SEMINAR TO EXPLAIN DUTY-FREE EXPORTS INTO UNITED STATES
MR: Jun 15, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
JJs Conference Center
JJs on the Park, Suva
Time: 1-4pm
Under the United States’ Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme, Fiji businesses are eligible to export some 3,400 products duty-free into the United States.
Details of GSP and how exporters can use it will be explained by Washington-based experts at a seminar organized by the United States Embassy and supported by Fiji-American Chamber of Commerce. The half-day presentation will be held at JJs on the Park on Wednesday, June 20, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
U.S. Ambassador Larry Dinger said the GPS seminar is part of a regional outreach programme to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses through exports into America.
“The importance we are placing on GSP is reflected in the two high-calibre trade experts from the United States who will conduct the seminar.”
The two, Katrin Kuhlman and Aaron Scheibe, have extensive experience in trade matters.
Mr. Scheibe is an Economic Officer in the Office of Multilateral Trade in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs.
Ms. Kuhlman is the Senior Vice President of Women’s Edge Coalition, a leading non-partisan organization dedicated to influencing U.S. trade policy to benefit poor women worldwide.
Among the topics to be covered are what products qualify for GSP duty-free status and, for those products eligible, how to export them into U.S. markets. Participants are welcome to bring samples of their products to the event.
The presenters will also offer insights and suggestions on how local businesses can go about finding U.S. business partners and how to contact U.S. customers and importers. The will be a change of question and answers, as well as discussions of individual cases.
While the seminar will address the interests of the entire business community, special emphasis will be given to the interests of businesswomen.
Those organizing the seminar are urging women with small to medium size business enterprises to attend. They feel that although many of the enterprises may be small, there could be opportunities for them to develop an export market under the GSP programme.
Interested parties can contact the U.S. Embassy at 331-4466 ext. 8153, or email to ufiamoratra@state.gov. The seminar is free of charge but registration.
Ambassador
