The WTCGP wants to open a new realm of opportunities for you.  On Thursday, March 12th the WTCGP will host its Quarterly Briefing: “Business Opportunities in North Africa” from 8:30am to 11:30am at Temple University Center City (1515 Market Street, Room 621, Philadelphia, PA). 

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The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) is excited to announce this year’s World Trade Centers Day Dinner honorees.  The award recipients will be recognized on May 13th, 2009 at the Union League.  This annual event celebrates the contributions of World Trade Centers around the globe, as well as the key role the WTCGP plays in the economic growth of the Greater Philadelphia region.

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The WTCGP has named Andrea Townrow as its new Manager of Business Development. Previously, Andrea served as an International Trade Specialist directing both the Latin America Trade Development (LATD) Program and the Emerging Markets Program. In her new role, Andrea is charged with all aspects of the initiation and execution of the WTCGP's marketing and development plans.  Andrea will continue to manage the organization's very successful LATD Program. 

Andrea brings a high level of enthusiasm and vast international business experience to her new role. She has lived in the Netherlands and Switzerland, where she worked as an international sales manager for National Seal Company. She also has extensive experience in Latin America and in opening new markets. Andrea holds a B.A. in both International Business and French from Rosary College and an M.B.A. from DePaul University.

The WTCGP is excited to have Andrea in this vital role, which will allow us to continue to focus on better serving our clients, grantors and members.

Andrea may be reached at atownrow@wtcphila.org.

Bruce Pansius, WTCGP’s CFO, attended the North American WTCs regional meeting in Veracruz, Mexico in February. This meeting was attended by fifty representatives of WTCs in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and is held each year to share ideas for growth and development. This year, the World Trade Center of Veracruz hosted the meeting and showcased their beautiful city and the state of Veracruz.

The city of Veracruz is the oldest of colonial Mexico, and was the landing point for Hernán Cortés in 1519. Today the state of Veracruz is home to seven million people and is a center for the country’s manufacturing, agriculture and natural resource industrial sectors. The city’s port is the country’s third largest and is the principal port for the export of cars and other vehicles manufactured in the country’s interior.

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In a recent report issued by Pennsylvania's Office of International Business Development (OIBD), the state attained record levels of export sales in 2008.  Pennsylvania’s exports last year totaled $34.4 billion—up 18.0% over 2007, making it the 11th largest exporting state.  The state’s exports have doubled in just five years, from $16.3 billion in 2003.  This is a reflection of the concerted effort of the Rendell administration and private businesses to increase opportunities for PA businesses abroad.  “The numbers are quite impressive and show how effective the administration has been with its efforts to help more Pennsylvania companies do more business overseas,” said Wilfred Muskens, deputy secretary of international business development within the Department of Community and Economic Development.  OIBD manages a network of 23 offices of Authorized Trade Representatives (ATRs) around the world that are “on the ground” resources for PA companies.  The WTCGP is the regional export network representative for southeastern Pennsylvania and the conduit to ATRs for the companies it serves.

Among the largest export industry sectors for 2008 are chemicals, non-electrical machinery, primary metal manufacturing, transportation equipment, and computer and electronics products.  Additionally, PA experienced a 128% increase in export sales of petroleum and coal products, ranking the state eighth in the country.  Canada remained Pennsylvania's greatest trading partner in 2008, followed by Mexico, Belgium, China and Japan. Brazil experienced the largest increase in trade activity with Pennsylvania with an increase of 88% over 2007.  “Pennsylvania exports continue to grow and are playing an increasingly important role in the state’s economy", observed Mr. Muskens.

Here are some recent articles and links dealing with international trade worth visiting:

New Country of Origin Rules in Saudi Arabia

In a recent issue of its newsletter, Gatti & Associates highlights the New Country of Origin Rules in Effect in Saudi Arabia as of February 1st. The article reports details of the newly enforced requirements for imported goods.  

Essential Info About U.S. Trade Agreements

The United States now has free trade agreements (FTAs) with 14 countries with three more are pending. It is important to know the details of these FTAs, as they offer both trade opportunities and challenges. You can find much of what you need to know at TradeAgreements.gov. This site contains reports, fact sheets, statistics, regulatory information, press releases, speeches, and downloadable reports for every U.S. state, with import/export statistics involving each country with which the U.S. has a trade agreement. For anyone affected by these agreements, this is a site to bookmark.

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March 12, 2009 - WTCGP Breakfast Briefing: "Business Opportunities in North Africa"

March 14-27, 2009 - Trade Mission: Malaysian and Hong Kong

March 27, 2009 - Briefings and Counseling with PA Authorized Trade Representatives

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