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Here's your latest issue of Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals. This free bi-weekly newsletter reviews useful Web sites from the Web Resources database at FITA's International Trade/ Import-Export Portal at http://www.fita.org, an excellent source for trade leads, news, events, and a link library of 7,000+ sites related to international trade.
My name is John McDonnell, and for years I've been writing about useful Web sites for businesspeople, in various publications. Now I've focused on international trade, using my Web research skills to find sites that are useful for international businesspeople, and some sites that are just plain fun for anyone.
Here are the sites:
| | OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- ITALY
Although it has been on a bit of a belt-tightening plan in recent years, Italy
is still one of the largest U.S. trading partners, and has the world's fifth largest
industrial economy. A U.S. Department of Commerce report says that as the Italian
government's austerity plan moves forward, Italy "should offer even more opportunities
for U.S. firms, both as a destination for exports and a point for investment".
If you want to research opportunities in the Italian market, a good place to start
is the profile of Italy at Link2Exports
( http://www.link2exports.co.uk/marketprofiles/regions.asp?lsid=1459 ). This
site is run by the British Chambers of Commerce, but there's good information
here for everyone. You'll find a detailed country profile, plus reports on the
economy, political scene, tourist trade, and other areas of Italian life. You'll
find particularly useful information if you click on "Export Tips", and "Indepth
Info" at the top of the page.
There are many more links to Italy at the FITA site. Go to http://fita.org/webindex/index.html,
click on Regional Resources and Multi-Lateral Trading Areas in the left column,
then scroll down to Europe and click on Italy in the drop-down box. Or simply
type "Italy" in the search box at http://www.fita.org.
SAFETY TIPS DURING WAR
As I write this, the U.S. has launched an attack on Iraq, and it
seems to me the best thing for all humanity to do is pray for a
swift, just, and peaceful end to this conflict. It is a solemn
time, and I pray that innocent people will be spared the horrors
of war, and that peace will come to the Middle East.
This is probably not the best time to travel, but of course, many of us need
to travel for our livelihoods. If you do travel, check out the State
Department's page of safety tips for travelers ( http://travel.state.gov/asafetripabroad.html
). At the State Department's
Travel and Living Abroad page ( http://www.state.gov/travel/ ), you'll find
even more information for traveling safely.
Another tip: Although we don't expect you will face problems in Western Europe,
you should know that the "911" number in Western Europe is 112, and can be dialed
free of charge from phones (including mobile phones). For a list of emergency
numbers worldwide go to: http://www.healthcareland.com/sos/embassy_links.htm.
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THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS DIRETORY
500,000 companies in 33 countries
http://www.europages.com
EUROPAGES is a business
directory listing 500,000 companies selected for their import-export dynamism
in all business sectors in over 35 European countries. EUROPAGES is an ideal
tool for finding new clients, suppliers and partners: it is a popular reference
guide with European purchasing directors. Europages.com, your connection to the
business world !
One single ad in EUROPAGES generates an average of 102 business contacts in
one year. People like Peter from Denmark say, "EUROPAGES is our best investment
for export." Click
here to learn about how your company can be featured in EUROPAGES. |
MAPS OF IRAQ
If you want to get a good picture of the geography of Iraq, go to the BBC's
Key Maps of the Middle East ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_iraq_key_
maps/html/ ). This is a clear, easy-to-use site with maps of Iraq. The maps are
very detailed, and show things like Iraqi missile sites (showing the range of
each missile), oilfields, weapons sites, coalition troop deployments, dissident
areas, Saddam Hussein's residences, breaking news about military operations, and
more. You can click on areas of each map for more information.
HOW STUFF WORKS
I recently needed to replace a windshield wiper on my car. For most people this
would not be such a big deal, but for me, a certified klutz when it comes to anything
mechanical, it was a momentous occasion. This time, however, instead of panicking
the way I usually do when I have to work with my hands, I went to HowStuffWorks
( http://www.howstuffworks.com/ ). At this site I found a history and explanation
of windshield wipers, wiper maintenance and repair tips, and links to sites where
I could order replacement wipers (and find out how to install them). HowStuffWorks
is an amazing site, because it gives clear, detailed explanations of everything
from ballpoint pens to rainbows, cruise missiles to the human ear, the stock market
to hypnosis. You can either browse the topics (AutoStuff, MoneyStuff, ScienceStuff,
etc.), or do a keyword search. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you can
click on "Big List of Articles" to see all the topics they've covered. There's
also a forum where you can ask questions and get advice.
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If you'd like to search back issues of Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals, there's a search page at http://fita.org/useful/search.html.
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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Published by Federation of International Trade Associations
Copyright © 2003 Federation of International Trade Associations. All rights reserved.
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