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Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline

February 25, 2015 Contributor

The Keystone XL Pipeline bill would have authorized a 1,179-mile pipeline. The debate is a hot topic for environmentalists and North America's energy industry. The Keystone Pipeline has been under review for the past six years. Just this past Tuesday, Obama promised to veto the approval. ________

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

I am returning herewith without my approval S. 1, the "Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act."  Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest.

The Presidential power to veto legislation is one I take seriously.  But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people.  And because this act of Congress conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest -- including our security, safety, and environment -- it has earned my veto.

BARACK OBAMA

_______________________________

Related article: KEYSTONE XL PIPELINES BIGGEST OPPONENT IS ITS MISGUIDED PUBLIC PERCEPTION

Journalist Amy Harder and Colleen McCain Nelson explain in detail;

"Mr. Obama vetoed the legislation, not the pipeline itself. The administration retains the ultimate authority over the pipeline, and the veto doesn’t affect the review, which is in its final stage.

The move prompted immediate criticism from Republicans, who have described the TransCanada Corp. project as a jobs and infrastructure measure. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said on the Senate floor Tuesday that the chamber plans to hold a vote to override the veto by next Tuesday, although neither the Senate nor the House appears to have the requisite two-thirds of votes for an override.

MORE IN CAPITAL JOURNAL

Keystone Veto to Test Whether Obama, GOP Can Move Forward Barack Obama Has Issued Fewer Vetoes Than 75% of Presidents Tuesday’s veto was Mr. Obama’s third since he became president in 2009. His other two vetoes were on relatively minor bills: one involving legislation dealing with the notarization of mortgages, and the second rejecting a spending bill for technical reasons.

Many Democrats oppose the project, saying it wouldn’t create many permanent jobs and citing environmental risks that come with pipelines, including spills.

While the rejection of the Keystone legislation was no surprise, it will test whether the White House and Republicans can push forward on some shared interests while undertaking battles on other issues. Mr. Obama has threatened to veto several other Republican bills, among them legislation to alter the Affordable Care Act and to impose new sanctions on Iran.

The Keystone action also comes as a standoff over funding the Department of Homeland Security escalates, with Republicans trying to use the issue as leverage to block the president’s executive actions on immigration.

Republican leaders in Congress and Mr. Obama have pledged in recent weeks to work together on areas such as easing trade deals and overhauling tax laws. But Tuesday’s veto, along with other emerging conflicts, has brought into focus the divisions that could impede efforts for a Democratic president and Republican-controlled Congress to forge deals.

“President Obama has rejected our attempt to work together,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) said in a statement.

White House officials repeatedly have said that disagreements over one issue shouldn’t become obstacles to agreement on any other issue. The skirmish over Keystone could test that aspiration.

“The question is whether Congress and the administration will be able to pursue a two-track relationship, where they disagree where they must and agree where they can,” said William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former policy adviser to President Bill Clinton.

In a message to Congress, Mr. Obama cited the continuing State Department review as the reason for his veto, saying that the legislation “conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest—including our security, safety and environment.”

Asked if the Obama administration might eventually approve the pipeline after the State Department review is complete, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday: “That possibility still does exist. This is an ongoing review.” Yet, Mr. Obama has spoken skeptically of the pipeline in recent months.

As proposed, the Keystone XL pipeline would move as many as 830,000 barrels of oil a day, mostly from Canada’s oil sands to Steele City, Neb., where it would connect with existing pipelines to Gulf Coast refineries. As many as 100,000 barrels of that oil could come from North Dakota’s booming oil fields.

If completed, the pipeline system would span 1,700 miles and cross six U.S. states. TransCanada already has spent $3 billion on the project, and the total cost could surpass $10 billion—more than twice an initial estimate—if it is ever built.

On its website Tuesday, TransCanada, based in Calgary, Alberta, said it “remains fully committed” to its project, despite Mr. Obama’s veto."

In Blogs, Business, Canada, Energy, Featured Stories, Oil & Energy, World Tags Canada, Keystone Pipeline, Keystone XL, obama, Oil sands, Pipeline
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Farmers Smell The Returns Investing In Biogas

February 20, 2015 Lorita Kinman-Agarrat

Imagine driving past a ranch or farm and not have one’s olfactory receptors assaulted. Emerging technology in biogas conversion is doing just that by transforming waste produced by cattle and livestock into energy and fertilizer and reducing emissions. Given that cattle and livestock actually produce more emissions than vehicles and our western diet is very animal protein centered, this new industry in biogas conversion is an answer to the dilemma of what to do with excess agricultural waste from both livestock and plant material. The process is called anaerobic digestion (AD), and an enterprising company from the UK called New Generation Biogas (NGB) has developed a new type of AD digester.

Biogas basics

Anaerobic digestion is a biological process where microbes break down biodegradable material to produce biogas, which then can be used as energy to generate electricity, heat and even fuel. NGB has been fine tuning the mechanics in this relatively new field since 2009 which has resulted in an accelerated conversion rate, breaking down organic material in days rather than months. And now NGB has managed to scale down this AD system to be made commercially available for small to medium-sized farms under the brand name Archemax.

As developing countries adopt a more westernized diet, there will be a higher demand for things like dairy and meat, which will mean more livestock producing more emissions. To ease the pocket books of farmers, initial investment would be comparable to the cost of machinery like a combine harvester. Having a system in place that not only helps reduce emissions and odor, but produces a viable energy source as well as fertilizer, will have farmers see a return on their investment within five years. As NGB director Howard Sutton says, “This [Archemax] is about as environmentally friendly as you can get.”

In Business, Energy, Ideas, Science & Technology, World
Comment

The Billion Dollar Startup Club

February 20, 2015 Contributor

By Scott Austin, Chris Canipe and Sarah Slobin of WSJPublished Feb. 18, 2015

______________________________

The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones VentureSource are tracking venture-backed private companies valued at $1 billion or more. See how the club has expanded since the project began in January 2014 and select companies to learn more about each.

For an interactive list visit; graphics.wsj.com/billion-dolar-club/

All Companies as of February 2015

Company Latest Valuation Total Equity Funding Last Valuation
Xiaomi

$46.0 billion

$1.4 billion
December 2014
Uber

$41.2 billion

$2.8 billion
December 2014
Palantir

$15.0 billion

$1.0 billion
September 2014
SpaceX

$12.0 billion

$1.1 billion
January 2015
Flipkart

$11.0 billion

$2.5 billion
November 2014
Airbnb

$10.0 billion

$800 million
April 2014
Dropbox

$10.0 billion

$607 million
January 2014
Snapchat

$10.0 billion

$615 million
December 2014
Theranos

$9.0 billion

$400 million
June 2014
Meituan

$7.0 billion

$1.1 billion
January 2015
Square

$6.0 billion

$495 million
August 2014
Pinterest

$5.0 billion

$764 million
May 2014
WeWork

$5.0 billion

$569 million
December 2014
Cloudera

$4.1 billion

$670 million
March 2014
Spotify

$4.0 billion

$521 million
November 2013
Stripe

$3.5 billion

$190 million
December 2014
Jawbone

$3.3 billion

$531 million
February 2014
Fanatics

$3.1 billion

$320 million
June 2012
VANCL

$3.0 billion

$512 million
December 2011
Legendary Entertainment

$3.0 billion

$900 million
September 2014
Pure Storage

$3.0 billion

$470 million
April 2014
Bloom Energy

$2.9 billion

$1.2 billion
September 2011
Powa

$2.7 billion

$156 million
November 2014
InMobi

$2.5 billion

$216 million
December 2014
Houzz

$2.3 billion

$215 million
October 2014
Dianping

$2.0 billion

$569 million
February 2014
Trendy Group

$2.0 billion

$200 million
February 2012
Nutanix

$2.0 billion

$312 million
August 2014
Magic Leap

$2.0 billion

$592 million
October 2014
Snapdeal

$2.0 billion

$1.0 billion
October 2014
Coupang

$2.0 billion

$418 million
December 2014
Instacart

$2.0 billion

$275 million
December 2014
Delivery Hero

$1.9 billion

$1.2 billion
February 2015
Intarcia Therapeutics

$1.8 billion

$598 million
March 2014
MongoDB

$1.6 billion

$311 million
December 2014
DocuSign

$1.6 billion

$237 million
March 2014
Adyen

$1.5 billion

$500 million
December 2014
Koudai Shopping

$1.4 billion

$364 million
October 2014
Jasper Technologies

$1.4 billion

$204 million
April 2014
Deem

$1.4 billion

$474 million
September 2011
Social Finance

$1.3 billion

$399 million
February 2015
Sunrun

$1.3 billion

$295 million
March 2014
AppNexus

$1.2 billion

$251 million
August 2014
Automattic

$1.2 billion

$190 million
May 2014
Fab

$1.2 billion

$335 million
June 2013
Gilt Groupe

$1.1 billion

$275 million
April 2011
Slack

$1.1 billion

$180 million
October 2014
Actifio

$1.1 billion

$208 million
March 2014
Proteus Digital Health

$1.1 billion

$354 million
June 2014
AppDynamics

$1.1 billion

$177 million
July 2014
IronSource

$1.1 billion

$103 million
August 2014
Home24

$1.0 billion

$20 million
December 2014
Yello Mobile

$1.0 billion

$112 million
December 2014
CloudFlare

$1.0 billion

$72 million
December 2012
Evernote

$1.0 billion

$302 million
May 2012
Good Technology

$1.0 billion

$388 million
April 2013
Eventbrite

$1.0 billion

$200 million
March 2014
Tango

$1.0 billion

$367 million
March 2014
InsideSales.com

$1.0 billion

$139 million
April 2014
Mogujie

$1.0 billion

$200 million
June 2014
Kabam

$1.0 billion

$245 million
August 2014
Lookout

$1.0 billion

$284 million
August 2014
JustFab

$1.0 billion

$250 million
August 2014
Honest Co.

$1.0 billion

$122 million
August 2014
Credit Karma

$1.0 billion

$194 million
March 2014
Qualtrics

$1.0 billion

$220 million
September 2014
Razer

$1.0 billion

$50 million
October 2014
Shopify

$1.0 billion

$122 million
December 2013
Ola Cabs

$1.0 billion

$277 million
October 2014
Shazam

$1.0 billion

$170 million
January 2015
Beibei

$1.0 billion

$124 million
January 2015
Grabtaxi

$1.0 billion

$340 million
December 2014
Moderna

$1.0 billion

$625 million
January 2015
Beats Electronics

Exited

--
August 2014
Box

Exited

--
December 2014
Coupons.com

Exited

--
March 2014
Fisker Automotive

Exited

--
March 2014
Hanhua Financial

Exited

--
June 2014
GoPro

Exited

--
June 2014
Hortonworks

Exited

--
November 2014
JD.com

Exited

--
May 2014
LaShou

Exited

--
November 2014
Lending Club

Exited

--
December 2014
Mobileye

Exited

--
August 2014
Nest Labs

Exited

--
February 2014
New Relic

Exited

--
December 2014
Rocket Internet

Exited

--
October 2014
Wayfair

Exited

--
October 2014
Zalando

Exited

--
October 2014
Analyzing the Club
TOP COUNTRIES:
United States 50
China 8
India 4
Germany 2
United Kingdom 2
TOP CITIES:
San Francisco, Calif. 20
New York, N.Y. 5
Beijing, China 4
Palo Alto, Calif. 4
Sunnyvale, Calif. 2
TOP INDUSTRIES:
Software 23
Consumer Internet 15
E-Commerce 15
Financial Services 5
Hardware 4
TOP INVESTORS:
Sequoia Capital 17
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers 15
Tiger Global Management 11
Andreessen Horowitz 10
Accel Partners 10

Note: This chart only includes companies that are privately held, have raised money in the past four years and have at least one venture-capital firm as an investor. Excluded from this list are companies that were majority-controlled by an institutional investment firm at one point. Only valuations confirmed by VentureSource or The Journal are included, based on direct investments, not secondary deals. The chart will be updated as new information is reported.

Source: Dow Jones VentureSource and The Wall Street Journal

In Blogs, Business, World Tags 1 Billion, capital, direct investment, dow jones, firm, investment firm, investor, one billion, Privately held, The Jounrla, valuatins, venture, venture-backed privat companies, venture-capital firms, VentureSource, vlued
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Labor secretary to hold more talks in West Coast ports dispute

February 19, 2015 Contributor

BY STEVE GORMAN of Reuters ____________________________________

(Reuters) - U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez planned to hold a second round of talks with shipping company executives and union leaders for 20,000 dockworkers on Wednesday, seeking to broker a deal to end months of labor turmoil clogging cargo traffic at 29 West Coast ports.

Perez was sent to San Francisco as an emissary of President Barack Obama, who has come under mounting pressure to intervene in a conflict that has reverberated through the trans-Pacific commercial supply chain and, by some estimates, could cost the U.S. economybillions of dollars.

Cargo containers sit idle at the Port of Los Angeles as a back-log of over 30 container ships sit anchored outside the Port in Los Angeles, California, February 18, 2015.  CREDIT: REUTERS/BOB RIHA, JR.

Steadily worsening cargo congestion that the union and shippers blame on each other has slowed freight traffic since October at the ports, which handle nearly half of all U.S. maritime trade and more than 70 percent of the nation's imports from Asia.

More recently, the shipping companies have sharply curtailed operations at the terminals, limiting the loading and unloading of cargo vessels to daytime shifts at the five busiest ports and to non-holiday weekdays only throughout the system.

Daytime work has continued in the dockyards, rail yards and terminal gates. Some smaller ports remained open to nighttime vessel operations as well.

The union and shipping companies each accuse the other side of instigating the disruptions to gain leverage in contract negotiations that have dragged on for nine months, appearing to hit a roadblock in the last two weeks.

The bargaining agent for the shippers and terminal operators, the Pacific Maritime Association, has said talks hit a snag over a union demand for changes in the system of binding arbitration of contract disputes.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has insisted the two sides are near an accord.

Perez joined the talks for the first time on Tuesday, meeting separately with each party, then briefly with both sides together, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Cargo containers sit idle at the Port of Los Angeles as a back-log of over 30 container ships sit anchored outside the Port in Los Angeles, California, February 18, 2015.  CREDIT: REUTERS/BOB RIHA, JR.

"Secretary Perez made clear that the dispute has led to a very negative impact on the U.S. economy, and further delay risks tens of thousands of jobs and will cost American businesses hundreds of millions of dollars," Labor Department spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement at day's end.

Perez urged the parties "to come to an immediate agreement to prevent further damage to our economy," she said.

More talks were scheduled for Wednesday.

The union and the PMA have declined public comment since agreeing last Friday to honor a news blackout requested by a federal mediator who joined the talks last month.

Effects of the port slowdowns have rippled through the U.S. economy, extending to agriculture, manufacturing, retail and transportation.

The last time contract talks led to a full shutdown of the West Coast ports was in 2002, when the companies imposed a lockout that was lifted 10 days later under a court order sought by President George W. Bush.

In Blogs, Business, City, Nation, World Tags 29 West Coast ports, arbitration, cargo, contract disputes, International Longshore, Pacific Maritime Association, PMA, Secretary Perez, Shippers, terminal operators, trans-Pacific commercial supply chain, U-S- Commercial Service, U-S- West Coast Seaport, Warehouse Union, Xochitl Hinojosa
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Counter Trade: Let’s Swap Lunches

February 18, 2015 Roy Becker

Counter Trade, Barter

 

COUNTER TRADE SIMPLIFIED

Remember grade school days, when another student’s lunch looked better than yours, so you swapped?

It still happens today in international trade.

I have read estimates stating that as much as 5% to 20% of world trade falls into the category of counter trade, although the exact numbers are hard to verify. What exactly constitutes counter trade?

While several forms of counter trade exist, in its most basic form it is exchanging goods for goods, commonly called bartering. Likely, one or both parties do not have access to the other party's currency. When both parties have merchandise the other wants to use or to sell, they may mutually agree upon an exchange of goods.

COUNTER TRADE: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

After the exchange, both parties should have the ability to use or sell the goods acquired. If they don't, they may find some unexpected consequences. A popular story involves an aircraft manufacturer. They received an order from a country that did not share their currency but offered to exchange canned ham for the aircraft. The seller agreed.

When the canned ham arrived at the port of importation, U.S. customs officials would not approve the ham for sale in the country. The manufacturer of the aircraft negotiated with the customs agency to release the goods with the condition that they would not sell the goods. Responsibility for determining the final use for the large quantity of canned ham fell to the staff in the company's cafeteria.

COUNTER TRADE: COMPLICATED

Counter trade becomes complicated when more than two parties and more than two countries are involved. A hypothetical example of a three-way trade would be one involving a shipment of oil from Venezuela. The purchaser in Germany offers to pay for the oil with medical equipment. The Venezuelan oil producer does not need medical equipment, so they find a distributor in the United States who takes the medical equipment and pays for it with automobiles, which the party in Venezuela can use. The shipment of oil goes to the party in Germany who sends medical equipment to the party in the United States who sends automobiles to the party in Venezuela and everyone lives happily ever after. Obviously, such a transaction has complications and has potential for things to go wrong.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World Tags barter, exchange, release of goods, Roy Becker, three-way trade, transaction, U-S- customs
Comment

Japan's Economy is Coming Out of Recession

February 16, 2015 James Wilson

It's looking as if Japan's recent recession has officially ended, according to the latest headlines reporting gross domestic product (GDP) growth.  After two straight quarters of economic contraction, Japan's 2014 Q4 saw 2.2 percent annualized growth. While the news sounds positive, the numbers are disappointing to analysts that were expecting growth closer to 3.7 percent - a rather large difference.

After the data's release, Japanese Economic Minister Akira Amari told reporters that the economy was on track for a recovery with signs consumer sentiment is picking up.

But analysts pointed to the weak rebound in consumption and capital expenditure as worrying signs to the outlook.

"These are somewhat disappointing figures," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. "The situation remains weak and companies are clearly postponing investments."

Reuters goes on to report that this rebound from recession will allow the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to hold off on expanding monetary stimulus for now even as slumping oil prices push inflation further away from its 2 percent target.

"The BoJ is expected to keep monetary policy unchanged for a while to see the impact from the latest easing," said Taro Saito, director of economic research at NLI Research Institute.

Today's data release will be one of the key factors that the BoJ will be considering at the two-day rate review ending on Wednesday. It is widely set to maintain the current pace of asset purchases in its quantitative easing (monetary stimulus) program.

 

 

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, News, World
Comment

Letter of Credit Documents: How does a Bank Define “Official”?

February 10, 2015 Roy Becker

official documents, letters of credit, certificates, weight certificate, inspection certificate, UCP 600, beneficiary


Documents: Official or Unofficial?

On occasion, a letter of credit will require presentation of an “Official Weight Certificate,” or some other “official” document. Could the definition of an official document provoke a debate? An equally intriguing question emerges, "What would constitute an 'unofficial' document?"

Requests for official documents often appear in letters of credit, which cover shipments of agriculture products. The letters of credit will ask for official weight certificates or official inspection certificates. What makes a document official? If issued by a government agency, would that fit the definition of official?

Uniform Customs and Practices ("UCP")

The UCP states that a bank can accept any document as long as it complies with the terms of the Letter of Credit and is not issued by the beneficiary, which seems to allow the bank a great deal of latitude.

It would appear, then, that the beneficiary can’t issue an official document. Does that mean a bank considers beneficiary’s documents, well, unofficial?

Where can we look to find the answer? Once again, we look to the UCP, “Terms such as ‘first class’, ‘well known’, ‘qualified’, ‘independent’, ‘official’, ‘competent’, or ‘local’ used to describe the issuer of a document allow any issuer except the beneficiary to issue that document" (Article 3).

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World Tags bank documents, Letter of credit, UCP, uniform customs and practices
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Two Freight Container Shipping Giants Announce Further Cooperation

February 6, 2015 Contributor

From The Handy Shipping Guide

With Alliances the Fashion, Extension of Agreement Seems Natural Development

 

FRANCE – GERMANY – WORLDWIDE

Two of the world’s leading container shipping lines have agreed to further enhance their existing cooperation. The CMA CGM Group and Hamburg Süd have announced various new initiatives which they say are in the final stages of preparation to add to the pair’s existing joint freight services between North Europe and both East- and West coasts of South America. The completed new rota and future proposals are as follows: Since mid-January, Hamburg Süd has taken slots between Asia and the Caribbean on CMA CGM’s PEX 2 service as well as on the Brazex service which provides it with a connection to Manaus from the Caribbean. Starting mid-May, and subject to prior Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) approval, the lines will start a new pendulum service which will connect Asia, the Caribbean, the United States East Coast (USEC) and North Europe, together with United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) for the transatlantic side. Detailed information will be made available soon. This new service will be complementing the one connecting Asia with USEC via Suez.

As from July onwards, the lines will, together with further partners, revamp the services between Asia and both East and West Coast of South America. Details on the new service configurations are being finalized and will be available shortly.

The two lines say the enhanced cooperation allows them to provide the market with cost efficient, innovative new products which they insist will be best in class as far as scope, frequency and fast transit times are concerned. In addition the pair have agreed to explore other cooperative opportunities when they arise. Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Vice Chairman commented:

“CMA CGM has signed a major new agreement with a valuable partner. This partnership reinforces the Group’s position in South and North America, reflecting our ambitions in this rapidly growing area and giving us the means to accelerate our development”.

Ottmar Gast, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hamburg Süd said:

“We value the partnership with CMA CGM and are excited about the new products which we are jointly offering to the market”.

Posted from The Handy Shipping Guide.

In Blogs, Business, Heavy Equipment, World Tags Container, France, Freight, Germany, shipping, world’s leading container shipping lines have agreed
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Terms in a Flaky Transaction, Fraudulent Transactions

February 4, 2015 Roy Becker

If It Sounds too Good to be True . . .

Once in a while someone comes up with a transaction that appears to be too good to be true. But instead of asking the right questions and determining the credibility of all parties, greed takes over and naive victims lose a lot of money.

Since the perpetrators of these schemes tend to use the same terminology repeatedly, these terms should raise caution flags. So for the benefit of the readers, an alphabetical list, compiled from numerous sources including the ICC Commercial Crime Services and my bulky file of transaction copies accumulated over the years, follows below. While the terms individually may not cause concern, if more than one of these terms appears in a financial proposal, adhere to caution as the rule.

Terms that Raise Red Flags

  • Bank co-coordinator or bank co-ordinates
  • Bank hard copy
  • Bank to bank transaction
  • Certified bank invoice
  • Class A Bank
  • Closing bank, cutting bank, designated bank, fiduciary bank
  • CUSIP
  • Cutting house
  • Discounted letter of credit
  • Divisible, assignable and transferable letter of credit
  • Fresh cut paper
  • Good, clean and non-criminal origin
  • ICC 3032 London Short Form
  • ICC 3039 London Long Form, or 3039 Format for Standby Letters of Credit
  • Irrevocable bank purchase order
  • Key tested telex or KTT
  • Live prime bank instruments
  • Master collateral commitment
  • Non-circumvention, non-disclosure
  • One-Year letters of credit
  • One year one day
  • Ten years one day
  • Prime bank debenture, guarantee, instruments, and notes
  • Prime World Bank or Top Bank
  • Ready willing and able
  • Roll programme
  • Seasoned paper
  • Soft probe
  • Top world prime banks
  • Transaction tranches of tens of millions of dollars
  • Window time
  • Zero coupon letters of credit

Does anyone care to add to the list? Not every one of these terms constitutes a sure sign of fraud. However, they should raise caution flags and cause one to investigate the credibility of the parties in the transaction.

Amazingly, in spite of the many alerts to these scams, they still exist. Apparently a sufficient supply of naive and greedy individuals, who fall for the scams, keeps them circulating. And this lesson doesn’t even consider the scams perpetrated by letters allegedly coming from Nigeria. Nigeria is worthy of a separate blog of its own.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World Tags and notes Prime World Bank or Top Bank Ready willing and able Roll programme Seasoned paper Soft probe Top world prime banks Transaction tranches of tens of millions of dollars Window time Zero coupon, assignable and transferable letter of credit Fresh cut paper Good, Bank co-coordinator or bank co-ordinates Bank hard copy Bank to bank transaction Certified bank invoice Class A Bank Closing bank, clean and non-criminal origin ICC 3032 London Short Form ICC 3039 London Long Form, cutting bank, designated bank, fiduciary bank CUSIP Cutting house Discounted letter of credit Divisible, guarantee, instruments, non-disclosure, One-Year letters of credit One year one day Ten years one day Prime bank debenture, or 3039 Format for Standby Letters of Credit Irrevocable bank purchase order Key tested telex or KTT Live prime bank instruments Master collateral commitment Non-circumvention
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"Incoterms®: How can She Ship by Rail from Korea to Vancouver?"

January 29, 2015 Roy Becker

Incoterms®, letter of credit, transferable, ICC 500, Uniform Customs and Practices for Documentary Credits, Free Carrier (FCA), Free on Board (FOB), customs clearance

 

 Letter of Credit Payment

Martha, a U.S. wholesaler of sporting goods, closed a sale to a customer in Toronto, Canada. She requested the Toronto company to open a letter of credit in her favor. She also instructed them to designate the letter of credit as transferable, enabling Martha to transfer her rights to the letter of credit to another party.

Upon receipt of the letter of credit issued by a bank in Toronto, Martha requested our bank to transfer it to the supplier in Korea. The rules for transferring a letter of credit exist in the ICC Brochure 600, Uniform Customs and Practices for Documentary Credits, Article 38. It states that the transferring bank can transfer the letter of credit only on the terms and conditions specified in the original letter of credit, with only a few specifically identified exceptions.

 

A Contradiction with the Incoterm® Rule

The letter of credit required presentation of a rail waybill showing goods shipped from Vancouver to Toronto. The Incoterms® rule, Free Carrier (FCA) Vancouver, required the beneficiary of the letter of credit to place the goods on the rail car in Vancouver with freight payable by the buyer, as agreed to by Martha and her customer in Vancouver.

When we asked about the Incoterms® rules, Martha replied that the supplier in Korea had agreed to the Incoterms® rule, Free on Board (FOB) Korea for her purchase. We explained that we could only transfer the letter of credit with the FCA Vancouver Incoterms® rule, which would make the supplier in Korea responsible for all risks and costs (including customs clearance in Canada) to place the goods on the rail car in Vancouver, whereas the FOB Korea term only required them to put the goods on board a ship at a Korean port. We assumed the supplier would likely find this unacceptable.

 

The Inability to Agree on the Incoterm® Rule Killed the Deal

Apparently Martha’s enthusiasm to close the deal clouded her judgment of the practicality of the transaction. She adamantly insisted we transfer the letter of credit with the FCA term. While we could technically prepare the transfer, we knew it wouldn’t work until the supplier amended the original letter of credit to read FOB Korea, or her Korean supplier agreed to accept the term FCA Vancouver. Her attempts proved unsuccessful and the deal died on the vine.

In her case, the transferable letter of credit would only work if all parties agreed to the same Incoterms® rule. Since the rules for transferring letters of credit are rigid and do not allow for changing the original terms, she should have considered other payment terms. In Martha’s case, since she apparently did not have the capital or the ability to absorb risk inherent with other payment terms, she could not find a solution to make the terms of the transferable letter of credit workable.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World
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Wind-powered freighters

January 27, 2015 Contributor

To make ships more eco-efficient, engineers have been working with alternative fuels. A Norwegian engineer is currently pursuing a new approach: With VindskipTM, he has designed a cargo ship that is powered by wind and gas. Software developed by Fraunhofer researchers will ensure an optimum use of the available wind energy at any time.

International shipping is transporting 90 percent of all goods on earth. Running on heavy fuel oil freighters contribute to pollution. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) wants to reduce the environmental impact of ocean liners. One of the measures: Starting from 2020, ships will only be allowed to use fuel containing maximum 0.1 percent sulfur in their fuel in certain areas. However, the higher-quality fuel with less sulfur is more expensive than the heavy fuel oil which is currently used. Shipping companies are thus facing a major challenge in reducing their fuel costs while complying with the emission guidelines.

A new way of reducing fuel consumption, emissions and bunker expenses is being pursued by the Norwegian engineer Terje Lade, managing director of the company Lade AS: With VindskipTM he has designed a type of ship that does not use heavy fuel oil but utilizes wind for propulsion. The highlight: The hull of the freighter serves as a wing sail. On the high seas, VindskipTM will benefit from free-blowing wind making it very energy efficient. For low-wind passages, in order to maneuver the ship on the open sea while also maintaining a constant speed, it is equipped with an environmentally friendly and cost-effective propulsion machinery running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). With the combination of wind and liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel to heavy fuel oil, the fuel consumption is estimated to be only 60 percent of a reference ship on average. Carbone dioxide emissions are reduced by 80 percent, according to calculations by the Norwegian company.

 
The hull of the cargo ship VindskipTM acts as a large wing sail. © LADE AS

Weather routing module determines the optimal course

For efficient operation, it is critical that the available wind energy is used in the best possible way. In order to calculate the optimal sailing route, researchers from Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services CML, a division of Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, have developed a customized weather routing module for VindskipTM. Considering meteorological data the software for the new ship type uses a navigation algorithm to calculate a route with the optimum angle to the wind for maximum effect of the design. “With our weather routing module the best route can be calculated in order to consume as little fuel as possible. As a result costs are reduced. After all, bunker expenses account for the largest part of the total costs in the shipping industry,” says Laura Walther, researcher at CML in Hamburg. For the complex calculations, the researcher and her team apply numerous parameters, such as aero- and hydrodynamic data as well as weather forecasts from the meteorological services, such as wind speed and wave height.

So how is it possible that the VindskipTM is being pulled forward? “At angles close to headwind the wind generates a force in the ship’s direction. The ship is pulled forward. Since the hull is shaped like a symmetrical air foil, the oblique wind on the opposite side – leeward – has to travel a longer distance. This causes a vacuum that pulls the ship forward,” explains VindskipTM patent-holder Lade. This makes the freighter move at speeds of up to 18 to 19 knots, hence just as fast as conventionally powered ships. Due to its very low fuel consumption, Vindskip™ can utilize liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel and still be capable – in the worst case – of 70 days of steaming between bunkering. Thus, it can meet all of today’s and tomorrow’s challenges with regards to fuel economy and emission control.

Wind-tunnel tests completed successfully

The researchers from CML are continually developing the weather routing tool further; the first version has been available since mid-December 2014. By the end of January 2015, the software will be handed over to the company Lade AS. Ship types that are particularly relevant to the VindskipTM-design, for which the weather routing module is developed, are ships like car and truck carriers, big ferries, container ships and LNG carriers. Terje Lade forecasts that the freighter will set sail as soon as 2019. First, the ship model has to pass numerous tests in a marine research model tank – also called a towing tank by experts. Tests in wind tunnels have already been completed successfully.

Source: http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2015/january/wind-powered-freighters.html

 

In Blogs, Energy, Featured Stories, Oil & Energy, Power Generation, World
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The European Union Attempts Quantitative Easing

January 27, 2015 Keenan Brugh

After many hints and delays, the EU is announcing a quantitative easing program: €60 billion (~$70 billion) per month for at least 19 months. Will it work? As is the new conventional wisdom: when everything else fails to make economies grow, make new money and buy government bonds.

To reach this point, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Mario Draghi, has fought quite the political chess match. Bloomberg has an in-depth story on his journey.

Now the big question - the $1.3 trillion question - is if quantitative easing could help the European Union avoid the vicious deflationary situation it's currently facing.

Most economists agree that such quantitative easing initiatives have helped other major economies such as those in the US, the UK, and Japan to avoid recession - and perhaps even apocalyptic depression.

The challenges are different this time, however, because of the EU's unique makeup of 19 nations. The rules have different interpretations and perspectives vary depending on which country you ask.

For countries like Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, there remain large concerns over QE; Will it undermine government reform efforts? Will their tax payers be on the hook for insolvent countries like Greece?

Given the historical memory of horrendous hyperinflation, Germans are unsurprisingly hesitant of increasing the currency in circulation. "ARE the ECB's bankers making our money kaputt?”  reads a fearful headline from Bild, Germany's top selling newspaper.

It is clear, though, that most other options are all expired, so the EU is actually doing it.

They're attempting Q€.

The news is being greeted with mixed reviews. Many experts say the policy will help, though less so than in other large economies like the UK and the US. Some say the ECB is acting too late.  Others say the economic situation is different in Europe and the results will be unpredictable.

 

20150127_QE_0

While at first the market reactions were exactly what the ECB wanted, the trend has reversed in the last two days. After the initial desired drop in EUR/USD (which would be helpful for exporters), the price has begun to rise again - currently it's back up to 1.14.

Financial blogs like ZeroHedge are pointing out that, "more troubling though - and the entire raison d'etre of Q€ (according to officials) - forward inflation expectations are now dramatically lower than pre Q€ levels..."

That's bad news for Mario Draghi and for Europeans facing risk of deflation - risk of declining prices, profits, incomes, employment levels, and increasing the burden of debt.

Is this trend reversal just temporary volatility before returning to a path more indicative of economic growth? Or is the European Central Bank's strategy fundamentally flawed?

It's challenging to balance optimistic visions of what could be with sober views of what is actually happening. Only time will tell.

Feel free to contact the writer and editor responsible for this story, Keenan Brugh, at [email protected]

 

 

In Business, Featured Stories, News, Politics, World Tags Central Bank, EU, Monetary Policy, QE
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Google to Invest $1 Billion in SpaceX

January 20, 2015 Keenan Brugh

Google is in the final stages of investing in SpaceX to create an internet-beaming satellite constellation, as first reported by The Information. While the deal is still in the works, the apparent aim is to support the development of SpaceX satellites that will beam low-cost Internet around the globe --- connecting billions more people.

"The price and terms Google and SpaceX are discussing couldn’t be learned although one person familiar with them said Google has agreed to value SpaceX north of $10 billion and that the size of the total round, which includes other investors, is very large." writes Jessica E. Lessin

While SpaceX continually makes headline with its bold advancements, they have not taken on a big primary round of investment in many years. SpaceX’s current investors include Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Valor Equity Partners.

Elon Musk spoke about SpaceX's plans for the satellite-enabled Internet system last week in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek , which described the program as "hugely ambitious."

Hundreds of satellites would orbit about 750 miles above earth, much closer than traditional communications satellites in geosynchronous orbit at altitudes of up to 22,000 miles. The lower satellites would make for a speedier Internet service, with less distance for electromagnetic signals to travel. The lag in current satellite systems makes applications such as Skype, online gaming, and other cloud-based services tough to use. Musk’s service would, in theory, rival fiber optic cables on land while also making the Internet available to remote and poor regions that don’t have access.

In Featured Stories, Information, News, Science & Technology, World Tags internet, satellites, SpaceX
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To Become a Billionaire, Help a Billion People

January 16, 2015 Keenan Brugh

"Bold is a visionary roadmap for people who believe they can change the world"President Bill Clinton

In 2012, Dr. Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler published their bestseller Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think. Standing out in stark contrast from the common theme of doom and gloom that was pervasive in the news and on bookshelves back then, Abundance provided a new perspective on the history and future of humanity and technological advancements.

Now Diamandis and Kotler have just announced their follow up book project, BOLD, as a practical guide for entrepreneurs and change makers. It's now available for pre-ordering.

"Abundance showed us where the world can be in 20 years. Bold is a roadmap for entrepreneurs to help us get there."

Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google

In Abundance, four potent emerging forces are explored — exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, techno-philanthropists and the rising billion. These give us the opportunity to solve many of the world's grandest challenges and the potential to meet the needs of every man, woman and child over the next two to three decades.

In BOLD, a game plan is laid out for taking the the next steps. It's a highly practical playbook that arms today's entrepreneurs, activists and leaders with the tools they'll need to positively impact the lives of billions while making their biggest dreams come true.

BOLD unfolds in three parts. Part One focuses on the exponential technologies which are disrupting today's Fortune 500 companies and enabling upstart entrepreneurs to go from 'I've got an idea' to 'I run a billion-dollar company' far faster than ever before. With advice garnered from their own experience and hundreds of interviews with Silicon Valley elite, the authors provide exceptional insight into how anyone can harness the power of 3D printing, artificial intelligence, robotics, networks and sensors, and synthetic biology—the very technologies enabling today's entrepreneurs to tackle the kinds of enormous challenges that were once only possible for governments and major corporations. Part Two of the book focuses on Psychology of Bold—the mental toolkit that allows the world's top innovators to raise their game by thinking at scale, including detailed interviews with and lessons from Larry Page, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos. Also in Part Two, Kotler reveals the keys to ultimate human performance garnered from fifteen years of research with the Flow Genome Project and Diamandis reveals his entrepreneurial secrets garnered from building fifteen companies, including such audacious ventures as Singularity University, the XPRIZE, Planetary Resources (for the mining of near-Earth Asteroids) and Human Longevity, Inc. (focused on extending the healthy human life-span). Finally, BOLD closes with a look at the incredible power and essential best practices that allow anyone to leverage today's hyper-connected crowd like never before. Here, Diamandis and Kotler teach how to design and use incentive competitions to find breakthrough solutions, how to launch million-dollar crowdfunding campaigns to tap into ten's of billions of dollars of available capital, and finally how to build communities – armies of exponentially enabled individuals willing and able to help today's entrepreneurs make their boldest dreams come true.

BOLD: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World is both a manifesto and a manual. It is today's exponential entrepreneur's go-to resource on the use of emerging technologies, thinking at scale, and the awesome power of crowd-powered tools like crowdfunding, crowdsourcing and incentive competitions. All around us, technology is democratizing the power to change the world, and BOLD spells out how anyone can spy the opportunities and put their vision into action, blazing a path from mind to market.

About the Book Cover The BOLD Book Cover show's the Earth being hit by an asteroid. What is the relevance of this image?

66 million years ago, dinosaurs were the uber-dominant species on Earth. But when an asteroid collided with our planet—unleashing everything from mega-tsunamis to global firestorms—these creatures were unable to adapt to the upheaval and instead went extinct.

For our species, this was very good news. While the dinosaurs were large, lumbering and inflexible, those early small, furry mammals—our ancestors—were far more nimble and resilient. They took opportunistic advantage of the radical changes sweeping the globe, adapted to their new environment, and never looked back.

In today's business world, this tale is especially relevant. Right now there is another asteroid impacting our world—it's called: “exponential technology.” And its awesome power is threatening a different breed of dinosaur—large and innovation-resistant companies. Yet there's a new breed of small, furry mammal starting to emerge. These mammals are today's exponential entrepreneurs—those using radically accelerating technologies to transform products, services and industries to pave the way for a world of abundance. Abundance

"If you read one business book in the 21st centry, this should be BOLD. It clearly explains how to change the world and overcome the age old afflictions of human civilization." Ray Kurzweil, inventor, author, a director of engineering at Google.

 

Jason Silva Video Review of Abundance

In Business, Featured Stories, Innovation, Science & Technology, World Tags BOLD, Book Release, Diamandis, Xprize
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"International Payments: "If We Sell to Mexico, How Will We Get Paid?"

January 13, 2015 Roy Becker

Check, Wire transfer, Proforma invoice, Incoterm®


The Company's First Export Sale

My business dinner guest sat on the board of directors for a company preparing for their first export sale. This new venture thrilled the gentleman as he anticipated the prospect of the company’s initial entry into Mexico. We discussed the benefits of the sale and examined some of the logistical details. Since he understood many of the twists and turns, he surprised me when he posed a basic question: “If we put the sale together, how will we get paid?”

Stunned and taken aback, I asked, “What do you mean, ‘How will we get paid?’ I would assume the buyer and seller have already agreed to the payment terms.”

Pesos or Dollars?

He replied, “I don’t know all the arrangements made by management. My basic question is: Will they pay us in pesos, or dollars? Will the payment arrive by a check or a wire transfer?”

Admittedly, as a board member, he would not necessarily concern himself with knowing all the details of the transaction and I do not intend to criticize him. However, it continues to amaze me how some companies naively decide to go global. We went back to basics as I explained how payments work and the importance of having their agreement stipulate the currency and the method of payment.

Use Contracts to Eliminate Surprises

A well-written agreement, such as a contract, or a proforma invoice, will avoid misunderstanding among all parties. It should clearly indicate key information including the intended method of payment, as well as merchandise description, pricing and shipping information, Incoterm®, etc., to eliminate surprises down the road.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World Tags International payments, Mexico, sell
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Filling A Full Set

January 6, 2015 Roy Becker

Letter Of Credit, Ocean Bills Of Lading, Full Set, Negotiable Bills Of Lading, Title, Carrier, Original Bills Of Lading, Issuing Bank, Collateral

WHAT IS A FULL SET OF OCEAN BILLS OF LADING?

Letters of credit often call for documents with interesting conditions, such as the presentation of a “full set of ocean bills of lading.” In order to present a full set of documents you must first know what comprises a full set.

First, let’s understand the why, not just the what. The carrier can issue an ocean bill of lading in “negotiable” form. The document itself conveys title of the goods which the carrier releases in exchange for surrender of the bill of lading. The carrier will release the goods only to the party who holds the original bill of lading. The buyer benefits because he may sell the goods while still in transit. In that case, the seller endorses the bill of lading to the new buyer, who then can claim the goods directly from the carrier. Years ago, someone asked the obvious question: “If the bill of lading is lost, how does the rightful owner receive the goods?”

A reasonable solution requires the carrier to issue more than one original bill of lading for a shipment. Then, if one of the originals is lost, one or more additional original bills of lading would still exist, for surrender in exchange for the goods. The carrier releases the goods to the first party who appears with an original bill of lading. At that moment all other original bills of lading become null and void.

Of course, the importance of knowing the location of all original documents at all times reduces risk. If an original bill of lading were lost, stolen or fell into wrong hands, the carrier could release the merchandise to the wrong party, since whoever holds the negotiable bill of lading has rightful title to the goods.

HOW MANY ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING?

How does one know how many originals the shipping company has issued? The bill of lading itself will contain a statement similar to the following: “In witness whereof, the Master or Agent of said vessel has affirmed to three Bills of Lading all of this tenor and date, one of which being accomplished the others to stand void.” This wording usually appears in the lower right hand corner box on the document. The word “three” indicates the number of identical original documents issued for that particular shipment. It should be noted that the carrier may, on occasion, issue originals in any other number, such as one, two or four, etc.

When the exporter delivers the goods to the carrier, the carrier issues the original documents and gives all of them to the exporter. The exporter then, still has control and the title to the goods. If the exporter presents only two of three bills of lading to the bank, the bank will ask, “Where is the third original?” Since an unaccounted for original could find its way into the wrong hands, the exporter must deliver all the originals to the bank, to provide maximum protection for the buyer.

From that point on, the documents move in banking channels, ultimately received by the bank that issued the letter of credit. The issuing bank will honor the letter of credit and make payment only if they receive all originals as required by the terms of the letter of credit. This appropriately protects the interest of the buyer to ensure he has control of the title to the goods. It also protects the issuing bank in the event the buyer defaults. The bank may retain title to the goods as collateral to cover any losses.

LESS THAN A FULL SET - BE CAREFUL!

In recent years a common practice emerged when importers started to request letters of credit payable against “2/3 set of bill of ladings.” They also request a statement that the exporter has sent 1/3 set directly to the importer. This allows the importer to receive an original in advance of the bank. The buyer benefits because he can arrange customs clearance without waiting for the bank to receive and examine the documents. Surprisingly, some exporters accept this condition. It allows the importer to receive the goods, a risk if the bank refuses to honor the documents for any reason. In that case, the exporter has surrendered title to the goods and has also lost the guarantee of payment.
One final interesting note: When an exporter presents all originals to its bank, that bank sends them to the issuing bank as already stated. For best protection, banks should send documents in different courier pouches at different time intervals. In actual practice today, they send the documents in one package. If that package becomes lost, it has the same consequences as if they had only one document. This, of course, defeats the whole purpose of issuing multiple documents. Since such losses rarely occur, banks take the risk. Even if the package becomes lost, the shipping company can issue replacement documents, given the ease of issuing documents in today’s electronic environment.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World
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International CES 2015 Focuses on Internet of Things

January 5, 2015 Keenan Brugh

The International Consumer Electronics Show is the world's largest stage for presenting the latest in consumer technology. It's an exciting time, and it's all happening this week. The trade show, hosted every year in Las Vegas, is an important indication of what's coming up and what's going to be big in the near future.

This year, the Internet of Things (IoT) is taking center stage with more than 900 exhibitors sharing their products, services, and technologies that connect everyday devices to the network.

“The ‘Internet of Things’ is the hottest topic in tech right now,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, International CES and corporate business strategy, CEA.

She continues by saying, “It’s all about the opportunity to connect everyday items  like cars, home security systems and kitchen appliances to networked devices like PCs and smartphones for greater control and management of our everyday lives. We’re excited that the 2015 CES will bring together all of the companies and products that are making this a reality.”

The IoT, while less flashy than a new TV model, is more important because it is all about creating an infrastructure. Building upon this nascent infrastructure will be many new startups and products from existing companies. Some will flop, while others will change the world in which we live.

The Sensors Marketplace will highlight one of the key technologies that is enabling the growth of the IoT movement. Some exhibitors participating in the marketplace include eyeSight Mobile Technologies, Logbar and QuickLogic Corp. In addition, the Smart Home Marketplace will showcase a smarter, more efficient home accelerated by smartphones and tablets interacting with a myriad of connected objects and devices, from basic security systems to connected lighting systems. Some of the 2015 CES exhibitors expected to showcase IoT technologies include Bosch, Lowe’s, Konnect Labs, iDevices, Muzzley and Blinksight among many others.

2015 CES keynoters Boo-Keun Yoon, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel Corp., are expected to share their insights on IoT innovations.

Other CES conference programming will also explore the future of this trend with the following sessions:

Privacy and the IoT: Navigating Policy Issues

The Impact of the Internet of Things

The State of the Internet of Things

 


Another interesting highlight of the CES is the second year of Gary's Book Club, showcasing the works of prominent, thought-leading authors in the tech industry.

(Gary Shapiro is the president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association)

Books to be featured this year include:

Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D

Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Communicate

What happens when everything is digital? In this provocative new book from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), host of the International CES, CEA’s chief economist and lead technologist, Dr. DuBravac, has a straightforward answer: Everything will change. Most people perceive the digital age as simply the accumulation of sleeker and more powerful gadgets. But our understanding of the digital age is narrow, because we are still in its infancy. This book explains that the world’s mass adoption of digital technologies portends the beginning of a new era for humanity, one that will rival the invention of the printing press for its transformational effects on every person, country and institution in the world. From driverless cars to automated homes to personalized healthcare, digital data will usher in a new phase of living for every person on the planet.


 

Andrew Keen The Internet is Not the Answer

The Internet, created during the Cold War, has now ushered in one of the greatest shifts in society since the Industrial Revolution. There are many positive ways in which the Internet has contributed to the world, but as a society we are less aware of the Internet’s deeply negative effects on our psychology, economy, and culture. In The Internet Is Not the Answer, Andrew Keen, a twenty-year veteran of the tech industry, traces the technological and economic history of the Internet from its founding in the 1960s through the rise of the big data companies to the increasing attempts to monetize almost every human activity, and investigates how the Internet is reconfiguring our world—often at great cost. In this sharp, witty narrative, informed by the work of other writers, academics, and reporters, as well as his own wide-ranging research and interviews, Keen shows us the tech world, warts and all, and investigates what we can do to make sure the choices we make about the reconfiguring of our society do not lead to unpleasant unforeseen aftershocks.


Peter Nowak Humans 3.0 -The Upgrading of the Species

Our species is entering a new era. We’re now applying the latest technology to our own biology, and it is becoming part of our environment. But is that a good thing? Not if media scares about government spying, limitless automation, and electronic addictions are to be believed. Veteran journalist Peter Nowak looks at what it means to be human—from the relationships we form to the jobs we do and the things we believe—and measures the impact of these innovations. Humans 3.0 shows not only how technology is propelling us into a new epoch, but also how it is improving us in the process.


 

Frank Gruber Startup Mixology

Entrepreneurship starts with an idea and a dream. Startup Mixology is first and foremost a book about turning your ideas into action. From the cofounder of Tech Cocktail, a veteran entrepreneur and investor who was named one of the most connected people in tech, this book covers the basic "ingredients" of winning entrepreneurship. Author Frank Gruber shows you how to tackle everything from idea generation to launch to marketing to funding and how to start getting things done. Inside, you'll find the stories of companies like MakerBot, WordPress, Zappos, Basecamp, Uber, and more.


Patrick Stroh Business Strategy; Plan, Execute, Win!

Embrace strategies for improving your business and reaching your organization's goals

"I wholeheartedly agree with Patrick Stroh: Good leaders understand strategy and good strategists need to be good leaders. Make this book a strategic tool for improving your business strategy." — Harvey Mackay, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive

In today's fast-moving and competitive business environment, strong leadership, insightful strategy, and effective innovation are critical links to staying ahead of your competition. Getting your business house in order can often be complicated, but does it really have to be? How do you take MBA 101 lessons, great models, and exceptional concepts and put them into play in the real world? Business Strategy: Plan, Execute, Win! strives to answers these questions in an educational and entertaining format. Working as a Fortune 20 practitioner with C-level executives, author Patrick Stroh has a keen understanding of the role played by current day strategists.


Paul Paetz Disruption by Design: How to Create Products That Disrupt and Then Dominate Markets 

No business buzzword is more frequently discussed or misused than "disruptive innovation". Yet despite widespread misunderstanding, the impact remains great. Disruptive innovators change the competitive playing field, often capturing 40 to 80% of total market revenue and half or more of total profits in categories they create. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of potential disruptors ever succeed, often by accident. It doesn't have to be that way. For the first time, disruption theory is de-mystified into a practical step-by-step guidebook that walks you through creating a disruptive business strategy and putting it into practice. Written for entrepreneurs, CEOs, and product developers, Disruption by Design teaches invaluable how-to insights learned from successful disruptors, and from innovators who could have disrupted, but failed.


 

Scott Steinberg Make Change Work for You

Business, culture, and competitive landscapes have fundamentally changed, but basic principles and best practices for succeeding and future-proofing both yourself and your organization haven't. With a mix of compelling stories, research from the social sciences and psychology, and real-world insights, Make Change Work for You shows how to reignite your career, rekindle creativity, and fearlessly innovate your way to success by providing the tools needed to conquer every challenge in life or business. Readers will discover how to develop the vital skills required to triumph in the “new normal” by understanding and engaging in the 10 new habits that highly successful people share.


Barry Wacksman Chris Stutzman Connected by Design

The twin goals of growth and competitive advantage are proving difficult to attain in a world of fierce global competition and rapid technological change. Traditional strategies for gaining market share no longer yield the returns they once did. How can companies drive consumer preference and secure sustainable growth in this digital, social, and mobile age? The answer is through functional integration. Connected By Design is the first book to show business leaders and marketers exactly how to use functional integration to achieve transformative growth within any type of company. Based on R/GA’s pioneering work with firms like Nike, McCormick and L’Oreal, Barry Wacksman and Chris Stutzman identify seven principles companies must follow in order to create and deliver new value for customers and capture new revenues in the design and operation of functionally integrated ecosystems.


 

Nicole Gallucci Adversperience ~ The Convergence of Advertising & Experiential Marketing

Adversperience is a word and world of her own creation, speaking to the convergence of advertising and experiential marketing. Its Nicole’s take on how brands can relevantly touch consumer senses, engage target audiences, get noticed and win in this era of distraction, mass proliferation and global connection. The book focuses on the pre-event (AWARENESS), the event (ENGAGEMENT) and post event (SHARING). An Adversperience speaks to the physiological impact that occurs when consumers have a relevant personal experience in the context of a brand experience. The two become inextricably linked and part of the consumer’s very being. Once something is experienced it cannot be unexperienced.


 

Alexis Ohanian  Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed

As Alexis Ohanian learned when he helped to co-found the immensely popular reddit.com, the internet is the most powerful and democratic tool for disseminating information in human history. And when that power is harnessed to create new communities, technologies, businesses or charities, the results can be absolutely stunning.

In this book, Alexis will share his ideas and tips about harnessing the power of the web for good, and along the way, he will share his philosophy with young entrepreneurs all over the globe.


 

Aneesh Chopra INNOVATIVE STATE: How New Technologies Can Transform Government

With INNOVATIVE STATE: How New Technologies Can Transform Government, Aneesh Chopra, the country’s first Chief Technology Officer, provides an essential guide for how we can create a government that is more transparent, participatory, and collaborative, one that harnesses the full potential of today’s technologies and is defined not by its size but by its smarts.


 

Anna van Slee & Carolyn Chandler  Adventures in Experience Design

In today’s mobile, global, 24/7 content world, consumers expect products, services and experiences that are personalized and intuitive. They expect good design. You don’t need to be a whiz with code or a Photoshop ace, but design thinking has become an essential skill set for everyone. Adventures in Experience Design is an activity book that interactively teaches experience design through games, pithy lessons and other delightful exercises. With Adventures, you will create a product from scratch (or innovate on your existing one!) and get an introduction to design methodology in the process.

In Events, Featured Stories, Innovation, News, Science & Technology, World Tags CES
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U.S. & China Cooperating on Trade Issues (Mostly)

December 30, 2014 James Wilson

Cooperation on export controls tops a long list of recent outcomes achieved at the 25th U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT). While encouraging overall, this and other reports also highlight areas in need of improvement.

“This dialogue comes at an important time for the two largest economies in the world who share an enormous stake in the global trade and investment system,” says U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman.

Having recently taken place in Chicago, both sides are speaking highly of the outcomes of the JCCT, such as those on medical devices, pharmaceutical access and agricultural biotechnology. The newly released fact sheet (embedded below) also offers greater detail into the Chinese efforts to import deep-water oil & gas exploration equipment from the U.S.

While potentially under export controls, the U.S. side of the High Technology and Strategic Trade Working Group (HTWG) says it will “actively review” individual cases for civilian high-technology items, such as deep-water oil and gas exploration equipment, an issue which the Chinese side raised in the HTWG meeting. The U.S. side committed to provide “timely feedback upon receipt of necessary and sufficient information.”

Remaining disagreement often revolve around intellectual property. While the majority of IP issues pertain to U.S. concerns about China's intellectual property rights regime, China was concerned that the U.S. fairly take into account information it receives from China about its efforts.

U.S. trade officials, congressional researchers and industry stakeholders have described Chinese progress on IPR issues as incremental, invariably adding that much more needs to be done. The U.S. committed “to consider and pursue additional steps as appropriate to enhance the transparency, objectivity, and fairness” of the reports, pledging to “recognize the efforts made and results achieved by foreign governments and entities.”

Other Outcome Areas Include:

  •  U.S. transport aircraft bilateral airworthiness expansion;
  •  Chinese enterprises participation in U.S. public-private partnership projects;
  •  competition policy;
  •  visas;
  •  cargo airlines co-terminalization;
  •  data on trade in fish products;
  •  trade related to illegal logging;
  •  railway locomotive vehicle import certification;
  •  government procurement;
  •  access to the Chinese legal services market;
  •  Chinese investment in U.S. legal services market;
  •  cooperation in promotion of trade in services;
  •  cooperation on climate change and clean energy;
  •  criminal law enforcement cooperation on intellectual property;
  •  food and drug safety inspections;
  •  legal exchanges;
  •  administrative law issues; and
  •  engagement on judicial best practices.

Click here to see the full U.S. fact sheet

CRS Report

In related news, the Congressional Research Service Dec. 19 released a report on “China-U.S. Trade Issues” by Wayne Morrison, a specialist in Asian trade and finance.

The report updates previous reports to include the outcomes of the latest JCCT as reflected in a Dec. 19 Commerce Department fact sheet.

It highlights that China stated that it would approve the importation of new biotechnology varieties of U.S. soybeans and corn and improve trademark protection for certain agricultural products; amend its trade secrets law and increase cooperation with the U.S. on enhancing sales of legitimate U.S. intellectual property-intensive goods and services in China; streamline China's processes and cut red tape for imports of pharmaceuticals and medical devices; and make improvements to its competition enforcement policies by improving transparency and ensuring equal treatment for foreign firms in anti-monopoly investigations with Chinese firms.

USTR Report

Also just released is the U.S. Trade Representative's final report to congress on China's compliance with its World Trade Organization commitments.

The USTR finds several areas where China is lagging in its commitments: intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement, supporting state-owned enterprises, homegrown innovation policies, technology transfer initiatives, export restraints, investment restrictions and agricultural policies blocking U.S. market access.

The USTR also found China to be inappropriately using antimonopoly and trade remedy laws. Additionally they say there remains transparency issues and “slow movement” toward accession to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

“Going forward,” the report said, “the United States looks to China to reduce market access barriers, uniformly follow the fundamental principles of non-discrimination and transparency, significantly reduce the level of government intervention in the economy, fully institutionalize market mechanisms, require state-owned enterprises to compete with other enterprises on fair and non-discriminatory terms, and fully embrace the rule of law.”

These steps are considered “critical to realizing the tremendous potential presented by China's WTO membership.”

In Business, Featured Stories, Industry, Nation, News, World Tags Export, trade, U-S--China
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Export Assistance: Lessons from a Lap Counter

December 21, 2014 Roy Becker

Incoterms®, freight forwarder, USEAC, World Trade Center, International Chamber of Commerce

Evaluate Export Readiness

A young entrepreneur invented a new type of a lap counter, used for counting laps in swimming pools. He possessed obvious inventive and technical skills, and his unbridled enthusiasm more than compensated for his lack of marketing skills.

Promotion and launch of the product included displaying it at a trade show in Atlanta. An unexpected visitor appeared at his booth. The German visitor, immediately awed with the lap counter asked, “Are you ready to do business internationally?” Not wanting to lose a potential sale, he emphatically responded, “Sure!” The German expressed an interest in distributing the lap counters in Germany and solicited price quotes.

Upon his return to the office, our young friend frantically called for help. After relating his experience in Atlanta to me, he admitted, “I have no experience in selling to Germany. I don't know how to price and ship the product. I want to consummate the sale and I certainly don’t want the German distributor to know about my ignorance.”

Export Assistance Counseling Available

We spent several hours discussing the risks from a financial perspective and pricing with several different Incoterms® options. For governmental assistance, I referred him to the local office of the U.S. Department of Commerce and to a competent freight forwarder who educated him about the logistics of international shipping.

While I observed his entry into international business with interest, including his several trips to Germany, ultimately our friend’s lack of capital and credit resulted in the downfall of his venture and he closed his doors.

Successful international companies develop a tactical global strategy before entering a new market. First, they successfully expand domestically. A successful business history in the United States, the best place to build a successful business, will prepare a company for a global market. If not successful at home, how can a company be successful in a market with different laws, business norms, languages, culture, currencies, etc.?

Smart companies strategize well in advance. They devote financial resources to the expansion and have a firm commitment from top management which permeates through the entire organization. Great product ideas, backed with a strategy of how to obtain and use resources, will result in a long and profitable venture.

Export Assistance Resources Available

Companies needing help can find it. The United States federal government hosts useful websites such as http://www.export.gov/ and the U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEAC) as well as state and local governments. Many banks, freight forwarders, and colleges eagerly offer assistance. World Trade Centers, or similar nearby organizations, offer classes and workshops which cover many topics relative to international trade. Visit the International Chamber of Commerce website for a list of practical books at www.iccbooks.com. In short, anyone looking for help doesn’t need to look far.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World
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A Cultural Question: Can A Two By Four Equal A 2 By 4?

December 9, 2014 Roy Becker

Culture In International Trade


SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS, RIGHT?

A company in Minnesota manufactured ranching equipment and received an order from a buyer in Japan. They ordered steel corral fences and swinging gates to enclose domesticated animals in pens.

The company shipped the goods along with assembly instructions for the fences. The instructions specified that the gate would swing most efficiently by positioning the gate on a two by four placed flat on the ground. When properly adjusted to this height, the gate would clear the ground.

INSTRUCTIONS COMPLICATED BY CULTURAL UNAWARENESS

Confused, the Japanese buyer fired a message stating, “We don’t understand a two by four.”

When the company prepared their reply, “It is a piece of lumber, two inches by four inches,” they grasped the difficulty of their answer. First, the Japanese use the metric system. Second, a two by four measures approximately one and one-half inches by three and three-eighths inches. After trying their best to clarify these instructions, they replied to the Japanese customer.

A few days later the Japanese buyer inquired again, “Thank you for your explanation of a two by four. Do we place the two by four on the ground on the two side or the four side?”

ADAPTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR OTHER CULTURES

The manufacturer learned a quick lesson that their products and instructions required revisions for adaptation to their foreign markets. Many similar embarrassing anecdotes have made material for books because U.S. companies failed to properly research markets before accepting orders and using words or phrases that assume a new meaning in another language.

In Blogs, Business, Featured Stories, World
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