NOVEMBER 12-13 LABI EXPORT SEMINAR IN BATON ROUGE

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) will host an export seminar on November 12 and 13 (rescheduled from October 2 and 3 due to Hurricane Lili). The seminar will be held in LABI’s Conference Center, located next to the LABI offices at 3113 Valley Creek Drive in Baton Rouge. Although this seminar is primarily designed to assist small and medium enterprises, it will provide exporting information for all businesses with an interest in expanding their markets.

The seminar encompasses a two-day, intensive workshop on international sales and the exporting business. National experts and international trade professionals will present key information and answer questions regarding foreign market research, export finance, insurance and law, transportation, logistics, and customs controls. Featured seminar presenters are two Louisiana small business owners who have successfully ventured into exporting. Other presenters include government export assistance agency representatives, who will discuss the exporting resources they provide.

Course materials, continental breakfasts, a buffet lunch, and an evening reception are included in the registration fee. Contact Bruce Bradley at (225) 928-5388 or via e-mail at bruceb@labi.org.

FRENCH-AMERICAN CHAMBER TO HOLD BEAUJOLAIS GALA

The French-American Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Chapter will host the annual Beaujolais Gala 2002 on Friday, November 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New Orleans.

The Beaujolais Gala celebrates the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau 2002 wines and the official release of the exclusively labeled "Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial" Beaujolais cuvŽes that are selected, bottled, and labeled specifically to celebrate this watershed event in the state’s history. The Compagnons de Beaujolais and the Union of Beaujolais vintners (U.I.V.B.) will honor Louisiana at a special ceremony inducting leading Louisianans into the renowned Beaujolais honorary society during the gala evening.

A French-inspired Silent Auction and a Live Auction will feature an array of artwork, restaurant meals, luxury services, and exotic trips and stays at Ritz-Carlton Hotels worldwide, including Singapore, Bali, Jamaica, New York, and Laguna Niguel, California (flagship Ritz-Carlton hotel in the U.S.). Travel to these destinations will be by Air France and Delta Air Lines. These "five-star excursions" will be auctioned off live the evening of the event. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the French-American Chamber of Commerce and WRBH Reading Radio.

Tickets are $75 each and may be purchased by calling the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans at (504) 670-2843. For more information contact the French-American Chamber of Commerce at (504) 524-2042.

ONLINE DATABASE OFFERS EXPORT-IMPORT SERVICES

If you want to track your competitors’ export/import activities, find new buyers and suppliers, identify new market trends, or research international trade, check out the PIERS (Port Import Export Reporting Service) online database. PIERS offers accurate, complete, and timely information dating back to the 1970’s on global cargo movements transiting seaports in the U.S. and Latin America. PIERS research reports monitor global shipments of goods and commodities on everything from raw materials to consumer goods. The PIERS Trade Power Search at http://www.fita.org/marketplace/piers.html is a "pay-per-view" tool that allows you to search a database containing millions of U.S. import and export shipments for the most current three months. It also allows you to create reports or download the information for your own manipulation.

WORKSHOP ON UTILIZING EXPORT CREDIT INSURANCE

The World Trade Center in New Orleans will host a luncheon workshop on "Utilizing Export Credit Insurance" from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20. The speakers will be Warren Bares of J. Maximine Roy in Lafayette, an independent insurance brokerage firm specializing in export credit and political risk insurance, and Bill Cummins, First Vice-President of Global Trade Services for Bank One in New Orleans.

Credit insurance can be a highly effective marketing tool to extend competitive payment terms while mitigating credit risks. The workshop will include an overview of the principal coverage available and the techniques for effectively utilizing export credit insurance. Various policies will be presented with their advantages and general premium costs.

Mr. Bares will present the basic elements of export credit insurance, which will include a description of the basic policies and coverage parameters, as well as an overview of the primary underwriters market, such as Ex-Im Bank, AIG, Great American Insurance Company, and ACI. He will also present the use of credit insurance as a sales tool to effectively and safely extend competitive payment terms. A case study will also be included in his presentation.

Mr. Cummins will describe for the workshop participants the use of export credit insurance as a financing tool, including how insurance policies can be assigned to banks, how banks view them as collateral, and steps that banks take to monitor the insurance validity. The primary options will be presented for either factoring insured receivables or how insurance is used as enhancement collateral within an overall line of credit for financing inventory and receivables. Mr. Cummins will also discuss the frequent use of credit insurance with transactions under the Ex-Im Bank Working Capital Guarantee Program.

For additional information and to register for the workshop, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 or click here.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Nov. 12-13 -LABI Export Seminar in Baton Rouge. Call (225) 928-5388 for details.

Nov. 20 -Luncheon Workshop on "Export Credit Insurance" at the WTC in New Orleans featuring Warren Bares and William Cummins. Click here.

Nov. 20 -Dinner and Lecture on "Modern Diplomacy" by Ambassador Dr. Ernst Sucharipa, Director, Austrian Diplomatic Academy, Vienna, with introduction by Dr. Peter Moser, Austrian Ambassador to the U.S. (co-sponsored with UNO Center/Austria). City Club in New Orleans at 1525 St. Charles Ave. Call the World Affairs Council at (504) 523-2201.

Dec. 3, 4, 9 -Export and import seminars by the Louisiana International Trade Center-SBDC, at the World Trade Center in New Orleans, 3:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Seminar topics include Export/Import Strategies and Market Research, Pricing Terms, Quotations and Customs Entry Procedures, International Banking, Financing, Transportation, and Documentation. Call (504) 568-8222.

Dec. 13 -Seminar on "The Secrets of Successful Trade Financing" at the World Trade Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Call (504) 529-1601, ext. 222.  Click here.

SUCCESSES WITH BuyUSA.COM

Since its launch date one year ago, BuyUSA.com has proven to be a successful sales venue for U.S. exporters. Eighty-two sales (totaling nearly $16 million) are directly attributed to contacts made on the website. Top performing sectors are: computer software and peripherals; security and safety equipment; cosmetics and toiletries; agricultural machinery; and health care services. Importers were all pre-screened by the U.S. Commercial Service before being listed on the site.

NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR NAMED

The New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Economic Development has chosen an international marketing professional with experience in both the public and private sectors to lead the City’s trade development activities. Gina Nádas has been appointed as the Director of International Trade Development. "Gina’s experience as a manager in the private sector and as an economic development official will help better position New Orleans as a gateway city in the global economy," said Beth James, Director of the Office of Economic Development.

Ms. Nádas established and managed an international marketing program for the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission in the early 1990s. The program helped about 200 companies engage in trade and investment projects in Mexico. She has also worked as a consultant and manager for private firms with business prospects abroad. Most recently she was employed as a regional representative for an international consulting firm that advises companies on energy and environmental projects in Mexico.

Ms. Nádas will collaborate with officials from the Port of New Orleans and the Louis Armstrong International Airport to promote the City’s transportation links. She will also work closely with the international community, the Consular Corps, bank executives, and government officials to identify new business opportunities abroad for local industries.

Ms. Nádas has Master’s degrees in business administration and communications. She was born in Venezuela and moved to New Orleans with her Hungarian father and Italian mother when she was a child. She has lived in Mexico and Italy and speaks Spanish and Italian fluently. She can be reached at (504) 565-7230 or via e-mail at gnadas@mayorofno.com.

NEW CONSUL GENERAL OF JAPAN APPOINTED

Mr. Masamichi Ishikawa has been named Consul General of Japan for Louisiana and four other states, succeeding former Consul General Hideto Mitamura. Mr. Ishikawa, whose office is in New Orleans, most recently served as the Director of Diplomatic Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan.

The new Consul General will seek to further enhance Japan’s already close relationship with the Southeastern U.S. by promoting economic and cultural exchange between Japan and the five-state region, comprised of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Mr. Ishikawa has enjoyed a career of nearly 30 years with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He began his diplomatic career in 1971 as a member of Japan’s Mission to the United Nations. He has served as Director of Administration at the Diplomatic Training Institute, Director of the Passport Division, and with the Telecommunications Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Ishikawa’s other assignments have included positions at the Japanese Embassies in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Denmark. This will be his third official posting in the United States.

Mr. Ishikawa is a graduate of Chuo University in Tokyo, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in law. He also studied at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York State. Mr. Ishikawa can be reached at the Consulate General in New Orleans at (504) 529-2101.

MEDICAL EXPORTS TO RUSSIA

All medical equipment and supplies must be registered with the Russian Ministry of Health before being imported, sold, and used in the territory of the Russian Federation. For a four-page report detailing the required documentation and other related information, call the U.S. Export Assistance Center in New Orleans at (504) 589-6546.

GERMAN TRADE FAIRS MAKE GOOD MARKETING VENUES

Successful exporting requires that you know your market and your customer. The truly international nature of many German trade fairs gives you access to both. You build your knowledge at the same time you build your customer base and assess your competition. Germany is located in the heart of the European Union and is one of the largest single markets in the world with a population of over 370 million. German trade fairs are often the year’s top global focal point, for an entire business sector.

Finding potential customers from other continents is no coincidence at German trade fairs. It is the result of systematic international marketing by the organizers in Germany. In 2001, almost 28,000 exhibitors and 300,000 visitors came from countries outside Europe. German trade fairs are easy to reach. Numerous international airports plus dense road and rail networks make traveling easy and convenient.

Trade fairs in Germany are almost exclusively characterized by an intensive cooperation between the organizers, exhibitors, and visitors. This cooperation lends itself strongly to long-term, market-oriented trade fair concepts with no significant overlapping.

German trade fair organizers have traditionally been known as professional, competent, and service-oriented partners for the trade fair exhibitor. With experience spanning many sectors, with shows large and small, you can fully expect competence and professionalism in your dealings with them. 800 years of trade fairs in Germany speak for themselves.

Numerous journalists from the daily and trade press ensure that the fairs remain a focal point of public attention. At supporting press conferences, sector trends and innovations are presented. Visits by high-ranking politicians and industry leaders help ensure that opinions of U.S. industries are given consideration in the discussion of economic policy.

For more information on German trade fairs or for special contacts to German trade show organizers, contact: American Consulate General, U.S. Commercial Service, Attn: Senior Commercial Specialist, Koeniginstrasse 5, D-80539 Muenchen, Germany; telephone 011-49-89-2888-751; fax: 011-49-89-285261; e-mail: bernd.kietz@mail.doc.gov; Internet: www.usatrade.gov.

WEST AFRICA OIL AND GAS FORUM IN HOUSTON

The Corporate Council on Africa is holding its West Africa Oil and Gas Forum on November 19-20 at the Westin Oaks Hotel inHouston.

The program will bring together the U.S. oil industry with the oil officials of the nations bordering the Gulf of Guinea. The forum will focus on the economic and political issues in the region and enhance participants’ relations with key African petroleum players. Workshops will feature projections for the oil boom in the area and its potential for economic development, the possible shifting in U.S. government policy priorities toward the region, future growth, and host country petroleum sector priorities.

The following countries have committed to send high-level representation: Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, and the Republic of Congo. Chad, Ghana, and Sao Tome and Principe also are expected to participate. In addition to the delegations, the respective African ambassadors to the U.S will also attend.

Online registration for the forum is available at www.africacncl.org. For additional information, call Christopher Alion at (202) 835-1115.

WTC TO HOLD TRADE FINANCE SEMINAR ON DECEMBER 13

The World Trade Center, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, Bank One, and other organizations are holding a one-day seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13 on "The Secrets of Successful Trade Financing" at the WTC in New Orleans.

Richard "Chip" Thomas, a global trade and banking specialist and the President of the American Export Training Institute (AETI), will conduct this interactive seminar which will provide valuable techniques and practical knowledge for export financing.

Seminar participants will gain insights on how to:

• Utilize letters of credit and government resources;

• Offer competitive terms and get paid upon shipment;

• Protect balance sheets from the risks of international trade;

• Identify creditworthy prospects; and

• Make banks work for you.

Mr. Thomas will also discuss the 20 Critical Do’s and Don’t’s of Letters of Credit, as well as how to effectively use drafts and acceptances.

The seminar is designed for those individuals in companies responsible for export decisions: CEOs and CFOs, international sales and marketing executives, export managers, controllers, accountants, finance officers, and credit managers.

The cost of the seminar is $195 for the first registrant of a company and $165 for additional registrants (WTC members receive a 10 percent discount). The registration fee includes course materials, a continental breakfast, and light lunch.

For additional information and to register, call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 or click here.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS GRADUATE SEEKING POSITION

Kevin Preis, a native of New Orleans, is in the job market. After a year working in the Washington, D.C. area, Preis has returned to Louisiana seeking a position in the fields of government affairs, international business, and marketing. Preis has professional experience working for both the private and public sectors in government relations and management. Before graduating with honors from Georgetown University with a B.A. in International Relations and English, Preis spent five months in the Middle East studying conflict resolution and languages in Jerusalem, Jordan, and Egypt. After graduating from Georgetown, he took a summer opportunity directing operations for an internship program based in Washington. He then did event planning for visiting diplomats at Georgetown. Currently, Preis serves as a researcher for a political consulting firm. He speaks fluent Spanish and basic Arabic, and is proficient in Windows / Mac platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, Corel Suite, and Internet streaming media, as well as basic HTML and Web design. He can be contacted at kevinpreis@hotmail.com.

SUSTA HIGHLIGHTS

The Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA) is a non-profit trade association dedicated to increasing the export of high-value food and agricultural products from the southern U.S. SUSTA’s office is located in the World Trade Center in New Orleans.

Southern U.S. Food Showcase: Join SUSTA and the Maryland Department of Agriculture for a U.S. Food Showcase featuring buyers from the Caribbean. Companies can sign up to meet one-on-one with buyers in Annapolis, Maryland on December 2. Participation cost is $50. To sign-up for this event, contact Theresa Brophy at (410) 841-5770 or brophyt@mda.state.md.us.

Increase Your International Marketing Budget by $5,000 - 250,000: Qualified companies selling food and beverage products, ornamental horticulture and aquaculture, log homes, pet food, etc. may be eligible for MAP Branded funds for certain international marketing activities. Companies must: 1) Have gross sales exceeding $100,000; 2) Have funding to pay for their proposed marketing activities (this is a 50% reimbursement program); 3) Have a product that is at least 50% U.S. agricultural origin by weight (excluding water & packaging); and 4) Promote products as "Made in the USA". See www.susta.org/branded for more information or call Dinorah Cobos-Mastascuso at (504) 568-5986.

Valuable Information from SUSTA: Don’t forget to add these links to your book-marked favorites:

• SUSTA Homepage: www.susta.org

• Upcoming Events: www.susta.org/dateline/

• Recent SUSTA News: www.susta.org/emailupdates.stm

• Success Stories: www.susta.org/ABOUT/accomplish.stm

• Trade Leads: www.susta.org/tradeleads.stm

• Useful Links: www.susta.org/usefullinks.stm

• Company Directory: www.susta.org/products/

• Virtual Trade Show: www.susta.org/tradeshow/

• Basics of Exporting Handbook: www.susta.org/exporting/

ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF GULF OF MEXICO STATES ACCORD

The Gulf of Mexico States Accord (GOMSA) is an international cooperative agreement among the 11 Mexican and U.S. states along the Gulf of Mexico, which was formally begun in 1995 by the 11 state governors. Those states are: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas on the U.S. side; and Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo on the Mexican side. Over 62 million consumers live within the Gulf of Mexico basin. The Accord recognizes the Gulf of Mexico Basin as an area of shared economic and environmental resources, and calls for collaborative programs for building infrastructure for increased trade and tourism.

GOMSA is holding its Annual Conference at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida on December 8-12. The Conference will feature the most accessible exhibition ever of the great Mexican surrealist painter Enrique Chavarria; a Transportation Summit co-convened by Mexico’s Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transporte and the United States Department of Transportation; and a "Cuisine of the Gulf" event. For details about the Conference agenda and free registration, visit www.gomsa.org.

PORT OF NEW ORLEANS COLD STORAGE FACILITY

The Louisiana Bond Commission has approved $7.5 million in Port of New Orleans facility revenue bonds for the construction of an on-dock cold storage facility at the Port’s Jourdan Road wharf. The new facility will be developed and operated by New Orleans Cold Storage and Warehouse company (NOCS). Conversion of the Jourdan Road terminal will begin this month with completion planned for mid-2003. NOCS is a New Orleans-based company involved with the handling and storage of refrigerated cargo, both inbound and outbound. NOCS has operations in New Orleans, Houston, and Charleston. NOCS operates three cold storage facilities in New Orleans at Nashville Avenue, Alvar Street and Airline Drive.

LOUISIANA DELEGATION TO FRANCE PROMOTES BICENTENNIAL

Led by Louisiana’s First Lady Alice Foster and State Senate President John Hainkel, the 50-member delegation from Louisiana, organized by the Louisiana chapter of the French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC/LA) and Group Direct Inc., was warmly received by France’s political and business elite in a series of meetings and receptions in Paris, the Normandy region, Lyon and the Beaujolais region from October 13 to 20.

The purpose of the delegation’s trip was to increase interest in France in the celebration of the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase in 2003 and to promote Louisiana as a prime site for further French investment and trade. French companies have already invested $1.6 billion in the Pelican State, with major corporations (EADS Sogerma:formerly Aerospatiale and Sodexho Alliance) forming significant joint ventures in Louisiana in the past two years. Other major investors include Air Liquide, Schlumberger Oilfield Services, Rhodia, and Axa Advisors.

In a demonstration of his special affection for Louisiana, French President Jacques Chirac received the entire delegation at the ElysŽe Palace on October 15. President Chirac described his stays in New Orleans in the 1950s and how he was made an honorary citizen of the city. He prepared at that time an article for "Import/Export France" magazine and his university thesis was on the Port of New Orleans. Port of New Orleans Commissioner Bernard Charbonnet showed the President a copy of that thesis. Tulane University presented President Chirac with its "President’s Medal," inviting him to New Orleans for the reenactment of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty on December 20, 2003.

The delegation was also received at the Palais de Luxembourg for a luncheon hosted by Senate President Christian Poncelet. Senator Paul Girod, President of the U.S.-France Friendship Group, and Senator Jacques Legendre, participated in the luncheon. Senator Hainkel, Senator Mike Smith, Senator Cleo Fields and Representative Glenn Ansardi were presented to the French Senate, in formal session, by President Poncelet.

Former French Ambassador to the U.S. Jacques Andreani and Air Liquide Chairman of the Board Benoit Potier joined the delegation for a reception in a private room on the Eiffel Tower. D-Day Museum President Gordon "Nick" Mueller eulogized the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose for his contributions to U.S.-French relations.

MEDEF, the association of CEOs of the leading French corporations, and the CEO of Sodexho Alliance, Pierre Bellon, hosted a meeting and luncheon for business leaders of the delegation. Air Liquide and Sodexho made presentations indicating their rationale for making a substantial investment in Louisiana. Frank Mulhern of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development gave a presentation in French outlining why French companies should consider Louisiana as a prime site for investment.

Port of New Orleans Executive Director Gary LaGrange and Hibernia National Bank Vice President Jan Tanner described the advantages of using the Port of New Orleans as a gateway to Central and South America. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Director of Aviation Roy Williams and Donald Hoffman, past Chairman of the New Orleans Regional Chamber Aviation Committee, met with Air France official to request direct air service between New Orleans and Paris.

On October 16 in Normandy, on behalf of the National D-Day Museum, Bill Detweiler presented an accord to the Caen Memorial Museum to promote cooperation on the exchange of artifacts and the promotion of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6, 2004. After a moving ceremony at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where over 9,000 American troops are buried, including 120 Louisianans, the delegation visited the town of Sainte Mère-Eglise, where paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landed on the night of June 5, 1944.

Tom Fierke, Vice-Chairman for International Relations of the Mayor’s Military Advisory Committee of Greater New Orleans, signed a "Patriotic City Alliance" with the Mayor of Sainte Mère-Eglise and the President of the Conseil Général of the Department of La Manche in a ceremony at St. Lô.

Business networking meetings highlighted the delegation’s visits to Rouen (in Normandy) and in Lyon, France’s second largest city in central-east France. Rouen is a major river port (Europe’s largest exporter of grains). During the Rouen Chamber of Commerce meeting, Carnival Brands President Raymond Rathle described the steps he took to obtain markets in France for his food products. Lyon is the home of France’s biotech/biomedical industries and headquarters for the leading chemical and pharmaceutical corporations. FACC/LA and Louisiana Department of Economic Development will follow up on contacts made during these meetings to encourage joint ventures between Lyon biotech/biomedical firms and Louisiana’s leading scientific institutions in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

A glittering banquet in the 15th century Chateau de Corcelles highlighted the visit to the Beaujolais region. Hon. Adrian Duplantier, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court, has the distinction of being the first non-French citizen to have been inducted into the honorary "Compagnons de Beaujolais." On October 18, three new Louisianans were inducted: First Lady Alice Foster, State Senate President John Hainkel, and FACC/LA President Damien Regnard.

KOREA’S HEALTHCARE MARKET

The Commercial Service of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul recently produced an hour-long webcast on the opportunities and challenges in Korea’s healthcare market. The production is a comprehensive overview of key opportunities and challenges U.S. exporters are encountering in Korea’s regulatory process and national healthcare system. U.S. exporters of healthcare products and/or services are encouraged to establish a presence in the multi-billion dollar Asian market, which industry sources predict will become increasingly important to exporters over the mid-to-long-term.

To view this online feature, log on to: www.usatrade.gov, click on "Market Research," and select "Opportunities and Challenges: Korea’s Healthcare Market."

PATRICK ROLOT APPOINTED FRENCH CONSUL GENERAL

Mr. Patrick Rolot recently assumed his post as Consul General and Cultural Attache of France in New Orleans. Mr. Rolot entered the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1980, after having served in the field of education for nine years. Prior to his assignment to New Orleans, his service abroad included positions as Consul General of France in Madrid, Spain; Consul General in Tananarive, Madagascar; First Secretary at the French Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua; First Secretary in Maputo, Mozambique; Second Secretary in Port of Spain, Trinidad: Deputy Consul in San Salvador, El Salvador; and Vice Consul in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He also served in 1998 as Counselor at the French Mission at the United Nations in New York. Mr. Rolot can be reached at the French Consulate General in New Orleans at (504) 523-5772.

NEW HONORARY CONSUL OF FINLAND NAMED

Philip Claverie, senior partner at Phelps Dunbar law firm in New Orleans, has been appointed the new Honorary Consul of Finland covering the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas. As Honorary Consul, Mr. Claverie will strive to strengthen the economic, maritime, cultural, and other ties between Finland and the three states, to increase tourism, and to assist resident and visiting Finns in the area. He also hopes to increase the visibility of Finnish industries, including design and furniture manufacturing, heavy equipment manufacturing and technology. Finland’s flagship corporation, Nokia, is the lead sponsor of the Sugar Bowl football game held annually in New Orleans. Mr. Claverie can be reached at (504) 584-9223.

SRI LANKA EXPORT MARKET

Sri Lanka imports an estimated $6 billion in worldwide total goods each year. The best non-agricultural prospects for U.S. exports to Sri Lanka are telecommunications equipment; power and energy; electrical machinery; textile fabrics and machinery; other machinery and mechanical appliances; medical equipment; paper and paper products; and environmental services and equipment. Agricultural prospects are wheat, cotton, and pulses. For a three-page article on this topic, call the U.S. Export Assistance Center at (504) 589-6546.

AEROSPACE OPPORTUNITIES

Many export opportunities exist for firms dealing in aircraft parts, airport construction and support equipment, and helicopters. To begin or broaden your sales to international markets, visit www.usatrade.gov. Click on "Market Research" and select the "Search Market Research" link to find reports by country and industry. Current aerospace reports listed include: Aircraft and Parts in Japan; Airport and Ground Support Equipment in Thailand; Airport and Ground Support Equipment in Vietnam; and Helicopters and Parts in Brazil. For an eight-page article on this topic prepared by the U.S. commercial Service, call the U.S. Export Assistance Center in New Orleans at (504) 589-6546.