Page 2 - EXPORT Magazine February 2013

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EXPORT
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February 201
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EDA Office of Foreign Trade • Riverside County, California • USA
From The Office of Foreign
Trade Commissioner
EXPORT MAGAZINE
SPONSORS
Readers of EXPORT Magazine know
how important Canada is to our
foreign trade activities here in Riverside
County, and this month’s issue offers
further proof that our friends to the
north are true partners in a mutually-
beneficial economic partnership.
Our lead story about the Canada
California Business Council’s annual
event in the Riverside County desert
shows how beneficial our trade
relationship has been in just the last
couple of years. The event has grown to
a multi-day endeavor that raises money
for charity while providing Canadians
and Californians an opportunity to
network and develop proposals for
working together in the future.
This year’s event featured a very
entertaining luncheon with heavy
hitters from the worlds of sports and
Hollywood talking about how they
were successful in their fields and what
lessons carry over into the business
world. Congressman Raul Ruiz was a hit
and was awarded a “Friend of Canada”
award after giving gripping testimony
about the power of investment. Also
included was an educational component
that helped people learn about valuable
programs like EB-5, which brings
foreign direct investment into the U.S.
in exchange for the investors getting
visas to bring their families here. I’m
already looking forward to next year!
Our issue also features a story on a
Temecula company that has started
assisting other companies with the
establishment of foreign trade zone
program at businesses in Riverside
County. The FTZ program has great
benefits for manufacturers that import
and export materials and products,
and Riverside County is a leader in
the nation in the development of FTZ
territories. If you are a manufacturer
or an importer/exporter, I encourage
you to look into the FTZ program.
Finally please see two articles: one
by Chris Lynch giving tips on getting
the most out of an international trade
show and the second by Brad Holt
on keys needed to motivate your
foreign representatives. Both of these
contributing writers have years of
experience in international trade.
With warmest regards,
Tom Freeman
Commissioner, Office of Foreign Trade