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In This Edition:
- NADEC Chair
- Committee Spotlight
- Trade News
- Upcoming Events
- Partners
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Anne Burkett
NADEC Chair, Alabama DEC
A Message from the NADEC Chair
Happy New Year from the NADEC!
As we begin 2026, the global trade landscape continues to evolve rapidly. The United States is charting a new course on trade, and companies are adapting to changes in logistics, compliance, risk management, and global supply chains. These dynamics are reshaping how organizations plan, source, and compete worldwide.
Several major issues will influence trade in the year ahead. The review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be a significant trade negotiation in 2026. At the same time, the evolving U.S.–China relationship remains central, with discussions focused on tariffs, critical minerals, advanced technology, and manufacturing capacity. Key sectors impacted include artificial intelligence, energy, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and critical minerals, while trade in services—such as travel & tourism, banking, distribution, and advertising—continues to grow in importance.
The U.S. Commercial Service is focused on key industry sectors to support exporters, including Strategic Exports of American Made and the American AI Exports Program. NADEC looks forward to supporting these efforts and facilitating meaningful discussions with the leadership from the U.S. Commercial Service at the NADEC Annual Export Conference – Global Trade in Transition - on May 12–13 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Education remains a cornerstone of NADEC’s mission. Upcoming 2026 webinars include:
· January 28 – Export Trade Compliance
· February 18 – Doing Business in Saudi Arabia
· March – DEC Best Practices
NADEC is also pleased to partner with IBT Online for:
· Shopify for Global Growth – January 29
· From Promo to Pipeline: Using AI Video Tools to Drive Leads and Global Visibility – March 26
As we move forward into 2026, NADEC remains committed to supporting DEC members with timely insights, practical education, and strong connections across the global trade community.
Warm regards,
Anne Burkett, NADEC Chair
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Education & Outreach Committee
DECs Unite to Advance Education and Outreach
Through National Collaboration
Fred Latuperissa, NADEC Chair, Education-Outreach Committee
The National District Export Council (NADEC) is launching a best practices initiative for new and current DEC members to strengthen collaboration, education, and engagement across more than 60 District Export Councils (DECs) nationwide.
This effort is led by the NADEC Education and Outreach Committee under the leadership of Co-Chairs Fred Latuperissa and Tom Cook, reflecting a strong commitment to building a unified, knowledge-sharing DEC community.
Scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. EST, the inaugural “East Meets West” program will feature the Florida and Arizona DECs as lead contributors. Tee Persad from the Florida DEC and Carol Colombo from the Arizona DEC will highlight best practices in export education and outreach, with additional insights from Tom Cook of the New York DEC to connect local experience with national perspectives.
This initiative is designed as a platform for DECs to learn from one another, replicate successful models, and enhance regional impact while aligning with NADEC’s national objectives. By elevating the role of individual DEC members and councils, the program supports greater ownership of educational outreach and deeper engagement across local, regional, and national activities.
The launch is envisioned as the first in an ongoing series of best-practice exchanges that can be showcased at future DEC and NADEC events, including regional and national conferences.
DECs interested in participating in upcoming best-practice sessions or contributing case studies are encouraged to connect with the Education and Outreach Committee through NADEC’s regular communication channels.
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2026 Sponsorship Opportunities
Corporate and Local DEC sponsorship opportunities are available.
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Book Your Hotel
Reserve your hotel room NOW and get a $50 discount on your conference registration!
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Register Today
Register for the conference and before 4/29/26 to receive the Early Bird registration rate
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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
2:00 PM CST
Incoterms® rules are the foundation of international trade—yet they’re often misunderstood, leading to costly disputes, delays, and unexpected charges. This webinar breaks down Incoterms® in clear, practical terms so you can use them correctly and confidently in your contracts and shipments.
Learn how Incoterms® define responsibilities for cost, risk, and delivery, how to choose the right rule for your transactions, and how to avoid common mistakes that impact margins and compliance. Essential for anyone involved in exporting, importing, logistics, or contract negotiation.
Join Graham Catlett, International Business Attorney, to learn how and when to best use these international terms of trade!
You will learn:
–Detailed Description of Incoterms®
–The Eleven Incoterms®
–What they do and do NOT do
–How best to incorporate them
–Order within the Rules
–Differences between Incoterms® 2010 and 2020
Who should attend: This course is ideal for professionals in import/export operations, marketing/sales management and customer service, purchasing or logistics, ISO and compliance management, insurance, commercial law and finance. You will have the opportunity to ask questions during the session. Can’t attend? Register anyway and you’ll get the recording
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Wednesday, February 25, 2026
2:00 PM CST
South Korea is a global hub for innovation, manufacturing, and technology—but entering the market requires local insight. This webinar offers a practical introduction to South Korea’s business environment, market entry options, and key legal and cultural considerations.
Join Colin Renk, Vice President of Client and Partner Services at the International Center to learn how to navigate regulations, understand Korean business culture, and build successful partnerships. Ideal for companies and professionals exploring trade, investment, or expansion opportunities in South Korea!
You will have the opportunity to ask questions during the session. Can’t attend? Register anyway and you’ll get the recording.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
2:00 PM EST
US Energy firms! Join our Export Experts in a webinar on evolving Mexican regulations, existing incentives, and how to create a compliance framework to mitigate risks. Build your export confidence in the vibrant Mexican market!
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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
12:00 PM EST
Are you a mining equipment manufacturer, service supplier, or project finance professional interested to learn more about mining opportunities in Peru? Hear from the U.S. Commercial Service and U.S. Embassy officials in Lima on exciting mining projects in Peru and a market overview.
•This webinar will provide U.S. companies with a comprehensive overview of Peru’s mining market and broader investment landscape. The session will begin with a brief macroeconomic and political overview and will highlight why the country remains an attractive destination for U.S. mining firms and U.S. equipment manufacturers. Peru is the world’s third largest producer of copper and silver and the second largest producer of zinc.
•The discussion will also focus on Peru’s mining sector, featuring key investment projects planned for 2026–2027. These projects represent nearly US$8.2 billion in new mining investment, and are concentrated primarily in Arequipa, Puno, Apurímac, Pasco, and Cusco, with copper accounting for approximately 70% of total investment. These projects present a great opportunity for U.S. exports in mining equipment and services and in this webinar the U.S. Commercial Service will discuss how we can help you to facilitate these export deals.
•This webinar will provide companies with opportunities including information on upcoming Mining Convention in Peru (PERUMIN) and our new Coal and Mining Connect program.
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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
1:00 PM EST
The U.S. Commercial Service Advanced Manufacturing Team is partnering with Sustainment to host a webinar focused on supplier sourcing. In collaboration with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) network, Sustainment offers a supplier scouting service to help manufacturers connect to customers and/or suppliers across the country. Speakers will present strategies to identify and vet top-tier U.S. manufacturers and provide success stories from businesses who have mastered domestic supplier networks.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2026
5:00 PM EST
American manufacturers will discover the business opportunities emerging within the Australian maritime defense sector, with a particular focus on the AUKUS (Australia-U.K.-U.S.) Alliance.
Australia is actively seeking to boost its capabilities and integrate global best practices in its defense industrial base. Through collaboration with key partners, U.S. advanced manufacturing companies can help drive innovation and security across maritime and defense supply chains.
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January 28, 2026
11:00 AM EST
US exhibitors face challenges when preparing to take their samples, demos, tools, and equipment to trade shows. Even small oversights when exporting goods for trade shows can turn into mayhem.
To reduce these risks, participants in international trade events, field service companies, and anyone needing to temporarily export goods should consider using an ATA Carnet, an internationally recognized customs document that will be explained in this webinar.
Our experts will outline the basic steps you must follow if you plan to sell any of your exhibition products and export them afterward.
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January 28, 2026 | Virtual
8:30PM EST
Cost: $25
Vietnam is accelerating reforms across its mining, coal and critical minerals sectors – driven by its net-zero by 2050 commitment, tighter ESG standards, and a strategic push to develop secure, responsible supply chains. Join the U.S. Commercial Service for a webinar on tapping into Vietnam's high-potential mining, coal and critical minerals sectors.
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Exporting Industrial Machinery to Brazil
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
12:00 PM EST
Exporting to Brazil? Don't let Customs be a roadblock! Learn the basics of Customs import clearance processes and tariffs in Brazil. Gain a competitive edge by understanding one of the most challenging aspects of exporting to this vibrant market. This webinar is focused on U.S. exporters of equipment and machinery.
- Dive into the fundamentals of Brazilian Customs
- Receive guidance on export documentation
- Save time and money by learning tips to avoid common and expensive mistakes
- Understand how duties and taxes are calculated and get a better idea on how much your product could cost to buyers in Brazil
- Learn about exceptions for certain types of machinery
- Market opportunities, resources and tools
Cost: US$25
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Supercharge your Shopify store to win more customers
at home and abroad.
Join us to discover how to harness Shopify’s powerful ecommerce capabilities - combined with AI-driven digital strategies and expert localization - to grow sales across the U.S. and in key international markets.
In this fast-paced session, you’ll learn how to:
- Optimize Shopify for both U.S. and global B2B and B2C sales
- Localize your store for trust, visibility, and conversion in any market
- Integrate AI tools to personalize the buyer journey and increase ROI
- Align Shopify with your wider marketing, sales, and fulfillment strategies
Whether your focus is domestic growth, international expansion, or both, this session will give you the roadmap to make Shopify work harder for your business.
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Thursday, March 26, 2026
11:00 AM EST
From Promo to Pipeline: Using AI Video Tools to Drive Leads and Global Visibility
Hosted by NADEC in collaboration with IBT Online
Turn video into one of your most effective sales and growth tools—powered by AI. In this dynamic session, you’ll discover how AI-driven video creation and personalization can significantly increase visibility, support sales conversations, and generate qualified leads across both the U.S. and international markets.
Featuring Anne Burkett, NADEC Chair, alongside IBT Online experts Susanna Hardy, Chief Content Officer, and Ava Mitzi, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, this webinar will unpack how companies are moving beyond promotional video to create scalable, conversion-focused assets that support the entire buyer journey.
You’ll learn how to:
- Create engaging, AI-powered videos designed to educate, build trust, and convert
- Personalize video content for different audiences, markets, and stages of the sales funnel
- Use video to support distributors, sales reps, and in-market partners with consistent messaging
- Integrate AI video into your broader marketing and sales strategy to drive measurable results
Whether your focus is domestic growth, international expansion, or both, this session will show how AI video can help you move faster—from visibility to pipeline.
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Client Spotlight: Cane Creek Accelerates Global Growth
with Localization
How can a targeted digital strategy unlock new international opportunities? Cane Creek, a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-performance cycling components, partnered with IBT Online to strengthen its global presence—starting with Latin America.
By launching a localized Spanish-language website, Cane Creek improved support for its regional dealer network, increased visibility across Spanish-speaking markets, and achieved immediate results, including securing a new distributor in Chile and driving higher engagement from international audiences.
“Shortly after we went live with our Spanish-speaking website, we added a new Chilean distributor. We’ve already seen increasing customers since going live with our project with IBT Online.”
— Jenna Toney, Director of Marketing, Cane Creek
Watch the video to see how Cane Creek turned localization into measurable growth:
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Please share your events with the
NADEC Network!
Please send any events that you would like added to the newsletter to Brenda Stelly, Communications Chair, Louisiana DEC, at brenda@oilcenter.com.
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