In this issue:

• Incoterms are being revised—and your input is needed!
• From the president
• Many thanks!
• Thanks to you, the Annual Meeting was a great success!
• Tips to build an export program of compliance
• About your MGTA board
• Welcome, new members!
• MGTA calendar of events

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he International Chamber of Commerce is revising Incoterms 2000 and is seeking recommendations from the “trade” community. This revision is particularly important for Americans, as Incoterms will, at some point, replace the terms which were deleted from the Uniform Commercial Code. The new Incoterms revision should eventually be structured to make this as easy as possible.

Incoterms are designed to follow trade practice, not establish it. For this reason, it is vital that the Chamber gets up-to-date input on how business is actually done. This can come only from people involved in trade.

We ask for your help by sending suggestions/recommendations for improvement, with suggested remedy, by March 24, 2008 to Frank Reynolds, US Delegate to the ICC Incoterms Revision at fjr424@aol.com. Please also send a copy to Chris Martin, cgmartin@uscib.org, at the ICC affiliate organization for the US, the United States Council for International Business.

Suggestions/recommendations will be submitted by the national committees to arrive at ICC Paris by March 31.

Your input is important. Thank you!

H

appy March! It’s been a long winter, but spring is just around the corner. With spring comes warmer weather—and the opportunity to see new growth. Growth via member involvement and value is the buzzword this year with the MGTA board of directors!

The board of directors has defined three key goals for the 2008 year: (1) build and sustain the organization’s infrastructure, (2) increase committee development and member involvement, and (3) increase member value and perception thereof. To help accomplish our goals, each board member has taken on a role as a board officer or liaison. These roles will help ensure that the board is connected to the association’s committees, volunteers, and membership. Please follow the “Leadership Links” at the end of this article to learn who the liaisons are for each committee.

There are many ideas on the table to help accomplish our goals and help MGTA continue to be the strong association it is today. Here’s a sampling of events on the 2008 horizon:

• A “never been done before” tour, planned by the education committee, to be held in June
• A special event involving a port
• A Past Presidents event
• More networking opportunities

Additional sponsorship opportunities will be introduced later this year.

MGTA is a volunteer association. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the board of directors, the committee chairs, and the many association volunteers. MGTA would be not be the association it is today without the dedication, brainpower, and hard work from the many members that volunteer their time and ideas. Of course, I also need to take this opportunity to put in a plug for help... The association is always looking for volunteers! The MGTA website (www.mgta.org) provides a “get involved” section that details the committees, volunteer time requirements, and where you can help. Whether you’re interested in volunteering for one event, a committee, or sharing a new idea to be implemented, we want to hear from you! Please contact either the MGTA office or one of the directors.

MGTA has a large, active board this year, with 13 voting directors, two nonvoting members, and a managing director. The board is made up of importers, exporters, and service providers. When considering the diversity and experience on the board, I’m very excited for the board and the opportunities and possibilities that 2008 will bring!

It’s a pleasure to be the sixth president of the Midwest Global Trade Association. I look forward to another great year for the MGTA!

Christine Gates
MGTA President

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 would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge a few individuals for their time and contributions. Many thanks to…

• Sandy Taylor, for ensuring that our Annual Meeting was yet another success.
• Mary Germscheid (North Star), for arranging for the singers during the Annual Meeting and providing all the pictures for the membership to enjoy.
• Outgoing board members Laura Bottenfield (U.S. Bank) and John Novak (Bremer). Laura was a key contributor to our Education Committee during her three-year term on the board. John has been on the board for many years and was the President of MGTA last year. Please join me in thanking them both for their time and efforts.
• Amelia Goeppinger (US Commercial Service), chair of the Education Committee.
• Kathy Carlson (FedEx) and Megan Wolle (Bremer Bank), co-chairs of the Membership Committee.
• New board members Scott Raes (UPS), Mark Toth (Schenkers), and Colleen Erickson (Target). Their dedication and commitment have already benefited our association as they’ve jumped right in with the rest of the board and have taken on liaison positions.

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he turnout for the 2008 Annual Meeting and Reception was huge—we filled the Metropolitan Ballroom! The event gets bigger every year. This year, some attendees commented that it felt like a class reunion of the logistics industry.

There were a record number of sponsors and door prize donations this year. Our 29 sponsors and 71 door prizes were vital to making this event such a success. A choir provided music during the food lines, and D’Amico & Sons once again did a fabulous with the food and improved bar service.

I’m looking for suggestions for next year’s entertainment. I’ve received suggestions for a band (Are We Really a Dancing Group?) and to open the event to spouses. Please send your additional suggestions to me at sandy.taylor@mgta.org.

Thank you to one and all for donating, sponsoring, and attending!

			To view more photos from the event, please visit our Flickr™ album.
		Amelia Goeppinger (US Commercial Service), Nancy Libersky (U.S. Small Business Administration), Gaylen Knack (Gray Plant Mooty), and Pam Olson (C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.)

W

hen I speak about export controls compliance to an audience that knows little about export compliance, I often tell them to “systemize” compliance around the three Ps: people, places, and products. But first: Have your CEO communicate the Foreign Trade Code of Conduct to your entire organization. Compliance starts at the top!

The first P (people) has to do with screening all parties that you do business with—both in the US and overseas. In addition to your compliance with the US EAR, the Patriot Act, and the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), states have an interest in knowing with whom you do business and that your company is not supporting state sponsors of terrorism. Screening can be accomplished by purchasing the combined “bad guys” lists from a third party to upload into to your ERP system. Alternatively (if you’re a smaller company), you can simply send a list of your customers to a screening service provider for screening. Some providers have websites on which you can screen customers yourself and make screen prints of the results.

The next P (places) is the US Sanctioned Countries List, which currently includes Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, and Cuba. The list is fluid and changes often, as does the US political affiliation with countries. Set up your system to block all orders that ship to these countries until they have received legal approval. If you have an export license to ship to one of these countries, computer controls can be used to release orders after a search matches that license. For smaller companies, simply post the list and notify employees whom to contact for approval and release.

The third P (products) is a database for all your export classifications, including HS tariff code, export control classification number (ECCN), and country of origin. These codes should appear on each line item of your export documents, such as commercial or pro forma invoice and shipper’s letter of instructions (SLI) to your freight forwarder.

Taking a proactive approach instead of waiting until something goes wrong will help you focus on your core business and increase export sales revenues.

W

e asked each board member to share something interesting about him- or herself with the MGTA membership. See if you can remember their answers. There will be opportunities throughout the year to win prizes if you can remember these interesting facts!

	Mark McNeil has lived in three countries, visited 44 countries, and transacted business in or with 63 countries.
	LJ Taugher hosts regular dinner parties, typically on Thursday nights.
	John Novak’s favorite place is the happiest place on earth: Disney World!
	Christine Gates prefers sunrise over sunset and, as a result, loves to get up at the crack of dawn to walk her dog bright and early as the sun is coming up!
	Sandy Taylor has a goal to one day run for office.
	Beth Pickering has two favorite pastimes or hobbies: she is an accomplished quilter, and she makes wine and beer at home.
	Brooks Pavilack is a former rugby player who likes the outdoors and athletics, especially hiking, skiing, tennis, and power sports.
	Whitney Docken has traveled to the Ukraine three times to do missionary work.
	Chad Laden was born in Minneapolis and began “moving” at the age of one. He has lived in LA, Chicago, and Oklahoma City. He came back to Minneapolis in 1986.
	Tom Haberman has been “cruise” vacationing at least once a year for at least 15 years. He has already begun influencing his three-year-old granddaughter by taking her on a cruise, as well!
	Mari McClafferty plans to retire in Donegal, Ireland.
	Scott Raes used to race motorcross.
	Colleen Erickson is the youngest of nine children. All of the five boys’ names start with “T” and the all of the girls’ names start with “C”.

Welcome, new members!

T

he following individuals have joined MGTA since January 1, 2008.
Welcome!

M

ark your calendar and plan to attend these upcoming MGTA events. For more information about these and other upcoming events and meetings, visit the MGTA website.

World Trader is a quarterly publication of the Midwest Global Trade Association. Content is gathered via our membership and volunteers through news and media sources. While we make every attempt to insure the accuracy of materials, we provide no warranty or guarantee of accuracy. Specific information relating to trade and trade regulations offered is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the professional advice of an attorney, Licensed Customs Broker or other trade professional.

Articles submitted by our membership do not express the views of MGTA or the Board of Directors.

If you would like to submit an article for publication in the World Trader, please contact the MGTA office at office@mgta.org. Articles should not be of the nature of a commercial solicitation of products or services; rather, they should be informative on topics of interest to MGTA membership at large.

Midwest Global Trade Association
1821 University Ave W, Ste S256 • St. Paul, MN 55104-2897
(651) 917-6257 • office@mgta.org • www.mgta.org