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Hello International Traders! The European Union has become the largest trading entity in the
world -- and I've got a site in this issue that will help you
grow your business in the EU. Also, I have a site with reviews of
the best free software on the Web -- and you'll be amazed at
what's available for free! Bilateral and regional trade
agreements can help your business -- I have a site that will help
you keep abreast of them. Finally, I have the ultimate site for
trains -- whether you're a collector, rider, employee or just
curious, this site has something for you. 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.
| THE EUROPEAN UNION -- OUR FEATURED REGION
The European Union has become a major player in world trade in recent years. The
EU now accounts for 20 percent of global imports and exports, and it is far more
than a free trade association such as NAFTA, or Mercosur. In fact, the EU has
many of the attributes associated with independent nations: its own flag, anthem,
founding date, and currency. You can't afford to ignore the EU if you do world
trade, and the main site for the EU is Europa
( http://europa.eu.int/ ). Click on your language of choice at the main page,
and you'll find a home page with lots of information about various facets of the
EU. Most traders will want to click on "External Trade", then click on "Trade"
to get to "Welcome to External Trade" ( http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/index_en.htm ). This
page has news, information, statistics, documents, fact sheets, and a calendar
of upcoming events. Of particular interest is the EU Market Access Database, and
the Trade Statistics section, both in the left column of the screen, which will
give you valuable market research.
Another good resource is the Europe Mini-Portal( http://fita.org/countries/eur.html
) at the FITA site. Here you'll find links to several sites with more information
about Europe and the European Union.
The European Union page 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" from within a Mini Portal, or at the FITA
home page ( http://www.fita.org ).
FITA's Global Trade Book Store has some excellent books about doing
business in the EU. Check out A Business Guide to EU Enlargement: Trade and Investment Opportunities
in Europe and the Candidate States, The European Business Handbook 2003 and The EU Directive Handbook: Understanding the European Union
Compliance Process and What it Means to You. And the European
American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco, the European
American Chamber of Commerce of the Rocky Mountains and the European
Procurement Forum are FITA member associations. Check out their websites
for more resources about doing business with the EU. And search the FITA
Members Directory for links to European countries' bi-national chambers
of commerce and all other FITA members associations.
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BILATERAL AND REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS LIST
In recent years there has been a rush by many countries to sign bilateral and
regional trade agreements with their neighbors or allies. There have been so many
that it can be hard to keep up with them. If you want to read up on these agreements,
go to the Bilateral
and Regional Trade Agreements list ( http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/GR_IB_RTA.asp
), a page at Michigan State University's Globaledge site. Scroll down the page
to find a comprehensive list of links to agreements. You'll find explanations,
documents, forms, and histories you can read so you're well-informed on this issue
that could affect your business.
46 BEST-EVER FREEWARE UTILITIES
Computers these days don't come loaded with as much software as they used to,
but before you spend money on software for that new computer, check out The
46 Best-Ever Freeware Utilities ( http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm
). This site has reviews of freeware (which means free software), in just about
every category imaginable. There are programs for Web browsing, image viewing,
anti-virus protection, spam filtering, HTML editing, spyware removal, photo editing,
pop-up blocking, file management, Web searching, and much more. There's a whole
suite of programs that perform the same functions as Microsoft Office -- and they're
free. A lot of these freeware programs are loaded with as many features as software
costing hundreds of dollars, and they're more stable and less prone to viruses
than the commercial programs. They're worth checking out!
RAILSERVE.COM
If you're a railroad buff, a model train collector, or just somebody who wants
to find out the latest train schedule, go to RailServe.com
( http://www.railserve.com ). This is a must-visit site for anything
to do with trains worldwide. There are links to railroad-themed computer games,
antiques & collectibles, photographs, books, a worldwide freight railroad directory,
industry organizations & government agencies, worldwide passenger rail & transit
schedules, museums, news, tourist railroads, travel agents, unions, and more.
FITA CAREER HEADQUARTERS - FEATURED JOB - FOREIGN TRADE DIRECTOR
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 a Foreign
Trade Director for Lam Research Corporation, a leading supplier of wafer fabrication
equipment and services to the worldwide semiconductor industry in the San Francisco
Bay area. 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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