new features at
the FITA site. There is an overview of Hong Kong, with facts
about the language, currency, climate, etc., plus more specific
information about the economy, markets, taxes, tips on doing
business, and a search engine to help you find market research on
the Internet. There's also a news feed with the latest Hong Kong
news.
Click on "Useful Links" and you'll find a variety of sources for
market research, trade leads, business directories, logistics,
government contacts, travel, financing, and lots more.
The Hong Kong Mini Portal is one of many research gateways at the
newly redesigned FITA site. To find Mini Portals for other
regions or countries, just click on "Country Profiles" on the left navigation bar on the left of all pages on our website or click to http://fita.org/countries.
FITA's Global Trade Book Store has many excellent books about doing
business in Russia. Check out Culture Shock!: Success Secrets to Maximize Business in Hong Kong and the Business Guide to Hong Kong. And the National U.S. Hong Kong Business Association (NUSHKBA), the Hong Kong Association of Southern California, Hong Kong Association of New York and the Hong Kong-Hawaii Chamber of Commerce
are FITA member associations. Check out their
websites for more resources about doing business with Hong Kong.
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SME TOOLKIT
If you're a small business, you face a lot of challenges,
especially if you want to get involved in world trade. Never
fear, however: there are plenty of resources on the Web to help
you. One that looks promising is SME Toolkit (
http://www.smetoolkit.org ). A project of the International
Finance Corporation, the SME Toolkit offers free business
management information and training for small businesses and
small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The subjects covered are:
Accounting and Finance, Business Planning, Human Resources (HR),
Marketing and Sales, Operations, and Information Technology (IT).
Within these categories there are many subcategories (look under
Marketing & Sales for International Business). The SME Toolkit
offers how-to articles, hundreds of business forms, free business
software, online training, self-assessment exercises, quizzes,
and resources to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and
managers in emerging markets and developing countries grow their
businesses.
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THE FITA BUY/SELL EXCHANGE
http://fita.worldbid.com
FITA's business-to-business
marketplace at http://fita.worldbid.com helps your company find more business
by delivering tender opportunities, RFQ's and qualified offers to buy and sell.
The FITA Buy/Sell Exchange
give you access to a global network of affiliated trade sites that work together
to bring together businesses across borders.
Brian Napoli of The Shadigee Co.writes "Our business has increased since using Worldbid.com [FITA's
partner powering the Buy Sell Exchange] At first, we did not
take advantage of everything your site offers. Then, we started posting
offers, researching offers and requests. Since then our business has
increased fivefold."
Click here to boost
your trading with the FITA Buy/Sell Exchange, powered by Worldbid.com. |
HLB INTERNATIONAL'S "DOING BUSINESS IN" SERIES
The really big accounting firms have clients in many countries, and since much of what they do involves consulting, they have to know each country's economy inside and out. There are several accounting firms that have put country reports on their Web sites, and one that seems very thorough is HLB International's "Doing Business In" series ( http://www.hlbi.com/DBI_list.asp ). There are reports here on every country from Argentina to Vietnam, and they're very detailed indeed. You'll find an overview of the country, with information about its geography, population, political institutions, language and currency. Digging deeper, you'll find information about foreign investment (including relevant treaties and laws), labor matters, setting up a company, and taxation issues.
URBANRAIL.NET
When I visited Paris in my youth, I was amazed at how clean and
efficient the subway, or metro, system was. It was simply the
cheapest and fastest way to get around Paris. There are hundreds
of metro systems in cities around the world, with more being
built all the time, and if you want to learn more about them,
visit UrbanRail.net ( http://www.urbanrail.net ). Just click on
the region, country, and city you're interested in, and you'll
find a detailed map of that city's metro system. Below the map
you'll find links to more useful information, such as the history
and background of the metro, schedules, other rapid transit
systems in the area, books and videos, and more.
FITA CAREER HEADQUARTERS - FEATURED JOB - TRAFFIC PROFESSIONAL
In the new FITA Career Headquarters job seekers can now apply for jobs online and post their resume--free of charge--in an exclusive database that will be searched by hundreds of industry employers seeking employees with international degrees and/or related work experience. A featured job this week is
for Traffic Professional for BMIL International, Inc., international trading company located in New York City. Click here to browse more than 700 other positions!
And click here if you are an employer looking for uniquely qualified internationally-skilled staff.
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GIVE US FEEDBACK!
Please tell us what you think of these Really Useful Sites! Send us your comments (newsletter@fita.org) about this or past issues or to give us suggestions about future editions!
BENEFITS FOR OUR SUBSCRIBERS
http://www.fita.org/marketplace FITA offers our subscribers many benefits. Go to the "Global Trade Shop" for services that are of great value. For example: Take a look! We welcome our subscribers to publish this whole issue or articles from it. But please note that all material is copyrighted by FITA and must be copied with the following attribution: "This is copied from the newsletter Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals, a free, bi-weekly email publication of FITA - The Federation of International Trade Associations. Please feel free to subscribe to this newsletter at http://fita.org/useful."
If you'd like to see all back issues of Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals, the full list is at http://www.fita.org/useful/archives.
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