Exporting: get the facts, do the business
If you’re looking to increase your sales overseas, here are three useful sources of information.
1 Doing business with the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Every year the UK’s MoD, which is responsible for running and equipping the country’s armed services, spends around £15 billion on a vast range of goods and services. To put that into perspective, the MoD is British industry's largest single customer - and has 32,000 suppliers and around 1,800 buyers. As with any large organization, there are set procedures to be followed if companies wish to sell to the MoD, and the Defence Suppliers Service (DSS) is there to provide information and help. Click here to find out more.
2 Arizona’s export services
Visit the “International” area of the Arizona Department of Commerce site and we’ll take you, stage by stage, through the steps you need to take to gear your business up to take advantage of overseas sales opportunities.
As well as data on upcoming trade shows around the world, there are very handy FAQ sections, contact details of support organizations in the US and abroad. It’s a one-stop guide that simplifies what can sometimes seem an overcomplicated business. Click here to download more helpful information.
3 Advice to US exporters
Export.gov brings together resources from across the US Government to assist American businesses in planning their international sales strategies and succeed in today’s global marketplace.
Its site - www.export.gov - contains helpful advice on a series of issues. Additional information can be found simply by clicking on the links below.
- Required Documents
- Health and Safety
- Electric Currents
- Global Weather Conditions
- Alta Vista Language Translator
- Currency Converter
- Measurement Converter
- Telephone Calling Codes
Energy industry focus
The energy industry in Europe is facing some interesting months ahead as the European Union (EU) braces itself for what has been described as the “next round of difficult energy talks” as legislators sit down to agree on the EU's future energy policy.
EU commitments to reduce CO2 emissions, increase renewables use and energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 are opening up debates of what – and what isn’t -achievable without some sacrifices. But equally important, the proposals open up significant new opportunities for energy companies.
The conundrum legislators face is fighting climate change while guaranteeing energy security and keeping energy prices low. In particular, there are controversial Commission proposals on energy market liberalization as a means of achieving this.
Winds of change
The last few months have seen changes in leadership in both Britain and France. But what impact, if any, will this have for US companies looking to do business with those countries?
After 10 years running Britain’s economy, Gordon Brown has stepped into Tony Blair’s shoes, and while he will be keen to be seen as having his own foreign policy, Mr Brown has already been at pains to pledge his commitment to Britain’s “special relationship” and stating that the world owes the US a debt. The implication is that, while there may be differences in tone and detail, the substance of the Anglo-American relationship will remain the same – with both countries looking to build on the excellent trade connections currently enjoyed.
According to David Johnson, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in London, “It's clear to us that Gordon Brown wants a strong relationship with the United States.”
In France, the new President Nicolas Sarkozy is fighting hard to establish a new “market economy” consensus which is already causing some discord with trades unions leaders. That said, having been part of the EU discussions which led to a hard-won European Union reform treaty that could make it harder to act against protectionism, he has already defended France’s activist industrial approach. In a speech at Paris Air Show he said: “A country that abandons its factories is a country that has lost its identity.”
In his speech he urged his EU partners to develop a “real industrial policy -neither in thrall to nor opposed to the rules of competition”, Monsieur Sarkozy suggested one of the first steps could be consolidation in Europe’s defense industry. “Europe can no longer afford the luxury of five land-to-air missile programs, three combat aircraft projects, six attack submarine programs,” he said. “The future is in common programs and in consolidation of the European industry. I hope the two will go hand in hand.”
But in the clearest way possible M Sarkozy has put out his stall to align himself more closely to the US than previous leaders – taking his annual holidays in the States, a move which has caused considerable controversy in his home country where feelings still run high in some quarters over Iraq.
Help for engineering employers
If you employ engineers in Arizona, you’ll want to ensure that they are constantly being upskilled to meet the challenge of new technologies. JACMET (Joint Alliance of Companies Managing Education for Technology) develops new approaches to updating the technical workforce, generally at the post-graduate level. It is now a self-supporting group devoted to advancing company and university interactions—especially in life-long learning areas.
They have jointly developed a wide variety of courses, which can be offered at the non-credit and certificate levels. One of their projects has led to Arizona’s three state universities collaborating on the Master of Engineering Partnership, a flexible degree program for working professionals.
JACMET offers a wide range of courses and is based at Arizona State University, Mesa.
Their website is:
http://webapp.poly.asu.edu/jacmet/
Your points of contact
For more information, to discuss your future plans or just to make contact with us, email: karlat@azcommerce.com or call 602-771-1156. We look forward to talking to you!