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A monthly partnership publication of
the Louisiana Department of Economic Development
the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center
and the World Trade Center of New Orleans |
Past Issues |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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MARCH 28-29
FORUM TO FEATURE LATIN AMERICAN PROJECTS
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BANK
CONFERENCE TO HIGHLIGHT PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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STATE EXPORTS
SLIP 3.5 PERCENT IN 2005 DUE TO STORMS
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LOUISIANA
EXPORTERS ARE OVERCOMING KATRINA SETBACKS
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TRADE FINANCE
SEMINARS IN SHREVEPORT AND LAFAYETTE
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GO ZONE
BUSINESS INCENTIVE BRIEFING ON MARCH 9 AT JEDCO
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UPCOMING
WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL EVENTS
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HISPANIC CHAMBER TO HOLD LUNCHEON ON MARCH 10
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE
EVENTS
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TRADE LEADS
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| The 4th Annual Latin American Leadership Forum will be held
in New Orleans on March 28-29 and is the one-stop shop for the top 55
infrastructure projects in Latin America. Almost 400 registrants
representing the key players in the infrastructure market have already
registered. The Forum is locally hosted by the World Trade Center and will
take place at the Hilton Riverside Hotel next to the WTC.
“We are holding the Forum in New Orleans this year because we believe in
the region’s vital role in the global economy and because we want to boost
the recovery efforts of a great city in the aftermath of Katrina,” said
Norman Anderson, President & CEO of CG/LA Infrastructure LLC, the organizer
of the event.
In its fourth year, the Leadership Forum focuses on the top 5 Latin
American infrastructure projects in ten project categories, for a total of
50 projects with an enterprise value exceeding $50 billion. Projects will be
presented in the sectors of oil and gas; ports and logistics; water and
sanitation; digital infrastructure; electricity; mining and logistics; urban
mass transit; tourism; disaster relief; and strategic infrastructure.
Project developers will travel from 17 countries in Latin America to New
Orleans to present their projects. The most attractive feature of the Forum
are the private meetings - each participant structures private meetings
on-line. More than 350 such meetings have been structured to date, and the
organizers expect to pre-schedule nearly 1,500 private meetings. The
Leadership Forum brings together key leaders and decision makers in the
field of infrastructure and project development, and with 400-plus current
registrants the organizers are confident that their goal of 600 participants
will be realized.
Speakers will present projects, discuss trends, and explore business
ideas. Among the key speakers are: Robert Mosbacher, Jr., President and CEO,
Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); Linda Conlin, Director,
Export Import Bank of the United States; Amb. John Maisto, Permanent
Representative of the U.S. to the Organization of American States; Renato
Bertani, President, Petrobras Americas Inc.; Jaime de La Rosa, President,
Grupo Uni—n Fenosa Mexico; Mario Mar’n, Governor, State of Puebla, Mexico;
Hector Israel Ortiz, Governor, State of Tiaxcala, Mexico; Adriano Meira
Ricci, Commercial Director, Banco do Brasil; Yukiko Omura, Executive Vice
President, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA - World Bank
Group); and Antonio Juan Sosa, Vice President, Andean Development
Corporation (CAF)
Michael Olivier, Louisiana Secretary for Economic Development, will lead
a special workshop on “Doing Business in Louisiana.” Other Forum sessions
include a CEO breakfast organized by MIGA; “Strategic Risk Management”,
organized by Control Risks; and “Financing Infrastructure in Latin America”
organized by CG/LA Infrastructure. For more information about the Leadership
Forum, contact Alex Shtogren at (202) 776-0990, or
ashtogren@cg-la.com or visit
the website at www.cg-la.com
or www.lalf4.com.
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| “Banking on Development,” a one-day conference to be held
at the World Trade Center in New Orleans on March 30, will highlight a wide
range of business opportunities for U.S. companies with five large
multilateral development banks (MDBs). Organized by the U.S Department of
Commerce, the conference will cover the activities of the World Bank, the
Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African
Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
These five financial institutions extend a combined total of $40-$50
billion annually in loans, grants, and investments to the public and private
sectors for economic and social development in their member countries. The
sectors include infrastructure development, transportation, information
technologies, healthcare and nutrition, energy, agriculture, and services.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Promotion, Israel Hernandez,
who also serves as the Director General for the U.S. & Foreign Commercial
Service, will be the conference’s opening speaker on the importance of the
MDBs and Commerce’s role in assisting the U.S. business community. He will
be followed by the five Commerce liaison officers at each of the MDBs, who
will discuss major projects, consulting, and procurement opportunities
generated from the Banks’ grants, and lending operations.
Other morning speakers include Michael Olivier, Louisiana Secretary of
Economic Development, and Diane Wilkens, President of Development Finance
International, Inc., as well as U.S. Treasury officials assigned to the
Banks who will present new Bank initiatives, market perspectives, and
developing policy and political issues that impact U.S. companies seeking
Bank procurements.
The afternoon sessions will be devoted to practical training on: (1)
Constructing a Winning Bid, (2) Obtaining MDB Money for Projects in Emerging
Markets, (3) Procurement of Goods and Civil Works, and (4) Procurement of
Consulting Services. The training sessions will be conducted by Susana
Florian, Senior Vice President with Parsons Brinckerhoff, William Delphos of
Delphos International, and Ignatius Santoso and Huang Yinguo of the Asian
Development Bank. The conference concludes at 5:00 p.m. with a networking
jazz reception in the World Trade Center’s Plimsoll Club.
The conference is designed for CEOs, owners, and decision-makers of U.S.
companies interested in competing for and winning new project and
procurement opportunities around the world. For registration and further
agenda information, click here.
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The value of Louisiana's worldwide merchandise exports, which was headed
toward a record year in 2005 until Hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed the Gulf
Coast in late-August and September, ended the year with a total of $19.2
billion, a 3.5 percent decrease compared to 2004, according to a report issued
by the World Trade Center of New Orleans. Agricultural products, chemicals,
petroleum and coal, and processed food products were Louisiana's top four export
sectors. The state's leading export markets were Mexico, China, and Canada.
Export shipments of agricultural products through Louisiana’s lower
Mississippi River ports – which account for over 50 percent of all U.S. grain
exports – were especially affected by the storms and the temporary closure of
the ship channel. Agricultural shipments still ranked number one in the state’s
exports in 2005 with a value of $7.1 billion, a decline of 22.9 percent compared
to 2004. After agricultural products, Louisiana's largest exports were chemicals
($4.7 billion, a 4.8 percent increase), petroleum and coal products ($2.8
billion, a 43.8 percent increase), processed foods ($1.8 billion, a 2.1 percent
decrease), machinery ($660 million, a 35.5 percent increase), and transportation
equipment ($526 million, a 5.9 percent increase).
The WTC report was generated by the World Institute of Strategic Economic
Research (WISER) from U.S. Census Bureau data. It covers the exports of both
Louisiana originating products and some major commingled bulk commodities
(especially grain and coal) produced in other states that are shipped abroad
from Louisiana's ports and recorded as Louisiana exports because of the
difficulty of identifying the actual states of origin.
"Louisiana was on course for the first eight months of the year to surpass
2004’s export record of $19.9 billion, said Lawrence Collins, Director of
International Services with Louisiana Economic Development. "The two hurricanes
impacted our deep-water port system and also hit hard some of our leading
exporters in the southern part of the state. However, nearly all of the ports
and exporters are now up and running, and we believe that 2006 will be a good
year for Louisiana’s transportation sector and exporting companies,” he added.
Mexico moved up to become the number one market for Louisiana exports in 2005
with $2.2 billion (a 13.5 percent increase over 2004). Japan was the state’s
second-largest export market with $2.0 billion (a 14.5 percent decrease). China
ranked third with $1.9 billion (a 13.6 percent decline), and Canada finished
fourth with $1.6 billion (an 8.6 percent increase). In 2004 the top four markets
for Louisiana were Japan, China, Mexico and Canada.
"Soaring global oil prices, combined with the continuing relatively low value
of the U.S. dollar and the duty-free benefits of the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) on goods exported to our neighboring countries of Mexico and
Canada, all played a part in exports to those two huge markets," said Eugene
Schreiber, Managing Director of the World Trade Center.
Among all states, Louisiana ranked 15th, just behind Indiana, New Jersey,
Georgia, and North Carolina. Texas, California, and New York continued to be the
top three exporting states. Total U.S. exports in 2005 were $904.4 billion, a
10.6 percent increase over 2004.
“Rebounding from Katrina, Louisiana companies have many worldwide
opportunities to sell their products and services," stated Donald van de Werken,
Director of the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center, the local branch of
the U.S. Department of Commerce. "Over 2,000 small and medium-size Louisiana
enterprises are expanding their exports, which create additional revenue and
jobs for our companies and workers," van de Werken added.
The
following three charts summarize the data
reported above.
Trade reports that provide information on 32 industry
categories of Louisiana exports (NAICS) and 97 commodities (HS) to more than 200 countries worldwide, as well as
export totals of other U.S. states, are available on the WTC’s website by
clicking the links below.
Louisiana Exports by Country
(US
$, NAICS Database)
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|
Description |
ANNUAL 2004 |
ANNUAL 2005 |
% Change |
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TOTAL ALL COUNTRIES |
19,922,345,769 |
19,231,807,078 |
-3.5 |
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1 |
MEXICO |
1,948,559,906 |
2,212,424,212 |
13.5 |
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2 |
JAPAN |
2,360,697,154 |
2,019,352,376 |
-14.5 |
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3 |
CHINA |
2,194,432,554 |
1,896,002,903 |
-13.6 |
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4 |
CANADA |
1,433,794,806 |
1,557,470,345 |
8.6 |
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5 |
NETHERLANDS |
557,846,291 |
631,810,307 |
13.3 |
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6 |
EGYPT |
537,684,846 |
549,391,191 |
2.2 |
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7 |
COLOMBIA |
520,772,293 |
543,192,602 |
4.3 |
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8 |
SOUTH
KOREA |
728,459,835 |
537,167,763 |
-26.3 |
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9 |
BELGIUM |
457,748,440 |
470,703,113 |
2.8 |
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10 |
BRAZIL |
391,432,126 |
349,754,996 |
-10.7 |
Louisiana Exports by Industry
(US
$, NAICS Database)
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|
Description |
ANNUAL 2004 |
ANNUAL 2005 |
% Change |
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TOTAL ALL INDUSTRIES |
19,922,345,769 |
19,231,807,078 |
-3.5 |
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1 |
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS |
9,247,963,874 |
7,126,160,704 |
-22.9 |
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2 |
CHEMICALS |
4,478,359,927 |
4,690,996,960 |
4.8 |
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3 |
PETROLEUM AND COAL PRODUCTS |
1,922,011,787 |
2,763,519,956 |
43.8 |
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4 |
FOOD
AND KINDRED PRODUCTS |
1,860,831,313 |
1,822,115,846 |
-2.1 |
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5 |
MACHINERY, EXCEPT ELECTRICAL |
487,332,892 |
660,447,049 |
35.5 |
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6 |
TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT |
497,251,260 |
526,466,285 |
5.9 |
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7 |
PRIMARY METAL MANUFACTURING |
200,140,427 |
344,977,296 |
72.4 |
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8 |
PAPER |
282,233,506 |
305,034,168 |
8.1 |
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9 |
FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, NESOI |
116,693,071 |
139,973,856 |
20.0 |
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10 |
WASTE
AND SCRAP |
103,060,394 |
132,379,428 |
28.5 |
U.S. Exports by State
(US
$, NAICS Database)
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|
Description |
ANNUAL 2004 |
ANNUAL 2005 |
% Change |
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TOTAL ALL STATES |
817,935,848,814 |
904,379,818,171 |
10.6 |
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1 |
TEXAS |
117,244,970,494 |
128,761,036,151 |
9.8 |
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2 |
CALIFORNIA |
109,967,840,247 |
116,818,585,165 |
6.2 |
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3 |
NEW
YORK |
44,400,728,905 |
50,492,176,404 |
13.7 |
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4 |
WASHINGTON |
33,792,503,705 |
37,948,360,874 |
12.3 |
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5 |
MICHIGAN |
35,625,007,725 |
37,584,052,274 |
5.5 |
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6 |
ILLINOIS |
30,213,626,405 |
35,868,406,183 |
18.7 |
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7 |
OHIO |
31,208,205,664 |
34,800,926,215 |
11.5 |
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8 |
FLORIDA |
28,981,515,202 |
33,377,054,012 |
15.2 |
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9 |
PENNSYLVANIA |
18,487,253,385 |
22,270,841,318 |
20.5 |
|
10 |
MASSACHUSETTS |
21,837,411,438 |
22,042,806,091 |
0.9 |
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11 |
INDIANA |
19,109,378,037 |
21,475,917,893 |
12.4 |
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12 |
NEW
JERSEY |
19,192,130,841 |
21,080,304,895 |
9.8 |
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13 |
GEORGIA |
19,632,738,011 |
20,576,630,980 |
4.8 |
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14 |
NORTH
CAROLINA |
18,114,767,389 |
19,463,348,583 |
7.4 |
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15 |
LOUISIANA |
19,922,345,769 |
19,231,807,078 |
-3.5 |
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division provided by World Institute
for Strategic Economic Research (WISER)
All data Origin of Movement Series
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| Donald van de Werken, Director of the New Orleans Export
Assistance Center, reports that his office has observed that, to their
surprise, some South Louisiana small-and-medium-size exporters (SMEs) are
actually experiencing an increased number of international sales orders
after the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“Several Louisiana firms have indicated that their overseas customers
came to the rescue by placing orders after they heard and saw the
devastation on the news and wanted to help their suppliers in South
Louisiana and Gulf Coast Mississippi,” according to van de Werken. He
attributes this in part to being a sympathetic gesture, but one SME supplier
called it a good reason to go international. Other SMEs already back-ordered
before the storms, he said, used the time to switch away from domestic
deliveries and instead shipped to their international buyers due to storage
of local ground transportation or their buyers’ facilities were destroyed or
not in operation.
Van de Werken further stated that some South Louisiana exporters are
reporting double and triple production shifts to complete international
orders. Shortages of local labor and housing continue to hinder full
recovery. “Louisiana exporters are some of the best-prepared in the country
to deal with natural disasters, he noted. “Disaster planning and being
engaged internationally was key to their survival.”
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| The World Trade Center, SWEPCO, Le Centre International and
other organizations are sponsoring an interactive one-day seminar in
Shreveport on March 21 and Lafayette on March 23 on “The Secrets of
Successful Trade Financing, “ providing valuable tools, techniques, and
practical knowledge for export financing. During this unique workshop,
attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how to use financing tools
such as letters of credit and government resources; offer competitive terms
and yet receive payment upon shipment; protect balance sheets from the risks
of international trade; and identify creditworthy prospects.
Richard “Chip” Thomas, a global trade and banking expert, will lead the
seminar. Mr. Thomas is the President of the American Export Training
Institute (AETI), which he helped found in 1995 and which provides practical
training in export finance to corporations and financial institutions. Mr.
Thomas previously spent 20 years in international banking, specializing in
trade and finance. He is the co-author of the recently published “Trade
Finance Handbook,” targeted to small and mid-size companies.
The March 21 and 23 seminars are for anyone responsible for international
trade financing, including CEO’s, CFO’s, International Sales and Marketing
Executives, Export Managers, Controllers, Accountants, Finance Officers and
Credit Managers. For details and registration, click
here, or call the WTC
at (504) 529-1601, ext. 222 concerning the Shreveport seminar or Le Centre
International at (337) 291-5474 about the program in Lafayette.
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| On December 21, 2005, President Bush signed into law the
Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone Act of 2005, which provides tax relief for
businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina. Detailed information about the
various tax provisions contained in the Act is available at
www.irs.gov or at (1) (866)
562-5227. Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO), with the
help of Louisiana Economic Development and Government consultants, is
hosting an informational seminar focused on the new federal Go Zone tax
legislation, as well as Louisiana Business Incentives.
Experts will be providing the nuts and bolts on how these incentives
work. The Gulf Opportunity Zone Business Incentive Briefing will be held at
The Jefferson Orleans South on Thursday, March 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
There is no charge to attend the session, but prospective attendees are
requested to register by calling JEDCO at (504) 833-1881 ext. 352 by Friday,
March 3.
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| March 2 - Pub Nite; 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at La Cote Brasserie,
700 Tchoupitoulas Street
March 8 - 2006 Great Decisions Series: UN Reform, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Prof. David Clinton, Tulane. Location TBA.
March 22 - “Rebuilding of Kobe: Lessons for New Orleans and the Gulf
Coast,” Dr. Haruo Hayashi and Dr. Shigeo Tatsuki. Co-sponsored with the
Japanese Consulate of New Orleans, the Center for Global Partnership, and
the Port of New Orleans. Port of New Orleans, 5:00 p.m.
For details on these events, visit the WAC/N.O. website at
www.wacno.org or call
(504) 523-2201.
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| On Friday, March 10 the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of
Louisiana will hold its first quarterly luncheon of 2006 at 12:00 noon at
Andrea's Restaurant in Metairie. Speakers at the luncheon include Dr. Diane
Roussel Superintendent of the Jefferson Parish Public School System; Jim
Kelly, CEO of Catholic Charities in New Orleans; Dr. Randy Moffett,
President, Southeastern Louisiana University; and Manuel F. Blanco,
President, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. To sponsor or register for the
luncheon, contact the HCCL at (504) 885a-4262 or
info@hccl.biz
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| Meet the Buyers Seminar - Toronto, Canada, April 3. Export
to Canada’s lucrative hardware, home improvement, building products, and
lawn and garden retail market. The Council of American States in Canada (CASC)
and the U.S. Commercial Service are organizing this seminar, which will help
you connect with Canada’s Hardware/Home Improvement Retail Industry. Visit
www.casc-canada.ca.
Global Petroleum Show - Calgary, Canada, June 13-15. Spaces are still
available in the U.S. Pavilion. Louisiana companies are encouraged to
participate. For more information contact the New Orleans USEAC at (504)
589-6546.
USA Pavilion at the Offshore Northern Seas 2006 oil and gas exhibition -
Stavanger, Norway, August 22-25. This will be the largest oil and gas trade
event in Europe in 2006. Visit the website at
www.ons.no.
Southeast Asia Environmental Technologies Trade Mission - April 24 to May
3. The Commercial Service will lead an industry mission to Malaysia,
Thailand, and the Philippines. For details visit
www.buyusa.gov/ternnessee/environmental.
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- India - firm wishes to represent oilfield products & equipment
- Philippines - invitation to bid for supply and delivery of pipes and
fittings
- Turkmenistan - company seeks bids to install gas metering on major
pipelines
- Chile - company seeks jack-up platform
- Chile - company seeks medical equipment
- Uruguay - firm wishes to purchase dredge for construction project
- Ecuador - firm wishes to purchase equipment for hydroelectric plant
- Pakistan - company wants to import offshore drilling machinery
- India - company wants to purchase retrievable hydraulic and mechanical
packer
- Market reports available: Libya Country Commercial Guide, and
Venezuela Oil & Gas Industry Report
For additional information, contact the New Orleans Export Assistance
Center at (504) 589-6546.
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The Louisiana International Trade Bulletin is a monthly
partnership publication of the:
Louisiana Department of Economic Development
New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center
World Trade Center of New Orleans
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