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Hello International Traders! In our recent survey readers asked for more information about
Costa Rica, so I found two sites that will help you generate more
business with this prosperous Central American country. If you
worry about the credit risk of doing business in certain
countries, I have a site that shows you where the best and worst
risks are. Also, I found a site with lots of useful information
about travel from a woman's perspective. Finally, I have a site
that lists the codes for getting around automated phone answering
systems, so you can speak to a live human being. 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.
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COSTA RICA -- OUR FEATURED COUNTRY
Costa Rica has been called "the Switzerland of Central America"
for its stable political and economic situation, relatively high
standard of living, and low crime rate. The country has a per
capita GDP that is the equivalent of Asian economies like
Malaysia and Thailand, and last year had imports of US $7.8
billion and exports of US $6.1 billion. If Costa Rica ratifies
the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) as expected in
2006, it will take down some of the country's trade barriers for
countries participating in the agreement.
If you'd like to research trade opportunities with Costa Rica, a
good site to visit is the Canadian Trade Commission's Costa Rica
report (
http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/ie-en/MarketProspect.jsp?cid=632&oid=12 ). Scroll down this page and you'll find links to
fact sheets, market reports, import regulations, free trade
agreements, Costa Rican government agencies, business contacts,
articles, and more useful links.
Another good list of links is at the Latin American Network
Information Center (LANIC) ( http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/ca/cr/ )
at the University of Texas. There are links here in categories
like: Art & Cuture, Economy & Finance, Government, News, Search
Engines, and Radio & Television, to name just a few.
You can find more information by typing "Costa Rica" in the
search box at the top of the FITA ( http://www.fita.org ) main
page.
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IVR CHEAT SHEET
Are there any companies left that still use human beings to answer their phones?
Computers have taken over phone duties in many organizations these days, but if
you still like talking to a human, here's a way to get around the computers at
some large companies. IVR
Cheat Sheet™ ( http://paulenglish.com/ivr/ ) has instructions on what
you can do to connect to a human at various companies. In many cases, it's as
simple as hitting "0" to get an operator, but some systems are more complicated,
and there are valuable tips here on what to do (e.g., "Press 0 twice, ignoring
error message. . ."). There are scores of companies listed here, in many industries,
and the creator of the site has started a list for non U.S. companies also.
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CONFERENCEPLUS™: USING VIRTUAL MEETINGS TO REDUCE THE SALES CYCLE AND TRAVEL COSTS.
http://fita.org/marketplace/conference.html
The global economy has created unlimited possibilities to grow into new markets, work with new suppliers, and develop international relationships that benefit your organization. But there is a down side, geography. What do you do if you need to meet with a buyer in the US on Monday and your European suppliers in Rome on Tuesday? With good flight scheduling and good weather, you might make it, but is that a risk worth taking? With audio, web, and videoconferencing services, you can be sure to make both meetings so you won't slow down your project timeline - and you will save time, money, and your sanity!
For over 17 years, ConferencePlus has been helping its global clients work
faster, smarter, and at lower costs. ConferencePlus offers a complete portfolio
of audio, web, and videoconferencing services that can help you meet virtually
to collaborate, negotiate, and close the deal. To help you get started, ConferencePlus
has created a new program for "Really Useful Sites" subscribers with special
introductory rates. To learn more, go to http://fita.org/marketplace/conference.html
or call 1-800-930-7714 to start saving today! |
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JOURNEYWOMAN
Women who want to get a female perspective on travel should visit Journeywoman ( http://www.journeywoman.com ). This magazine has lots of articles, advice, and
tips on travel for women. You'll find: advice on traveling with children, personal
travel anecdotes, insider information about the best shopping sites, what to wear
in various countries, guides to traveling alone, medical advice, cultural tips,
an e-mail directory of other female travelers, city guides, and more. Actually,
with titles like "Favorite Irish B&Bs", and "Super Spain -- Six Hotels Under (US)
$50", Journeywoman has plenty that male travelers will find interesting too.
COFACE COUNTRY RATINGS
Getting paid for the product or service you deliver is the number
one goal in every business, and companies that do international
trade are naturally concerned with it. You can get a good idea of
the political and financial risk for businesses in different
countries worldwide if you go to Coface Country Ratings (
http://www.coface-usa.com/products_services/country_risk/country_risk_ratings.html ). At this site you can download two
free files: a Country Risk Outlook Report; and a United States
Industry Risk Outlook Report. The first report gives an overview
of the payment risk for regions and countries worldwide, while
the second focuses on U.S. industries. Coface, which is a company
offering trade risk-management solutions, has some fee-based
services available at this site, but the free reports are
definitely worth a look.
FITA CAREER HEADQUARTERS - FEATURED JOB - INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMPLIANCE MANAGER
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 an International Trade Compliance Manager for a major corporation in St. Louis, MO. 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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