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#### Mississippi International Trade News

**August, 2003**

Published by the:

U.S. Export Assistance Center

Mississippi World Trade Center

Tel: 601/965-4130

Fax: 601/965-4132

Jackson, MS 39201

<bill.morris@mail.doc.gov>

##### Feature Article

*[Reprint of an article published in The Mississippi Business Journal
(August 4, 2003)]{.underline}*

**'Go-to agency' welcomes new director**

(Exporting to China

seminar set for Aug. 8.)

By KELLY INGEBRETSEN

MBJ Staff Writer

Three weeks into his new job as director of Mississippi's U.S. Export

Assistance Center, Bill Morris has already acquired an impressive stack
of

business cards from people he has met in his travels around the state.

''People here are very aware of what exporting means to their state and
how

it affects economic development', said Morris, a native of Waco, Texas.

Morris and the U.S. Export Assistance Center offer personalized
assistance

to companies interested in exporting to foreign countries. The center is
a

division of the U.S. Department of Commerce¹s U.S. Commercial Service.
There

is no typical day for Morris, who divides his time between traveling the

state to meet with potential exporters and people involved in economic

development and fielding calls and meeting clients in the office.
Sometimes

his job is arranging a trade mission, other times it¹s resolving a
dispute.

"A company may call up and say My shipment was delayed. Can you help me
get

it released from customs? said Morris. Or another company might call and

say, 'I want to start exporting shoes. What do I do?' We're the go-to

agency."

Morris replaced Bill Scaggs, who took a job with the East Mississippi

Development Corp. Before accepting his new job in July, Morris was
general

manager and director of international sales for a Texas-based
engineering

and manufacturing company, where he was responsible for setting up
overseas

trade missions and developing new export markets. His job took him to
Asia,

Europe, Central America and South America. Morris said he felt instantly
at

home in Mississippi, whose products and people are similar to his home

state.

Besides one-on-one counseling, Morris can coordinate a videoconference
in

his office at the Mississippi World Trade Center in Jackson between a

Mississippi company and a potential foreign customer. He can also
arrange

for a local company to exhibit at a foreign trade show in the U.S.

Department of Commerce's pavilion.

For \$50 a year, companies can participate in a match-making service at
the

U.S. Dept. of Commerce¹s Web site, www.buyusa.com. U.S. companies post
their

profile for foreign customers and find qualified international buyers.
All

companies, U.S. and foreign, must register and be approved by the U.S.

Department of Commerce before they can appear on the Web site.

For companies on the verge of exporting to a specific country, Gold Key

Service can be arranged by the export center. Morris and his counterpart
in

the desired country schedule meetings with a slate of potential
customers

who have been pre-screened. A commercial specialist escorts the
company¹s

staff to each appointment.

Sunshine Mills Inc., a pet food manufacturer based in Ridgeland, used
the

Gold Key Service to meet potential buyers in Japan, where they found
some

promising leads, said John Henry Jackson, export administrator for
Sunshine

Mills. Sunshine Mills exports mainly to Eastern Europe, South America
and

Southeast Asia and has relied on the export center for assistance for
years.

When the company was deciding whom to use for export credit insurance,
for

example, they attended a seminar hosted by the center.

'It was a good opportunity to meet contacts in the area that deal with

international banking, said Jackson. The center is definitely an asset
to

us.'

The Mississippi Export Assistance Center has about 300 clients and
Morris is

adding more as he travels the state. As the go-to man, his job is to
stay

up-to-date on the latest politics of foreign countries, so that he can
best

advise his clients on exporting.

"International trade is so dynamic," he said. "Geopolitical shifts
rarely

make headlines. (Exporting) is not just a matter of getting on an
airplane.

There are actions going on all the time\...countries are working daily
to

help their companies compete in the global economy."

One example is the new requirements the Chinese government has mandated
for

companies who export their products into China. Manufacturers in 132
product

categories must now obtain a compulsory certification which requires an

extensive application process (up to 90 days or more). Products not
meeting

the new requirements may be held at the border by Chinese Customs and

subject to penalties.

The export center will host a half-day seminar, "Meeting China¹s New
Customs

Regulations - A Guide for U.S. Exporters" on Friday, Aug. 8, at the
World

Trade Center in Jackson for Mississippi businesses who are already
exporting

or who anticipate exporting to China. For more information about the
seminar

or to make a reservation, call Ann Atkins at (601) 353-0909 or e-mail

aatkins@mswtc.org.

Contact MBJ staff writer Kelly Russell Ingebretsen at
kelly@msbusiness.com.

###### Other Noteworthy News Highlights

[China CCC Mark Seminar turnout]{.underline} -- the attendees to the
recently held trade seminar came from all three major regions of the
state and represented the hardwoods, banking, economic development,
furniture, oil & gas, governmental, aeronautical, commercial kitchen
appliance, and business development fields. The presenters and sponsors
were more than pleased with the turnout and the attendees' participation
and contribution during the event.

[District Export Council Executive and Plenary Meeting]{.underline} --
topics discussed in the DEC Executive meeting included the DEC
Scholarship Award, Mississippi Exporter of the Year Award, internships,
upcoming conferences and meetings, DEC committee assignments, and the
DEC National Conference. The Plenary Council also discussed the
aforementioned issues. Other issues during the meeting included DEC
financial status, strategic plan for 2004, a DEC website, and the
nomination process for new DEC members.

[SBA International Trade Loan Financial Assistance for 2003]{.underline}
-- The Mississippi SBA District Office would like to announce where we
are in reference to our 2003 International Trade Loan goal. As you know
our goal was only three IT loans. We are well over our assigned goal,
for as of this date we have made sixteen IT loans. We are pleased to
have assisted so many small business exporters. Also, we are certainly
interested in providing financial assistance to more small businesses
engaged in exporting or in the international trade arena. Our fiscal
year ends September 30, 2003. If you have any questions in reference to
our IT loan products, please contact Mr. Don Stancel, IT Liaison,
Mississippi District Office, at 601.965.4378, ext. 232, and/or the
Mississippi Export Assistance Center.

[Water Resources Conference]{.underline} -- We attended the Mississippi
Water Resources Conference in Robinsonville on August 6 and 7 as the
guest of The Mississippi World Trade Center. At the conference we
introduced the mission of the USEAC to water resource managers,
operators and associated professionals, including ports, water
management districts, and levee boards. The tentative visit of a
delegation of water resource ministers from Jiangsu province in China
was disclosed on an individual basis to many of the attendees. We are
happy to report the consensus is enthusiastically in the affirmative for
the visit from the Chinese delegation.

[MEDC Summer Conference]{.underline} -- At the invitation of The
Mississippi Economic Development Council we attended their Summer
Conference in Biloxi on July 9 where we were introduced to MEDC members
and sponsors from around the state.

##### Upcoming Events

##### Ready, Set, Global: Women in the New Economy

**September 10-11, 2003**

Featuring testimonials and how-to presentations from a diverse group of
businesswomen who have successfully taken their expertise abroad, this
exciting and informative conference will motivate you to expand your
markets beyond our borders.

Conference location is the Grand Casino Gulfport Hotel in Gulfport,
Mississippi. The conference host and emcee is former Mississippi first
lady, Pat Fordice. The featured speaker is Melanie Maxwell Swain,
Founder and President of Finance and Trade Services Corporation. Other
speakers include those from the Mississippi Development Authority,
businesswomen and educators from the state.

Registration deadline is September 3, 2003.

For further information and registration, contact the Mississippi World
Trade Center at 601.353.0909.

##### 

##### Trade Mission to Northern Italy

**October 16-21, 2003**

Join the Mississippi Development Authority in a trade mission October
16-21, 2003. Two events will be offered:

• Customized individual appointments in Milan, Italy utilizing the U.S.
Embassy's Gold Key service

• Attendance at the SAIE Building and Construction Show in Bologna,
Italy

\*Registration deadline for the mission is September 1.

The trade mission to Northern Italy offers an excellent opportunity to
market your building materials and construction equipment in Italy, even
more so with the upcoming **Turin Winter Olympic games in 2006**. Many
opportunities to supply products and services in connection with this
event will be available to US firms. Italy is one of the United States'
most important trade partners and the 10^th^ largest trading partner for
Mississippi accounting for USD 73 million in 2002. With a population
base of nearly 58 million people, Italy is a very lucrative market for
American firms.

MDA, with the assistance of the US Embassy's Commercial Service in
Milan, will provide you with excellent prospects based on your needs.
Attendance at SAIE, one of the largest building and construction shows
in Europe, will help you gauge acceptance and pricing of your products
and observe the competition.

# Details on Customized Appointments

Gold Key is a custom-tailored service offered by the US Embassy's
Commercial Service in Milan. Gold Key Service provides you with
one-on-one appointments with pre-screened potential agents,
distributors, sales representatives, buyers and end users. Your
appointments will be arranged based on criteria and qualifications that
you provide regarding your prospective business partners.

*[Important]{.underline}*: The US Commercial Service will perform a
quick assessment on each MS company before accepting participation.
After being qualified, a report will be delivered to each participant
including:

> • Appointments
>
> • Background and contact info on each potential partner
>
> • Customized market and industry briefing in advance of business
>
> meetings

### Details on the SAIE Show in Bologna

By far the SAIE Show in Bologna is the largest exhibition in Italy for
building products and construction equipment, and one of the largest in
Europe. Hundreds of potential importers from around Italy and the
Mediterranean area will be present. In 2001, SAIE attracted 1,800
exhibitors from 30 countries and 170,000 visitors.

Best prospects for sale to Italy include, but are not limited to:

• Steel and aluminum structures • Construction equipment

• Construction-related services and technology • Internal and
external finishings

• Measuring and diagnostics equipment • Building materials and
products

• Prefabricated construction systems and procedures • Heating and
climate control systems

For additional information, contact Florence Smith at 601.359.3047 or by
email, <fsmith@mississippi.org>.

######### Preview Events - call us for plans or details

*DEC 2004 Scholarship Award*

*Internship Search*

*National DEC Conference*

*DEC Member Search*

*Jiangsu Province Visit*

*Dominican Republic Video Conference*

*Plans for International Trade Finance Conference*