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WBE-Net Newsletter Release
Date: 11-16-07
Check Out This Useful Resource
Here's a place
to go when you need definitions
of trade terms and how they function in real time. Just below we've dropped in the web address
of an independent Internet site that
is not affiliated with WBE-Net or our global partner, the US Commerce
Department. This site will hopefully be
useful to you as you move your exports forward: http://usaexportimport.com/glossary.php. WBE-Net is happy to pass along useful
links to help you be successful!
"Pak
Man"Game Tighter Than Ever
We can't recall
a recent situation like what's going on now in Pakistan. If you are an international trader, it directly affects you. Even if you're not, this situation is still
quite serious. Pakistan is locked in a
cold war against the planet's second most populous nation - India (Number Two
after China, each with over a billion
people). Pakistan is in complete internal turmoil, with American-supported
dictator (our local champion in the War On Terror), General Pervez Musharraf
barely hanging onto power in spite of a widespread lawyer-led civil
uprising, bombings, assassination attempts and the political challenge being
brought by the repeatedly house-arrested returned accused-of-corruption former
leader, Ms Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf
has declared a state of emergency. In many Pakistani cities, hardcore Taliban
militias rule the streets. By many
accounts, the World's Number One Wanted Man, Osama Bin Laden, is hiding out in Pakistan's Northern badlands. Pakistan
has about (an estimated) 90 nukes whose buttons could wind up under radical
Islamist fingers if Musharraf goes down.
President Bush has called on
President Musharraf to quit as head of the military, though not as head of
state, and Musharraf has said for the first time that he expects to quit as chief of Pakistan's army by the end of
November, allowing for a return to civilian rule. Musharraf is promising elections early next year. These recent problems have clearly caught
the US off guard. Days ago a senior US general expressed deep worries
about the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. Lieutenant General Carter Ham, director of operations
for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US military was concerned about the
security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal after Musharraf imposed emergency rule
and arrested thousands. In Ham's
words, "Any time there is a nation
that has nuclear weapons that has experienced a situation such as Pakistan,
that is a primary concern." Top US officials quickly backpedaled, however,
saying the weapons are controlled by Pakistan's military which is a responsible
steward of the arsenal. WBE-Net Trader Bulletin:
If you are doing trades in Pakistan, please....be careful!
Ford's New
"Model G"
Ford Motor Company, which a century ago gave us the Model A, is about to introduce a line that might be dubbed Model G - as in Green. Ford's working to re-invent itself as a maker of cutting-edge, earth-friendly cars - rolling out a range of global environmental
technologies designed to produce more
fuel-efficient vehicles that emit fewer
greenhouse gases without compromising safety, interior room or
performance. Company president Alan
Mulally says, "Ford is committed to offering customers affordable, environmentally-friendly
technologies." He adds that climate change is a significant
global challenge that must be addressed by car makers, the fuel industry,
governments and consumers. One example
of this new involvement in forward-looking change: Ford currently has a fleet of 30
hydrogen-powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program
to test fuel cell technology and create choices
that are fossil-fuel free. WBE-Net Exporters, please
note: In today's global economy,
American manufacturers must be nimble and resourceful, and Ford seems to be
rising to the challenge. Transportation is one of
the biggest sectors among goods America exports to the world.The Ford line of products also includes
Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Mazda.
Two Awakening
Giants: China and Africa
Leading economists are predicting that China will become the world's most
successful nation, business-wise, in the next twenty years. Independent experts from Britain and China
have explored key social, political and financial issues facing China's
economy. Even in the face of rising costs and quality concerns, they
say that China's economy is more flexible and less dependent on exports than
many have thought. One key finding is
that China's main competitive advantage
- its huge labor pool - will guarantee global dominance in manufacturing in the
years to come.
Meanwhile,
after years of stop-and-start results, many
African nations are growing at fast and steady rates. This trend is putting a dent in the continent's high poverty rate and is pulling in global investment. The trend is shown in a new World Bank report based on more than a
thousand indicators. Many African
countries appear to have turned the corner economically. Solid
performance across Africa between 1995 and 2005 has reversed the financial collapse of the 1970's and 80's.
Heads-up for our WBE-Net members: When
you need trade information on Africa, try the following US Commerce Department
Export Service website by clicking HERE. Click on TRAC FAQs. This will also put you a finger stroke away from vital trade info on
Asia, Europe, The Middle East and The Americas. |
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