February 2022
From the Board
Why Come to the NADEC Annual Spring Conference?
Jonathan Szucs, Vice Chair & Chair, Events Committee

To All DEC Members: 
 
Please be sure that you are registering and booking your hotel for the NADEC Annual Spring Conference being held May 19-20, 2022 at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center. This conference will be the first in-person NADEC conference since the beginning of Covid. The topics that will be covered in 2022 have a profound effect on trade moving forward. 

  • In the Trade Policy track of the conference you will hear about items such as the U.S. – U.K. trade relationship. We say this because our friends in the U.K. now say that they are finished with Brexit and we should pivot to a conversation on the future of trade between the U.S. and U.K.
  • You will also hear from speakers from several African nations in how to conduct business in their countries. 
  • Other panels of interest may be those on exporting to Island nations or even the panel on exporting to South American Countries
  • On the heels of the 2022 Trade Winds event being held in Dubai in March, we will even have a panel on doing business in the Middle East. There will be even more topics covered with high level speakers and all this in just two days.

  • Maybe, you are more interested in the compliance side of the conference. Our panel on EAR vs. ITAR is just one of the many panels we will have. What about Cybersecurity? What a hot topic and one that you will also find in our loaded agenda for 2022. 
  • Are you a small business looking to leverage an educational institution to help grow your exports? Hear from our panel experts on how to use those resources that are available to you. 
  • Maybe you are a business in the travel and tourism industry that has been decimated by the pandemic, come and hear from our experts on how to export in those sectors. 

Covid has severely curtailed some local DECs from their normal activities. That is why there will be DEC related panels available to help energize and invigorate local DECs. Come here from DECs who have found creative solutions to the Covid issue when conducting their DEC business.

Last but certainly not least, you should attend to network with all the speakers, moderators and fellow DEC members. This is the first opportunity in 2022 for you to meet and speak to everyone. Take advantage of this and join us for the 2022 NADEC Annual Spring Conference.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to market your company to this unique audience. I can be reached at: js@asiwheels.com
 
Jonathan Szucs 
Spotlight
Local DEC Events
Please share your local DEC events with the NADEC Network!
Send event details to Heidi Whitman, Admin Coordinator
Climate Change & the Implications
for International Business

February 16, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST

This 28th annual forum will provide a bird's eye view of the global climate change debate including a review of the outcomes of COP26 and that this means for international companies.
 
Keynote: "What will it take to compete and collaborate in a climate emergency. Lessons from COP26". Rachel Kyte, CMG, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University.

Followed by a panel discussion with Business Executives moderated by Dr. Peter Abbott, OBE., British Consul General to New England.

South Bound Trade Initiative
A Fresh Approach to Trade and National Security in the Americas

February 17, 2022
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST

This program will bring you an innovative prospective on how to leverage the implementation of the new USMCA, Mexico’s and Latin American competitive reshoring options with the existing FTAs in the Americas creating healthy and diversified regional business strategies, more local and less vulnerable to geographical and geopolitical challenges.

Chief Architect – Ernesto Pinal,
Co-Chair, Trade Policy & Legislative Affairs Committee, NADEC


February 23, 9-10AM CST

Challenges such as global pandemics and other disruption have strained supply chains, necessitating constant strategic planning. 

This webinar will cover:
  • How reshoring a portion of your supply chain can reduce your supply chain risks significantly
  • How nearshoring, thru the usage of the USMCA Treaty, can further reduce your Supply Chain Risks

Central North Florida

April 12-13, 2022, All day

The Caribbean represents a large $23 billion export markets for U.S. firms. The South Florida District Export Council in collaboration with Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Commercial Service is organizing the conference to help your company access opportunities across this important region.

Participants will receive up to date market intelligence and help developing practical strategies for winning procurements and for exporting their goods and services.

"In The Works"

The Education & Training Committee is busy planning the 2022 calendar of webinars. We welcome your ideas for speakers and other events. Please contact Tom Dustman, Co-Chair: tdustman@sunnen.com

  • MarchManaging Cross Border Employees
  • April: Discussion with representatives from NASBITE International
  • June: Tourism – Best practices for international visitors
  • July: Foreign Trade Zones – Benefits and Utilization
  • September: Supply Chain update
  • October: DEC Membership – benefits of involvement
  • November: Best practices – discussion with local DECs
FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Opportunities in the German Music Industry
A2IM -ITA MDCP Trade Talks Series 2022

February 23. 2022, 11:00am-12:00pm EST

Join us for a music market briefing on Germany and learn about upcoming opportunities, music trends, events such as Reeperbahn, and relevant industry resources.

The targeted audience includes A2IM members, U.S. music companies/organizations including record labels, musicians, artist managers, publishing companies, etc.

Questions? Contact: marisel.trespalacios@trade.gov

Exporting Medical Devices to Southeast Asia

March 8-9, 2022, 8:00am-9:30am EST

Join the U.S. Commercial Service-Long Island on March 8-9 for a Virtual Webinar on Exporting Medical Devices to Southeast Asian markets including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The webinar will highlight healthcare industry of each country, best prospects for exporting U.S. medical device and technology, and regulatory procedures. Target attendees are U.S. medical device makers and health IT solutions developers from all over the U.S.

Questions? Contact jamel.hicks@trade.gov

Trade Policy Update
The Federal Government’s Efforts to Coordinate Inter-Agency Support for Exporters: “Deal Teams”
David Day, Co-Chair, Trade Policy Committee

As some of you have no doubt noticed, the business and trade milieu that U.S. firms face when attempting to export or operate abroad has now shifted dramatically. Reports of inflation, supply chain jam-ups, a frustration over financing delays mixed with new Federal programs are all too common. Moreover, in certain markets, particularly where Chinese SOE’s are involved, it is a challenge to get all the pieces together in a timely fashion so as to even be competitive.

Enter recent the “Deal Teams’ initiative which was created to mobilize the resources of the U.S. government to help U.S. companies win business abroad and to advance U.S. strategic commercial interests. Embassy Deal Teams are working groups of interagency officers and staff at our overseas posts focused on helping U.S. companies do business in their markets. The purpose of the Deal Team Initiative is to support U.S. businesses interested in exporting and investing overseas by identifying opportunities early in the deal cycle and deploying all available U.S. government tools to help U.S. companies successfully compete abroad.

The NADEC Trade Policy Committee recently held an important meeting with Commerce’s Patrick Kirwan, who leads the “Deal Teams” inter-agency effort. Mr. Kirwan stressed to the Committee that the “Deal Teams” concept is essentially a “back of the house” effort to pull the key agencies together to both respond more quickly to strategic commercial challenges. Part of this effort is to help assemble support packages among the agencies to assist U.S. companies.

The “Deal Team” initiative is not something that your firm would invoke or tap into directly. It is an internal, inter-agency focus directed at the post or embassy level in an effort to prioritize a commercial win for a given U.S. firm in an international market. Part 


In Focus
Not all shippers suffering amid global supply chain chaos
Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner, Vespucci Maritime, and JOC Analyst | Jan 19, 2022

If we are to believe the headlines, the supply chain disruption — or perhaps more aptly titled as “chaos” — is a major problem. But it is worthwhile to look a bit deeper and begin to see a possible glimpse of the future.

Starting at the current calamities, there is no doubt whatsoever that the supply chain is presently in a state of disarray and there is no realistic hope of a short-term resolution. The queues of vessels outside Los Angeles/Long Beach have exceeded 100 vessels. Vessel schedule reliability globally has been between 30 to 40 percent for a year, and consistently worse than that in the trans-Pacific.

The most stable and non-volatile global rate index available — from Container Trade Statistics — is showing rate levels which are up 183 percent compared with before the pandemic. Conversely, the most volatile index — the Shanghai Container Freight Index spot index — is up 408 percent compared with before the pandemic.

Flexport data shows that the average transportation time for a container from exporter in China to importer in the US is up from 45 days, to 113 days.

And this is before we start to mention the Suez Canal blockage, the shutdown of Yantian and Ningborail closures in Vancouver, shortage of containers, shortage of trucks and chassis, etc. Let us stop the listing of calamities here as the list is almost interminable.

With this backdrop it is easy to jump to the conclusion that this is a disaster for the shippers and hence a major problem for the global economy. But then it is worthwhile to do something else. Let us have a look at a few statements from the latest quarterly results from the five largest container importers in the US who are publicly listed:

Walmart: “Our momentum continues with strong sales and profit growth globally. Consolidated operating income was $5.8 billion, an increase of 0.2 percent.”

Contact Lars Jensen at lars.jensen@vespucci-maritime.com.
Hot Topic
Let's Increase DEC Member Engagement!

*Attention DEC Chairs! NADEC wants to partner with local DECs to help promote your DEC events to the broader DEC community!

Please send NADEC@usaexporter.org information on your webinars and other training events at least one month in advance so we can include your event on the NADEC website, in the NADEC newsletter, and on the NADEC social media.

If you need any assistance in putting together a DEC webinar, NADEC would be pleased to assist you with our NADEC Zoom platform and other technical assistance as needed.

NADEC WEBSITE INITIATIVE: NADEC would like every local DEC to have its own presence on the worldwide web! NADEC is providing 2 options to local DECs to develop a cost-effective website. Funding assistance is available. If your local DEC does not have a website and would like further information on this initiative, please contact Shawn Levsen, NADEC Chair or Urszula Wojciechowska, co-Chair, Communications Committee.

NADEC is offering local DECs several benefits to facilitate DEC Member Engagement:

  • Local DECs can take advantage of a 40% discount using Constant Contact to communicate with their members. Local DECs can sign-up here. Please contact Heidi Whitman, NADEC Administrator, for further information.

  • In order to get the broadest exposure for NADEC's communications on social media, we encourage NADEC members and members of the local District Export Councils to include your membership on your LinkedIn profile to heighten the visibility of the faces of trade!
To Assist You:

The NADEC National Committee has prepared:

All Board Members have special expertise in international trade and are dedicated to helping businesses across the nation develop global sales. Contact them if you have any questions or if they can be of any help.

Useful Links
We're Here to Help You Export Successfully
Whether you are a new or experienced exporter, the U.S. Commercial Service's global network of export experts in more than 100 U.S. cities and 80 global markets can help you find opportunities, reduce uncertainty and make new export sales.

US Department of Commerce, Int'l Trade Administration manages this global trade website to provide access to ITA information on compliance with trade laws and agreements and strengthen the competitiveness of US industry.
SBA works to ignite change and spark action so small businesses can confidently start, grow, expand, or recover. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.

www.usaexporter.org