by Andrea | Apr 1, 2015 | access to finance, CSME, international trade rules, tools for importers
It’s easier to comply than to deal with the consequences of getting caught! PayPal was just given 7.7 million reasons to remember this lesson. The company has agreed to pay $7.7 million in penalties for violating U.S. sanctions against Cuba, Iran, and Sudan, and for...
by Andrea | Mar 25, 2015 | CSME, international trade rules, Recent Trends in Trade, tools for importers, Trade and Development
In an earlier post, “Made in the World”: What’s Behind the Label” we discussed the challenges of determining exactly where in the world a product is made. Today’s global supply chains mean that many companies source their inputs from and divide their operations across...
by Andrea | Mar 18, 2015 | CSME, international trade rules, tools for importers
Here is Part “G” of my series, “International Trade Alphabet Soup” that will periodically list and provide context for key acronyms and international trade terms: G-5 – Group of Five is an informal grouping comprising France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and...
by Andrea | Mar 11, 2015 | CSME, international trade rules, tools for importers
Yes – Your small business is BIG enough to go global. Why is that? Visibility If you have a website, you are a global company! There are over 3 billion (and constantly growing) Internet users. A significant portion of them use the Internet to shop. As of August,...
by Andrea | Mar 4, 2015 | CSME, informal trade, tools for importers
A recent story about Afghanistan’s first female driver held me enthralled. The article shares Sara Bahayi’s path, as she first learnt to drive a car – to the disapproval of just about everyone in this patriarchal society. A widow struggling to survive on a teacher’s...
by Andrea | Feb 25, 2015 | CSME, international trade rules, tools for importers
Here is Part “F” of my series, “International Trade Alphabet Soup” that will periodically list and provide context for key acronyms and international trade terms: FAO – Food & Agriculture Organisation is an agency of the United Nations whose work includes helping...
by Andrea | Feb 17, 2015 | CSME, international trade rules, Recent Trends in Trade, tools for importers, Trade and Development
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Jamaica. As this is where we grew up, we returned laden with several food products that would allow us to continue to experience Jamaican cuisine ever so often. Everything we imported was allowable. However, the...
by Andrea | Feb 11, 2015 | access to finance, CSME, international trade rules, Recent Trends in Trade, tools for importers
In recognition of Valentine’s Day, here again is my post about mail you don’t ever want to receive. It has been updated with some more recent examples of the negative consequences of ignoring the legal rules of international business. Valentine’s Day is one day of the...
by Andrea | Feb 4, 2015 | access to finance, CSME, international trade rules, tools for importers
In many countries, goods that are to be temporarily imported and re-exported within one year may be imported without duties. Traders/travelers may choose from one of the following three options: 1. At time of entry, register the good as a temporary importation,...
by Andrea | Jan 28, 2015 | CSME, Recent Trends in Trade, tools for importers
As we have said in previous posts – in today’s world, if you have a website, you are a global company! That is the power of e-commerce! Today’s technology allows a buyer located anywhere in the world to use a cell phone to locate your company’s website and buy your...
by Andrea | Jan 21, 2015 | cap and trade, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, tools for importers, Trade and Development, world financial crisis
Trade Watch 2015 lists some key issues to watch out for in the trade arena this year: US-Cuba Relations: President Obama has announced a slight easing in its trade policy towards Cuba. The embargo remains in place (that can only be lifted or changed by US Congress)....
by Andrea | Dec 23, 2014 | access to finance, CSME, international trade rules, Recent Trends in Trade, tools for importers, Trade and Development, World Trade Organization
When can you start trading with Cuba? Not just yet! On December 17, 2014, President Obama announced significant changes to U.S. foreign relations with Cuba. They included: Plans to re-establish US-Cuba diplomatic relations after a 50+-year break; Eased restrictions on...
by Andrea | Nov 3, 2014 | CSME, Recent Trends in Trade, small business financing, tools for importers
Here is Part “E” of my series, “International Trade Alphabet Soup” that will periodically list and provide context for key acronyms and international trade terms: E EAA — Export Administration Act (United States) of 1979 which provided legal authority to the US...
by Andrea | Oct 25, 2014 | CSME, informal trade, tools for importers
October is National Women’s Small Business Month in the United States. In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, we explore the trends for women in business going global. October, 2014 also marks the 25th anniversary of the passage of Women’s Business...
by Andrea | Oct 17, 2014 | access to finance, CSME, international trade rules, small business financing, tools for importers
It pays to develop a corporate culture of compliance. What do the following and scores of other companies have in common? Wal-Mart the world’s largest retailer French oil giant TOTAL a Wall Street broker Hewlett-Packard gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson They have...
