The Global Market Trends Of Asian Furniture

Asia in recent years has experienced a major surge in the demand for its manufactured goods from the world's largest markets in the United States and Japan
.One sector which has benefited from this increase in demand is furniture. For example, in 1990 the United States, the largest market for imported furniture, purchased about 1.7 billion dollars worth of furniture from Asian nations. In the year 2000 this number had grown to over 7 billion and by 2004 had nearly doubled over these four years.
Breaking this trend down by nation, China and the Association of South East Asian Nations, ASEAN, (of which Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines are major members) were responsible for the most gains, while demand held steady for imports from Korea and Japan, and Taiwan actually experiencing a decline in demand for its furniture exports. It is here to that we can clearly begin to see the reasons for this disparity.
More developed nations like Japan, Korea, and Taiwan experienced appreciation in their currencies which have brought with them attendant rises in labor costs. China remains an exception to this; while it is also a highly developed nation it has been careful to control the appreciation of its currency.
Japan, Taiwan, and Korea also lack large domestic supplies of the raw materials necessary for the manufacture of furniture, while China and ASEAN are again the exceptions. These resources include such materials as timber, metal (steel and aluminum), and organic fibers and fabrics. With China and ASEAN already accounting for 92% of all Asian furniture imports in the United States by 2004, it is easy to see that the dual advantage of inexpensive labor and plentiful local supply of raw materials are keys to their success as compared with other exporters in the region.
In fact, the difference in cost of production between China and the ASEAN and its other regional competitors is so pronounced that Japan has actually become a major importer of Asian manufactured furniture. Moreover, Taiwan has had to entertain the idea of leaving the market of manufactured wooden furniture and is begining to produce furniture containing more metal. China however also possesses large local supplies of inexpensive steel which should provide a challenge to potential future Taiwanese competitors.
It may be that the only risks to Chinese and ASEAN dominance as suppliers for the demand for Asian furniture in the United States may be the United States itself. In recent years the domestic producers of many manufactured goods in both Europe and the United States have reacted hostilely to competition from Asia in general and China in particular. Unable to compete, the domestic industries in these major import markets have formed powerful political lobbies with the aim of increasing import duties on a wide variety of Asian and Chinese goods. As recently as November of 2005, the powerful American textile lobby managed to win more protections though the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, CITA, an organization with unilateral authority to pass such tariffs.
In the context of global furniture trade, Asia also shows healthy signs of growth with respect to its other international competitors. Of all furniture imported into the United States in 2004, more than 50% was from Asia. This number was up from just under 40% four years earlier resulting from a roughly 90% increase in Asian furniture imports into the United States. Compare this to an increase in 34% from Mexico, 3% from Canada, and an increase of just 0.7% from the EU over the same period. Taken as a function of both volume and rate of increase, Asia is clearly the fastest growing exporter of furniture to the United States.
This all is good news, not just for China, but for the Asian region as a whole, as there has been recent speculation that China's monetary policy, one of its most effective trade tools, might be imitated by other countries in the region. China's monetary policy works to preserve the relative differences in cost between its own producers and those located within its target market, the United States.
China, until recently, pegged the value of its currency to that of the American dollar. This meant that China's Central Bank adjusted the appreciation or depreciation of its currency to match that of the dollar, thus preserving the relative exchange rate within a certain percentage band (in this case +/- 3% per day) determined beforehand.
In response to pressure from the United States, China recently changed its monetary policy to peg its currency to a basket of currency to include Euro, the Yen, and the South Korean Won in addition to the dollar. It is widely predicted, however, that this will have little overall effect on the relative value of the Chinese currency to the US dollar, since not only is a majority of the basket likely weighted by the dollar, but there is also little reason to believe that China has changed the composition of its reserves to contain less dollars. Neither is it necessary or likely that the Chinese Central Bank will stop performing the majority of its interventions in dollars.
As China's neighbors look to the success of its monetary policy some are exploring the idea of imitating it. The most likely candidates would be the larger and longer standing ASEAN member nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore who have the most to gain. These countries in particular share some of the advantages of China, such as low-cost domestic labor which they may seek to maximize by shifting their monetary policies. This may also influence Korea and Japan to make a similar shift in policy in order to remain competitive in the region.
With China signaling its willingness to adjust its monetary policy, and with its regional trade partners looking to do the same, there is an array of possibilities in which this change might be implemented. Perhaps the most reasonable and advantageous for all parties would be for the nations to peg their currency to a common regional basket. Doing so would not only strengthen these countries' economic ties to one another, but on the whole would have the effect of further reducing any instability in the exchange rate of China, this being a key factor in the attractiveness of China's exports. Such a move would also make it easy if at some future date these countries decided to enter a monetary union along the lines of the European Union, helping to create a strong regional partnership which would help the Asian nations to accentuate their advantages in the global marketplace. Furthermore it is worth noting China's recent moves to strengthen intra-regional trade relations in Asia in a larger context. This is important because aside from the United States and Europe, trade between the Asian nations accounts for a large portion of their exports.
Even in its current state, however, the nations of Asia show the potential to remain strong competitors in the global furniture export market. They already supply more than half of the imported furniture to the single largest market in the world, the United States, and showing no signs of abating. Asia has shown that it has the formula for success.
By combining low labor costs and large local supplies of timber, leather, metal and the other raw materials used to manufacture furniture, strong infrastructure investments, and a stable monetary policy, Asia as a whole has demonstrated that it will be an efficient supplier for the world's large demand markets well into the future.

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The Textile Industry Part I

The industrial revolution brought to the fore revolutionary innovations in the field of clothing production, manufacturing and design. The introduction of new wheels looms and spinning processes helped the industry flex its manufacturing muscles and scale newer heights.

Rag trade as it is generally referred to UK and the Australian markets, the textile industry per se includes manufacturing, trade and distribution of textiles.

The industry since its inception has passed through several stages. From a domestic small-scale industry today it has acquired the status of supremacy. The cottage-stage was the first stage and textiles were produced at the micro level. Textiles during this period were made from wool, flax and cotton. The final material delivered depended on the location where the cloth was manufactured, and the time they were being made.

In the medieval period especially in the northern parts of Europe, cotton was looked upon as an imported fiber. During the 16th century cotton was principally grown in warmer climatic regions of America and Asia. The roman rule witnessed a significant switch as cotton was replaced with wool, leather, and linen for making cloth in Europe, while flax was mainly used in the northern parts of Europe.

The industrial revolution saw new machines such as spinning wheels and handlooms being used in big way. Manufacturing of cloth slowly graduated into an organized industry as opposed to the domesticated activity it had been earlier being linked with. A slew of innovations prompted industrialization of the textile industry in Great Britain.

Clothes manufactured during the industrial revolution comprised a major part of the exports made by Great Britain. They consisted of almost 25% of the total exports and doubled during the period between 1701 and 1770.

In times of industrial revolution a lot of emphasis was put on the pace of the production through inventions such as flying shuttle in 1773, the flyer and bobbin system and the roller spinning machine by John Wyatt and Lewis Paul in 1738.

Lewis Paul introduced the first carding machine in 1748 and in 1764 the spinning jenny was also invented. The water frame was invented in 1771 by Richard Arkwright. The power loom was invented in 1784 by Edmund Cartwright.

Once upon a time, textile mills were set up near rivers as they were run by water wheels. Once the steam engine was invented, the dependence on rivers reduced greatly. In the later stages of the 20th century, shuttles were introduced and thus production became more efficient.

At present, modern technologies have led to a competitive, low-priced textile industry offering almost any sort of cloth or design a person aspires for. With its low cost labour force today China has carved a niche for itself in the global textile industry.

 

Source : articlesnatch

International Development: Bangladesh

Executive summary
Presently, Bangladesh is witnessing a sustained growth rate in the region with increasing foreign investments in the country and a shift from agricultural based economy to industry based economy. The macro economic polices being undertaken and the political stability has been a driving force in this recent phenomenon. Though the current growth rate is only rated at 5.6% it is expected to be better with time. This report will thus try to underscore the current Bangladesh economic growth through taking a close look at the economic growth indicators and finally highlight the reason of this development growth of Bangladesh.

Geography
Bangladesh is found in the South Asia part and it bounders India in almost all its borders apart from a small part of the border that is borders with Burma. The boundary of Bangladesh was established way back in 1947. Bangladesh declared its independence form Pakistan in 1971 following a liberation war. Despite its liberation account, development of Bangladesh has been filled with a lot of political chaos having been seen fourteen various presidents and about four military takeovers. Bangladesh is a highly densely populated country with high level of poverty. According to the World Bank records, it notes that in the recent past the Bangladesh has made noteworthy advancement in human growth and development in sectors of gender parity, literacy, in education, and decrease of population growth rate. (Baxter, 1997

Government
Bangladesh government system is a parliamentary democratic system where Islam is the national religion. There is a general election which is held after every five years which involves all the citizens who are above 18 years, to elect members of the parliament. The parliament consists of 345 members representing different constituencies. The country has a Prime Minister who is the leader of the government, he constitutes the cabinet in which he heads and manages the daily affairs of the state. The president elects the prime mister who has to be a member of parliament and commands a big following and confidence of the majority of the parliamentary members. The president is elected by the members of parliament and he is largely ceremonial. (Baxter, 1997)

The uppermost judicial organ is the Supreme Court, the president appoints the judges. It has been observed that the judicial system and law enforcement establishments are not strong. However, division of powers between the judicial and executive was at last separated in 2007, November to try and reform the judiciary and make it stronger and also impartial. Bangladesh. (Development Policy Review, 2007)

Economic
In spite of constant local and international attempts to develop Bangladesh economic and also demographic developments, the country has remained as developing country. Its national per capita earnings in the 2006 was US$2300 contrasted to the global average which is supposed o be $10,200. (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2007)

Jute product was at one time the economic backbone of the Bangladesh Its market share on the global market export market reaching its peak in the 1970s earning about 70% of the country total net exports. Nonetheless, polypropylene goods started to replace the jute products global making the jute market to begin declining. Bangladesh agriculture sector produces a vast amount of rice and tea which it exports. Though, the countrys population is mostly farmers comprising about two thirds, the garment industry accounts for more of the countrys foreign earnings than the agriculture sector. The garment industry started attracting a lot of foreign investments in the 1980s owing to the inexpensive labour and low production costs in the country.

Source : articlesnatch

Margins Of Leather Export Sector Set To Slide

SME leather exporters, who are already witnessing erosion in their margins due to the volatility in rupee movement, will now have to brace up to face more upheavals in the coming days. The prolonged impact of the recessionary pressures is posing difficulties for small-scale leather goods exporters,particularly those in the eastern region of India, to sustain steady margins.

Exports likely to dip

Paresh Rajda, regional chairman (East) of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE), anticipates that leather exporters from the eastern part of the country may have to witness a 20-25% drop in their exports in the near-term on account of continuing impact of the recession.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the 15th International Leather Goods Fair in Kolkata, Mr Rajda said, Leather export orders usually come 6 months in advance. However, beginning October 2009, the sector has witnessed contraction in overseas orders, which is affecting SME leather exporters in the region.

Drop in margins of the SME-oriented leather export sector is likely to affect the overall growth of the sector. The grim export market situation will also put in jeopardy the growth of other allied sectors such as footwear, leather glove, handbag and garment manufacturing, some of which had witnessed phenomenal growth in 2008-09, said H Singhania, proprietor of Leather Club, a small-sized leather goods outlet in Kolkata.

With margins anticipated to plunge further, SME leather exporters and manufacturers are recommended to tread with caution and exercise prudence while making any strategic decision.

Source : articlesnatch

Frbiz Reports Datang Socks Contrarian Trade Gains Across The Board

Since the fourth quarter of last year, province and the country's foreign trade data in general negative reading, the city's exports are running high for several years a sharp decline in orbit, but government support led Socks Cluster advantage into competitive advantage, companies under the function of independent innovation, foreign trade situation is thriving Datang Socks, contrarian gains across the board. 1-6 months of this year, Datang Socks complete export 2.6496 billion U.S. dollars, up 10.3%, far higher than the national, provincial exports socks up by 3% and 4.68% increase.

"Datang socks, Americans know that." Shakespearean Knight Zhejiang Socks Co., Ltd. is the city's largest exporters of socks, the first 7 months of this year, with exports amounting to 16.96 million U.S. dollars, up 29.01%, of which 90 % of the sock exports to the U.S., the U.S. Wal-Mart, TGT company, Kohl's three long-term supplier super store. Luo Ji, general manager up that important because Tang has unrivaled cluster edge, and is now being converted to competitive advantage. Luo Ji-up to give an example to the raw materials Datang Socks have a mature market, a large group of manufacturers, from ingredients to the proof, a few hours completed in other areas, this speed is clearly incredible.

This Cluster in the competitive advantage in the global economic downturn, when the population becoming increasingly apparent. According to Municipality latest data to the end of July 2009, Datang Socks exporters from the end of the 215 to 245, decrease of foreign trade continued to expand in the city where ,1-July Datang Socks exports of 332.1 million U.S. dollars to achieve and maintain an increase of 6.6% over the previous year.

"In recent years, corporate brand building has been the single government point of our efforts, the brand into hosiery industry tide over the difficulties of magic." Tang Yuan Zhigang, said the town party secretary, under the guidance of the policy incentives, more breakthrough Datang Socks dependent on the path of enterprise innovation. In 2007, "Datang Socks," a provincial-level regional brand, and now there are only three of China Datang Town, famous and eight well-known trademarks in China, giving Datang Socks export enterprise to win the right to speak on the pricing.

Zhejiang Socks Co., Ltd. R & D spent a year and a half out of UA sports shoes, as an American businessman in the Asia Pacific region only producers, but did increase before the June exports up 56%, increasing 19.86% year on year unit "quantity by rising values, "a virtuous circle. According to Zhao, general manager of Zhejiang Socks are introduced, the product has been quickly occupied 30% of exports of enterprises, export volume in July this year, arrived in front of last year's number.

More and more little-known enterprises Datang socks are another way to "professional, excellent, unique, new" independent enterprises. Zhe Jiang Jinyu Knitting Co., Ltd. After a year of research, a special production of fashionable women socks, in Hong Kong by a "multinational force" composed of the design studio, has so far invested more than 1000 million, 1500 total balance of the development of new products, design to create all those socks from Zhuji, a popular species in Europe. Game Bang Knitting Garments Co., Ltd. Datang town is a professional production and export of small and medium socks, this year, Yuan Min, general manager of the old mouth hung a "Free" word. He said the financial crisis did not affect the rigid demand for socks, but the advantages of high quality to poor quality to win more market, the company booked in October.

"In addition to product, more socks enterprises begun to focus on building a global supply chain." According to the Deputy Secretary of Foreign Trade of Zou Lan, in addition to the original part of the hosiery manufacturers in Russia and other direct marketing products, this year to open up markets in other parts abroad business increased significantly, Smith Barney, Zhejiang, Zhejiang Sheng Feng, Zhe Jiang Xinyang, Zhe Jiang Airong, Zhuji resistant socks up and a number of companies in the U.S., UAE, Australia, Chile and other countries direct product.

Socks in Datang contrarian up the process of foreign trade, government departments, associations have played an active role. This year in April, city Socks Hosiery Association Alliance issued a standard developed to reduce the low-cost competition and disorderly competition. Municipality issued several warning Socks foreign trade, a timely reminder of foreign trade enterprises, while at the Canton Fair, Las Vegas International Fashion Fabric Exhibition, Shanghai China International Knitting Trade Fair for exhibition quota, combined with the Foreign Trade Bureau of the launch of the "big Tang Socks "overall brand exhibition debut Chinese and foreign investors. Fair is preparing for the ninth socks Datang town government has issued more than 100 invitations to foreign merchants, to attract more foreign trade opportunities, which in the first time in the history of socks Fair. In addition, a area of 80 acres, is planned to accommodate 72 stereotypes production (production capacity up to 200 normal shape of small enterprises) Datang stabilization-type cell has completed the initial planning, land leveling work has been completed.

 

Source : articlesnatch

Commodity Trading Courses

You will gain a new insight on commodity futures trading once you have decided to learn about trade commodities from commodity trading courses. In your commodity trading courses, you may learn about certain commodities such as grains or precious metals, or you may decide to acquire knowledge on the whole spectrum of global commodity markets. No doubt you have heard concerns about energy security and the crude oil trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and of how the price fluctuations can be caused by a whole range of factors. And what causes price movements in gold, silver and other precious metals and why should cocoa or coffee futures prices suddenly surge?

You can get all answers to your questions just by looking for good commodity trading courses. Finding excellent commodity trading courses will help you learn how to trade commodities and ultimately gain all the knowledge required for you to be successsful in trading. Firstly, if you are learning to trade commodities, find commodity trading courses that are currently offered. Either start your commodity education at home using study materials with an online training package or attend a top quality trading school where students cover all aspects of commodities and futures. 

What are the advantages of attending a school that offers commodity trading courses? There is face to face contact with tutors and opportunities for one to one coaching. The coaches in your commodity trading courses may either have their knowledge from courses or they have perhaps traded the commodity markets and so have real live trading experience, which is a valuable asset to have in a coach. In a classroom, you can impart your ideas with other people who share your goal. Learning on location lets you watch and learn from "live" trades with your coaches, who may trade in real time as you look over their shoulder. This is valuable as it helps to explain in a live setting what you may have learnt in theory in your commodity trading courses. Such examples are valuable as they bring a real, sharp edge to your commodity trading education, and the tutors will help you as you create a personalised commodity trading plan. With the growth in trading centres, training providers now have locations globally and you may find one close to you, such as in London, Singapore, Dubai and Toronto, as well as major US centres such as Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York. 

There are also advantages in taking up online commodity trading courses. When your schedule is tight and your location is far from schools offering commodity trading courses, taking online courses will also help you learn about the fundamental and technical aspects of commodity trading. These online commodity trading courses will offer email contact with your tutors, as well as video tutorials, using charts, blogs and forums. You will also most likely have access to special software packages allowing you to practice trades and use different trading techniques, as well as CDs and DVDs covering the key learning points.

In commodity trading courses, you can expect to learn about the effects of supply and demand on commodity prices in fundamental analysis which takes into consideration the effects of inflation, wars and the economic cycle. Technical analysis in commodity trading courses is also important and includes understanding indicators on commodity charts, such as support and resistance, Fibonacci, moving averages, Japanese candlesticks and volumes of trade, which act as signals for when to exit and enter a trade. Commodity trading courses are likely to show you what a commodity futures contract is and how easy it is to trade electronically, how you place your futures order and set your commodity futures margin, as well as understand how hedging in commodity trading works. Other important things you can learn through commodity trading courses are: risk management, capital preservation, trading psychology and commodity trading plan. All these basic areas will be covered when you start learning to trade commodities through commodity trading courses.

Source : articlesbase

Commodity Trading - Trading Oil

Traditionally, commodity trading in petroleum products was a place where only the elite, super traders dared to venture. With barrels holding 42 gallons each and a contract minimum of 1,000 barrels, delivering oil was a task best left to the professionals. However, the petroleum trading landscape has undergone some dramatic changes over recent years. 

For decades oil prices were stable, then in the mid 1970s the industry exploded. Technological advances and the political landscape contributed to the uncertainty, lack of stability, shortages and rising prices. Nearly 30 years later, prices have skyrocket to more than $70 per barrel and the forecasters predict that in mid to late 2007 when it is expected to experience a slight decline for the next two years.

However, there are no certainties when it comes to oil prices, but there are a few large scale factors that can minimize the risk by offering a reasonably accurate projection.

As demands continue to rise, other countries like India and China are also experiencing technological and cultural changes. The trend seems to be in an upswing with no indication of slowing, reversing or of being reversible.

India is riding in on the coattails of its western neighbors in regards to technology and business methods and is emerging in the 21st century. This brings with it an increased demand for energy, mainly oil based, so that homes, office buildings and manufacturing plants can be erected. Rural economy is getting a facelift in many areas as this movement brings with it such exponential growth which, in turn, increases the demand.

Demand is not the only piece of the puzzle, though. As India's purchasing power to obtain those goods increases, other growth is showing up as well. India has a wealth of inexpensive, highly educated work force which is being sought out for outsourcing of Information Technology, electronics manufacturing, communications and more. This is continued to grow and expand for at least another decade. One indication of this growth is the rapid growth of broadband throughout India. 

China is a technological mega country with the largest mobile phone use in the world and a close second for the largest internet population. Energy is in demand throughout the world, but in China it is expected to rise steadily for at least the next decade. 

Although China is perceived to be a Communist nation, social forces are causing it effectiveness to decline. As of yet, it is impossible to predict whether the repression will increase or decrease, but it is inevitable that the flow of information will not be stopped and it will reach the people one way or another, despite any government's attempts to block it.

The social changes within China seem to be somewhat proportionate to the increase in business there. Demand for energy is on the rise and new infrastructure, buildings and manufacturing plants are cropping up on a consistent basis. These businesses and growth all require energy, mainly oil based energy.

Demand continues to rise yet simultaneously supply rates are dropping off or have stalled. Temporary losses, such as with refineries, that occur as the result of disasters may be recovered in a matter of months, up to a year. However, North Sea oil production, which saw its peak in 2000, has seen a gradual decline. Until the time that political changes come around, releasing the massive reserves that are known to be in Alaska, it is not expected that there will be new discoveries of sources that will be utilized. Not many new sources are expected to be realized throughout the globe.

As technology leans in the direction of developing new forms of energy, there is no expectation that any of these sources will appear on the market for a period in excess of ten years. Fuel cell powered cars, which only account for 7% of gasoline use, are not expected to make an appearance for quite a few years.

Existing political pressures in the United States are hindering any hope of a change in the current situation. Waste disposal is one of the primary problems on the political forefront that shows no promise of a solution anytime soon. However, there are new forms of oil trading mechanisms that are evolving that allow the average investor to partake in a market that was at one time exclusive.

For example, e-mini futures on the CME allow for trading contracts that are half the traditional size of 500 barrels. Futures and options on the NYMEX remain at the 1,000 barrel size, yet they require less that 5% investment. These moves place these trades within the grasp of all types of investors. Commodities pools and funds such as those that are offered by Pimco and Oppenheimer allow investing lower amounts which are increasing their popularity.

Source : articlesbase

Commodity Trading - Commodities In Your Portfolio

From roughly 1974 to 2004, the S&P 500 trended upward. In contrast, the CRB, or Commodity Research Bureau, trended down. The CRB is the same as the Dow Jones Index, which is a mathematical combination of commodities prices indicating their movement. It's comprised of weighted averages of prices on oil, coffee, gold, wheat and other commodities. However, many savvy investors continued to trade in commodities, with many doing very well. Why is this so?

For one thing, indexes don't tell the whole story. General trends don't show the detailed, day-to-day price movements many traders take advantage of in order to make profits. At the end of today, regardless, what matters is the difference you garnered between what you bought and sold, not the actual prices themselves.

For another thing, commodities have historically been part of many intelligent hedging strategies. This is because commodities and stock prices tend to move in opposite directions.

Part of the reason for this may be the contrary stance of many investors. In investing, there's one school of thought, which argues that you don't make money by following the crowd. This is, in fact, a plausible argument with plenty of data to support it historically. In other words, if you want to profit, you have to do what the others aren't. This is both true within an investment type and across different investments themselves.

It is also true that a well-diversified portfolio contains some of everything, including stocks, bonds, cash, and sometimes commodities. This is wise to do as part of an overall hedging strategy and to diversify both risk and income. For example, as a general trend, as bonds move down, commodities move up. Inflation tends to affect each with opposite impact as compared to the other.

Finally, it is an observable fact that many commodities have been moving up for years. The most prevalent example of these is probably oil, while precious metals are typically the "loser." However, in this case, "loser" is relative. The price of gold peaked about 30 years ago, but after dropping sharply it has remained steady since for most of that time. In fact, it has trended sharply upward in the last few years, rising over 40% just since 2003.

Some investors will argue that gold will continue to rise for some time to come. Based upon what the Federal Reserve says about inflation, that may indeed be true. As with any investment, however, no one can be sure. That's why this is called speculation.

However, some commodities are a good bet and will continue to be. For example, wheat, oil, coffee and other consumable commodities will continue to be in demand, because the world simply needs them. Another element to consider is that for some things, like fossil fuels, these will not be replenished so that the more you take out, the harder it is to get what's left.

This is indeed true of gold, with national governments holding large stores. The trend now is toward liquidating them, so it is expected to be under continued price pressure for some time yet. For example, Canada liquidated all of its gold stores between 1980 and 2003.

Oil, too, is likely going to be harder to get. North Sea oil recovery was at its highest several years ago and has been on the decline ever since. Even with the introduction of new technology, supply is not likely to substantially increase in the coming years. However, demand continues to rise, especially from China.

All of these factors are good news for those who wish to include commodities as part of their portfolios, at least in the form of ETFs; there are also other mutual funds that focus on commodities available. There\'s also an additional value to those types of investments, since some tend to move in the same direction as stocks and not opposite to them.

Source : articlesbase

Books on Commodity Investing

In this time when people are talking about credit crunch, it's easy to figure out that commodities markets outperform traditional financial markets.
Compare to market statistics in 2000, S&P500 slips 11%, NASDAQ plummets even 53%, while Dow Jones only gains 12% (the figure may differ according different firms). However, commodities markets makes record-high growth, esp. gold and oil.
HUI gold index: 616%
XOI Oil-stock index: 189%
XNG Gas stock index: 257%

Hundreds of books on commodity trading has been pushed so far. Here are some suggested books that traders may care:

Hot Commodities - How Anyone Can Invest Profitably In The World's Best Marke - Jim Rogers
Walter Bressert - The 12 Cardinal Mistakes of Commodity Trading
Technical Analysis Stocks & Commodities Using Fibonacci Ratios And Momentum
Cfe - Trading Commodity Spreads
Commodity Trading Advisors - Risk- Performance Analysis- And Selection
Stocks & Commodities - Secure Fractional Money Management
How I Made $1900336.82 Trading Commodities - Larry Levin
Stocks & Commodities Market Profile Basics
Stocks & Commodities - Neuroshell Trader
Intermarket Technical Analysis - Trading Strategies For The Global Stock- Bond- Commodities - Wiley finance 
Hbs - Case Study - Notes On Commodity Futures
Trading  Stocks & Commodities - Reverse Divergences And Momentum By Martin Pring
Commodities & Derivatives  The Four Biggest Mistakes In Futures Trading  J Kaeppel 
Trading Ebook  Stocks & Commodities Pivot Points
The Way To Trade - Trading Futures- Stocks- E-Mini- Commodities- Options Or Forex 
Commodities Trading Course For Beginners
Stocks & Commodities - Various Trend Trading Articles
Financial Market Trading Ebook George   Bayer 
The Next Big Investment Boom: Learning the Secrets of Investing from a Master and How to Profit from Commodities - Kogan Page
Hot Commodities - Jim Rogers
Information Gathering For Commodities Futures - Peter Bain
Commodity Futures Trends Or Random Walks - Richard A Stevenson- Robert M Bear
Trading  Stocks & Commodities - Using Bollinger Bands By John Bollinger
Hamon - Eight New Commodity Technical Trading Methods

Source : articlesbase

Live Stock Export

Australia is the world's leading supplier of high quality live cattle, sheep and goats to countries around the world. For many years Australia has been a valuable food source for countries that do not have the resources or geography to efficiently produce livestock to feed their populations, meeting this overseas demand by exporting livestock for both food production and breeding, in addition to frozen and chilled meat products.

In addition to providing much needed protein for global communities, the industry supports the livelihoods of thousand of Australian farming families and communities who invest heavily in improving the welfare of the livestock we export overseas.

Accredited stockmen care for our sheep and cattle during their journey overseas and Australian Government accredited veterinarians provide an extra level of care on vessels travelling to the Middle East. On board, all animals have room to move around and lie down, ready access to food and water and are placed in hospital pens if they need extra care.

At their destination, livestock are cared for by trained stockmen in feedlots where they have constant access to food, fresh water and shade. Australian animal welfare experts are based in the regions we export our animals to and regularly deliver animal welfare training and education programs. They also make improvements to infrastructure and livestock facilities.

The industry's activities in animal welfare are vital to ensuring our animals are well cared for, meeting the standards that Australian farmers, exporters and communities expect. Whilst our work has ensured an increased standard of care in the markets we export to, we are aware there is still more work to be done, and we are focused on continuing to improve animal welfare in these markets. This is why Australian farmers and exporters, through their industry levies, invest millions of dollars into programs such as training, education and research and development to improve animal welfare in Australia, during voyages and in overseas markets.

Australia's livestock export industry is recognised as having the highest animal welfare standards for livestock export, and we are committed to maintaining our reputation as the best in the world. The industry is also subject to strict regulatory requirements. Exporters must be licensed by the Australian Government and meet the detailed requirements of the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL). The ASEL covers all aspects of preparation of livestock for the voyage, from farm through to onboard management. Livestock ships must also meet strict requirements governed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

These standards, strict regulation and the industry's commitment to caring for livestock on their voyages overseas, mean that over 99% of all Australian animals arrive fit and healthy at their destinations.

The livestock export industry is vitally important to the Australian economy, and makes a significant contribution to rural and regional areas throughout Australia, especially in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria.

The industry contributes AUD1.8 billion each year to Australia's Gross Domestic Product; employs nearly 13,000 Australians nationally across 30 separate business types; and pays AUD987 million a year in wages and salaries2

The industry supports business such as saleyards, transport operators, exporters, stevedores and shipping companies. It also benefits feedlot operators, fodder suppliers, veterinarians, livestock agents, stockmen, port authorities and helicopter mustering services.

Any significant interruption to the livestock export trade would have a negative effect on domestic livestock markets, as cattle and sheep that were destined for export would be diverted onto domestic markets. The impact would be greatest in regions from which livestock are sourced, but would soon affect national markets.

 

Source : articlesbase

Global Online Marketing

The internet has evolved a lot through the years and has well proven its significance in the finances of every company or individual. Various entrepreneurs have discovered a new and a more effective way to do bussines

and that is through internet marketing

.

The key advantage to this type of marketing is that it is very well capable of introducing your business to all the consumers worldwide providing you much greater chances to achieve better sales. Global online marketing has been every online business' major step towards achieving its success.

Having an unlimited access to the global market is the one thing that every entrepreneur wants. This provides you an edge for your business among the rest of your competitors. However, pursuing global online marketing is not that easy at all. Any online entrepreneur has to have all the significant components such as right knowledge, strategies, tools, and techniques for him to enjoy the benefits his business can give.

You primarily have to consider how to jump-start your online business. Being able to do so provides you the exact direction to where your business is heading. A good start definitely means better

outcomes in the future. The internet is packed with a whole lot of information resources of various subjects especially when it comes to starting an online business.

.

Once you have come prepared and have successfully made a good start for your online business, you can now introduce it to global online marketing. To succeed in this aspect, you have to be acquainted with the strategies and techniques to use for global internet marketing. This includes the following: article marketing, blogging, ezine publishing, online networking, email discussion groups, message boards, social sites, joint ventures, podcasting, and many more.

Nowadays, there are many global online entrepreneurs that make use of article marketing to efficiently promote their online products and services. Effective article marketing needs to have articles that are simple to read yet very informative and extremely helpful for its readers. An online marketer then submits the final product to different article publishers to make your article accessible for global customers.

The rest of the said techniques are also equally effective as that of article marketing. Global online marketing is easier to accomplish and faster as well through the use of some top techniques, tools, and software that will introduce your business to the whole world. Being successful in your online business needs you to be very functional and effective in global online marketing. Find the best resource online that would give you accurate information about achieving success on online business through global online marketing.

 

Source : articlesbase

Commodities Slump Grows

The downturn in commodities since the middle of July has been pretty vicious and this week it seemed to be made more tense by the way the market fell across the board as Hurricane Gustav squibbed it and didn't prove to be the major destroying storm that many had feared.

The way, oil, gold, copper and other metals, plus major grain prices fell after the passing of Gustav indicates that the old fear about supply shortages no longer dominates thinking in these commodity markets.

Most commodities were weaker to  steady overnight Wednesday, but it was more of a holding pattern than any sort of recovery.

For Australia, as we start enjoying the fruits of the boom, it's a timely reminder that more needs to be done here to make the economy more efficient and more productive.

We are at present relying on higher receipts for our coal and iron ore exports and not much more as prices for other resources have titled downwards since the slump started.

If anything should slow China's economy in the next year or so to a much lower level of growth, then we will be exposed to a much sharper slump in activity than we saw with yesterday's GDP numbers.

The Reuters-Jefferies CRB index, a global benchmark for commodities prices, has fallen 18.9% since June 30, to a six-and-a-half-month low, after surging in the first half by almost 30%.

July was in fact the worst month for many commodity indexes for 30 years or so because mainly of the steep drop in oil prices.

Prices are still higher than they were a year ago, but as we move through the rest of 2008 and into 2009 that premium will either simply disappear with each month's comparison, or will show up in more price falls to the point where the comparison is negative.

We have to assume that just as commodities probably overshot and went to high from March through mid-July that prices will overshoot on the way down and fall to unsustainably low levels. 

But some analysts warn that because their financial investors involved there could be a much steeper fall than expected simply because of the impact of momentum.

Oil is trading closer to $US100 a barrel than it has for more than five months, gold eyed and eased under $US800 an ounce, copper, is glancing towards the $US3 a pound level and wheat, soybeans and corn futures prices are busy retracing former price rises.

Gold was trading at $US799.90/800.90 an ounce in Asia late yesterday, down from $US804.90/806.25 an ounce late in New York Tuesday, when it fell as low as $US790.40 after oil dropped and the dollar rallied. It traded just above $US800 an ounce in New York overnight.Gold struck a nine-month low around $US773 in mid-August.
 
Oil traded around $US109 a barrel in New York.

This sharp sell off in commodities, led by oil seems to have had its first notable victim among investors with a multi-billion dollar hedge fund imploding and now facing being broken up.

Bloomberg has reported that this slump had ensnared Ospraie Management of the US which is going to close its biggest after it fell almost 27% in August and 38.6% from the start of 2008. It's 20% owned by the struggling Lehman Bros investment bank.

Bloomberg said the Fund had a value of $US2.8 billion at the start of last month, so the loss would have been in the order of $US750 million in the month.

Bloomberg said a letter from founder, Dwight Anderson, to investors explained that the Ospraie Fund lost 26.7% in August, after a "substantial sell-off in a number of our energy, mining and resource equity holdings.''

"I am extremely disappointed with this result and the fund's sudden reversal in performance. After nine years of striving to be a good steward of your capital, I am very sorry for this outcome.''

The Ospraie Fund was started in 1999.

Bloomberg said that the closure of the Ospraie Fund leaves the New York-based firm overseeing three remaining funds with more than $US4 billion in assets, down from $9 billion in March.

Commodity market indexes fell by around 10% in August, and are off 20% since the slump started in Mid-July as investors switched out of mining and resource investments and into mainly US shares because of expectations the US wouldn't slump as much as Europe, Asia the UK or Japan would.

It sold out of Iluka in recent days, according to a statement to the ASX from the beach sands miner and processor yesterday evening.

Oil closed at around $US115.46 a barrel in New York on Friday before the holiday long weekend. At one stage overnight the price was down around $US105 a barrel.

Copper plunged as well, losing nearly 11 US cents a pound in New York to close at $US3.29 a pound (a seven month low) while gold fell by around $US24 to $US810 an ounce.

The Australian dollar weakened, falling to a day's low of 82.70 US cents, that's also the lowest for around a year. It then recovered back over 83 US cents.

While that followed the Reserve Bank's 0.25% rate cut yesterday, it wasn't the major reason. The rate cut had been widely expected and was in the price of the currency: it was the sharp drop in oil, copper and other commodities that hit resource-based currencies including the Aussie overnight.

The futures prices for wheat, corn and soybeans all fell sharply as well as Gustav faded.
It was a significant slump across the board for commodity prices. Metals in London, led by lead also fell sharply.

Markets were tossed around as investors wondered about whether this rapid correction would finish.

Not helping was a gloomy assessment of the current state of the world's major economies that helped ended the whoopee over oil prices.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development warned that overall, "the picture for the major economies is of a particularly weak second half".

It saw a growth uptick for the US, but the eurozone and UK economies will "barely creep forward" in the second half of this year.

The OECD suggested that global financial turmoil might be entering a "new phase" with the stream of bad news reported by banks now reflecting generally economic weakness rather than direct effects of the credit squeeze.

The OECD revised up significantly its forecast for US growth this year, after significantly stronger-than-expected second quarter data. It expected 1.8% growth, compared with its previous forecast of 1.2%.

But surveys out yesterday showed a sharper than expected fall in US construction spending and a contraction in manufacturing, led by a drop in forward orders, employment and inventories. Exports were up and inflation eased.

The OECD gave itself an out by warning that there was a lot of uncertainty about how quickly the effects of the US fiscal stimulus package would fade.

The OECD was worried about inflation in Europe and overnight those concerns were given some additional impetus with news that producer prices in the 15 country eurozone rose 1.1% in July, compared with 1% in June. That made for an annual rate of 9% (not much different to the US) in the year to July.

European retail sales fell 2.1% in July compared with July 2007, after a record 3.1% drop in June.

That won't be enough to get the ECB to cut rates tonight, while the Bank of England's next move is unclear, despite the overwhelming weight of gloomy news about the British economy. Its decision will come tonight, our time.

A desperate Labour Government has attempted to boost the sinking housing sector by significantly expanding the stamp duty exemption on house purchases of homes worth up to 175,000 pounds from 125,000 pounds. It will cost near $A2 billion in a budget already heavily in deficit.

Money will also go to helping people avoid repossession (nearly $A400 million). But the British pound continued its worst fall in 16 years.

IMPORTANT: AIR reports about financial markets and investment products in the widest sense possible. The AIR website and all its contents is prepared for general information only, and as such, the specific needs, investment objectives or financial situation of any particular user have not been taken into consideration. Individuals should therefore talk with their financial planner or advisor before making any investment decisions.

 

Source : articlesbase

Commodities Trading - Trading Soybean

With perhaps the exceptions of resident vegetarians and commodities traders, soybeans don't have much allure for the general population. However, this bean is one of the most profitable trades commodities around, and it is also low risk.

The Chinese people first cultivated soybeans thousands of years ago. They continue to be grown there today. They were first introduced to America in the 1800s; their load was used to stabilize clipper ships. Now, their use as a food source continues to grow as technology advances and new uses are discovered.

During World War II, the US became one of the world's largest suppliers when Chinese crops were damaged. Today, 31 states in the United States grow soybeans. Illinois alone produces over 500 million bushels, with Iowa coming in close behind at 400 million.

Now, Brazil is jumping into the fray as a producer as well. Although it has suffered drought and this has impacted its production over the last two years, crop yields are now recovering. They should reach record levels in 2007. Although coffee and sugar are among Brazil's major exports, soybeans are fast catching up. In 2004-2005, over 20,000 metric tons of soybeans were exported from Brazil. This is two thirds of the US's total exportation of soybeans.

As this has occurred, demand continues to grow. Among the biggest consumers of soybeans are American livestock, including chickens and cattle, as well as pigs. These animals alone consume over 25 million tons of soybean meal per year. And of course, the rapidly growing soybean-based foods market, which boasts everything from soy ice cream to soy imitation "meat" and beyond, is also a major factor in US consumption.

Given these factors and others as well, demand is expected to continue to rise as time goes on. For one thing, population levels throughout the world continue to grow. The US's current population is almost 300 million and still going up. World population is over 6.5 billion; although the population increase is slowing, overall increase is expected to continue for several decades or better.

As demand continues to grow, so, too, does research and development on this marketable and remarkable little bean. Researchers continue to find new ways to increase production and cultivation. For example, about 1.4 billion hectares were used to cultivate crops worldwide in 1961. Less than 40 years later, in 1998, 1.5 billion hectares were used, yet don't be fooled by the small increase. In fact, double the volume of soybeans was grown in 1998 as was grown in 1961. Therefore, productivity has roughly doubled over those 40 years, and advances continue.

With improvements in genetics research, researchers can now offer and implement genetic techniques that help crops resist disease. By 2005, herbicide-tolerant crops were produced through genetically modified crop production for 87% of total crops. By contrast, just two years earlier, that figure was 63%.

One bane of the soybeans existence, rust, continues to be a problem. However, this is expected to be eradicated in the coming years.

Besides food production and livestock feed, soybeans are also used to make biodiesel fuel in the United States; Europe still uses canola oil. Corn produces ethanol. As gasoline prices continue to rise, the pressure is on to convert more vehicles, including large consumers like farm equipment, to diesel fuel and therefore biodiesel fuel.

For the soybean, futures contracts are traded on the Chicago Board of Exchange, or CBOT. The standard contract covers 500 bushels, with the tick, or minimum price fluctuation, at one quarter of one cent per bushel. It has a maximum price fluctuation of $.50 per bushel above or below the settlement price from the previous day.

So if you're interested in commodities trading, look into soybeans. Although not as glamorous as gold or coffee, for example, this immutable little bean nonetheless is a gold mine of its own.

 

Source : articlesbase

Commodity Forex Online Trading Secrets

What is commodity forex online trading? To a new forex trader, the idea of trading commodities and trading currencies at the same time is confusing. Surely currency is the thing that we are trading? What do commodities have to do with it?

The answer lies in economics. Commodity forex trading is based on a specialized type of fundamental analysis of the forex markets. It is a strategy that recognizes that the economies of some countries are heavily dependent on certain imports or, more often, exports of raw materials such as oil, precious metals, agricultural products that contribute to an individual nation's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Therefore, the price of those countries' currencies will be linked to rises and falls in the price of those particular commodities, and foreign currency traders can profit from following those prices.

Many of the smaller economic powers, especially in the developing world, are heavily dependent on the export of one or more raw materials. However, most currency traders would avoid those minor currencies since the political situation is often unpredictable, liquidity is low and fluctuations can be extreme.

This leaves us with three major commodity currencies that a trader might want to get involved with namely the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars.

The Canadian dollar (CAD) is probably the most popular commodity currency for forex traders. Canada is the world's second largest exporter of oil, so it is obvious that significant changes in oil prices will affect the value of the Canadian dollar. When you combine this with the fact that the USA is a huge importer of oil, it is clear that the price of the USD/CAD pair is likely to react strongly to a major shift in oil prices.

Australia's major commodity export is gold. You could make a study of gold prices and their effect on AUD currency pairs but at the very least, if you are involved in any forex trades that include AUD you should keep an eye on gold prices. New Zealand's commodity exports are more varied so if you trade an NZD pair you will need to watch the general commodity price index (CRB).

It is important to understand that even where the link is very strong, currency values will not always respond to a change in commodity prices. Normal fluctuations tend to be ignored by the forex market. However, predictions or announcements of significant changes in the price of oil, for example, will likely be followed by a shift in USD/CAD. What is more, this does not necessarily happen right away, so a knowledgeable forex trader can get in on the action just as the trend is forming.

Of course, other factors will also affect prices. It is important not to concentrate on commodity values to the exclusion of all else, or you could be caught out. However, for certain currency pairs it can certainly pay well to understand commodity forex online trading. It is very important to keep your eyes open for any economic news affecting these nations and it would be wise to check out the economic news calendar at Forex Factory.

 

Source : articlesbase

The aviation network – a global market!

Patrik Berger

The aviation industry is an astonishing global business and therefore it needs a certain system that provides support, organization and reparations. This is why the aviation network was founded. Maybe it just evolved because of the needs that occurred more and more as the developments went on. Nevertheless, now the aviation network is a global net for organization and exchange.

And it works indeed. Actually it has to work because there is no space or time left. Even though many don`t like the eager economy we see ourselfs confronted with, time is still money as far as the aviation network is concerned. Some philosophers might stand up, contradict and insist that time is never money, that time is only time. But since time is always comparative, time can indeed as well be money.

But back to the main topic, the aviation network. This network provides support and delivery all over the United States and therefore it is always looking for experienced employees. The provided services require technical and administrative professions.

The whole aviation network offers some interesting informations for costumers as well. Updated statistics about the safety are just one opportunity.

All in all this aviation network is an amazing organization that makes me wonder if there is at least one person on this planet who understands it all. Are there some masterminds who actually know how every single part of the airplane, the whole organization and the business in general work or is it a huge factory that can not be overlooked by one person in detail but fits together since every cogwheel fits the next one.

If you try to get an overview you will soon discover that the global market will not work anymore without this aviation industry. Too many professions, too many cogwheels that can never be replaced by another way of exchange.

Source : articlesbase

Chinese Automaker to Develop Car for Global Market

Automakers have been eyeing the Chinese auto market for years. The said market is steadily growing and this has captured the attention of global automakers. Different automobile manufacturers are currently expanding their presence in the Chinese auto scene.

The biggest American automaker has already partnered with a Chinese automaker in its quest for supremacy in the said market. Meanwhile, Europe's largest automaker Volkswagen is also fostering a working relationship with SACI, the biggest Chinese automaker. In a matter of years, the Chinese auto industry has seen partnership with large global automakers.

These partnerships will be moving in a new direction as Chinese automakers with their partners are now looking to develop vehicles which will not be sold only in China but also to other markets around the world.

Reuters reported that Volkswagen's Chinese arm, the Shanghai Volkswagen, is looking to develop a new sedan for the global market. According to Reuters, the said sedan will be a follow-up to the Passat Lingyu, a rebadged Passat built for the Chinese auto market.

This move by Shanghai Volkswagen shows that China is not only a growing market in the eyes of automakers but a potential production hub. Although Volkswagen produces auto parts in the country like the Volkswagen wheel hub assembly which are then exported to other countries, the venture is yet to produce a whole car meant for the global auto market.

This is also a positive for Chinese automakers. In the past, these automakers are content only on designing vehicles for the domestic market. Competition from established auto brands kept them from venturing in the global market. This situation has been amended with their partnerships with large and established automakers known worldwide.

The step benefits both Chinese and non-Chinese automakers. For automakers like Volkswagen, they will have a production hub where wages and parts are cheaper than in Europe or in the United States. This means a bigger profit on the end product. For Chinese automakers, the prominence of their partners can give them the break they need to enter the global auto market.

Tapping Chinese auto designers is also an advantage for European and American automakers. Since Chinese automakers design vehicles for domestic market, they have local knowledge. This means that Chinese auto designers know how to design vehicles which will be suited to the needs of other Asian markets. With several Asian countries steadily making progress in their economy, the market in Asian countries is also steadily growing.

Shanghai Volkswagen though is not the only Chinese auto maker which is eyeing the global market. Reuters reported that earlier this month, Chery Automobile made a deal with the Chrysler Group. The deal is to design and manufacture compact cars in China which will be sold in North America and other markets. It is expected that Chery will be the first Chinese automaker to enter the United States auto market.

The common denominator between Chery and Shanghai Volkswagen is that both are looking to develop small cars for the global market. The reason, of course, is the increasing price of gasoline which also heightened the demand for small but fuel efficient vehicles. With Volkswagen behind Shanghai Volkswagen and Chrysler behind Chery, it can be expected that China-made vehicles will be making their appearance on American showrooms in the near future.

It is not clear yet though whether these vehicles will be marketed with their Chinese badges or not. The answer to that, we will find out soon enough as more information from these automakers are made available.

Source : articlesbase

Communication In A Global Market

At PS, many of our clients work within the marketing industry and a large percentage of the work we undertake is to provide a localised version of a marketing communication campaign into specific languages. Typically this involves taking pre-existing copy for (usually) a pre-existing product or service and adapting it to fit the language of the desired non-native market. This can often be a complex process and there are many examples of companies that have gone through the localisation process of their products and services only to realise (often too late) that what they have produced is not suitable or, even worse, insulting to their intended market.

This article examines the various approaches organisations may adopt when looking to expand from their domestic market and also looks at localisation strategies they can use to aid in the success of their international marketing efforts. The main themes will focus more on the written word and the actual process of translating a marketing communication message, and does not take into consideration other issues that will affect the localisation process, such as the technological issue that may be present when developing a marketing strategy in a non-domestic market.

At this point it is worth what motivates organisations when promoting and selling their products and services into non-native markets. Typically, marketing products in markets outside the domestic domain fall into 4 categories. In the first approach, companies undertake what can be referred to as infrequent foreign marketing. Here companies will use foreign markets as a means to eliminate surpluses which an over saturated domestic market is unable to absorb. Here marketing activities may be very short term and may only require a minimal amount of translation and localisation. Alternatively, companies may believe that there is enough of a sustainable foreign market on an ongoing basis and will adopt regular foreign marketing activities.  In this instance the domestic market is still the main focus, however, often by the use of middle men and agents, companies who use this approach are able to service both domestic and international markets simultaneously. The third approach is to focus on international marketing as part of a whole marketing strategy. Here international markets are seen as equally important as domestic markets. Companies will often perceive their markets to possess unique characteristics for which individual marketing strategies and characteristics will need to be adopted. The process involved in localisation and translation in this approach can be fairly complex, however, it will also allow for a closely targeted market, reaching segments that perhaps a more uniform approach may not reach.

The fourth approach is to view the world as a single market. Referred to as global marketing, this approach standardises its processes and activities to offer a common product or service through all the markets they serve.

It is worth considering which approach your organisation or, if you are working on behalf of someone else, your client is adopting. These different approaches will affect the overall process of how you implement your marketing strategy and will also involve varying amounts of resources. Although advances in technology have made the deployment of a targeted message more cost effective, individual translation will need to be processed by a human and therefore marketers and business managers will need to consider the potential ROI (return on investment)  that an approach such international marketing will generate versus the resources needed to process this strategy.

Fundamental to the successful launch of a marketing campaign into a non-domestic market is a good understanding of the nature of that market. If, for example, your objective is to launch a specific product or brand into a new market, analysis should be undertaken into the suitability of the existing brand's identity (e.g., colour, shape, text) in the existing market.  What works well from a branding perspective in one market may be disastrous in another, and there are many examples of companies who have launched an international campaign based around a specific domestic campaign only to discover that the brand that is at the heart of the message carries an unsavoury name or connotation. At the very least we suggest a brand name analysis should be undertaken prior to launching a brand into a new market.

It's also worth noting the other cultural convention of your proposed target market. Colour, for example, can play a key role in a company's identity but this identity may have many different connotations depending on the target market. It is also crucial to understand how your market responds to messages. Some markets may respond very positively to a less formal approach when delivering a message, whereas more conservative markets may see this approach as sloppy or unprofessional.

A common approach in copy writing is to use analogies in an attempt to make the reader draw similarities with the product or service under discussion and an existing, perhaps well known product or service. Often these analogies will be based on an understanding of an entity that is known to the reader in the existing market, but may be unknown or alien in the new proposed target market. Examples are comparing physical size of somewhere to a geographically known location in the domestic e.g., "an area the size of Birmingham" etc.

Because of the subjective nature of translation, whenever undertaking any translation assignment it is vital to use a translator who is not only an expert linguist but also an expert in their respective field. Using a technical translator to localise a marketing brochure selling financial services just will not do. Translation of marketing material goes beyond the literal and involves the ability to interpret the essence of the message. Translators who are used to translate branding and corporate identity need to distil the message, taking the key elements and present it in a language that the target market will respond to. In this instance, using mother tongue translators based in the country of origin is vital.

In summary then we suggest that, as a minimum, prior to launching a marketing message into a unknown market, initial research is undertaken into the feasibility of using the core message (be it the brand or what ver is at the heart of the communication) within the market. It is likely that business leaders and managers will have already determined that there is a need for a particular product or service in a specific market and that their product or service can successfully fill that need. It is then the job of the marketer to communicate this product or service to the desired new market. 

 

Source : articlesbase

The Rise of the Global Market

Studies show that 91 percent of big American companies are eyeing on the global economic regions for expansion. As a result, they need some of their employees to move to these places for some periods of time to kick start the business in the region.

To spark your enthusiasm on having a career outside the country, consider the following facts. The United States has about 300 million strong consumers, but there are 6 billion strong consumers more to have from the 193 foreign countries. It's really a pity not to tap this market for expansion.

The promotion of equitable international trade spurred perhaps the greatest leap in the global economic environment: the growth of international free trade. Asian brands such as Honda, Mitsubishi, and Sony dominated the automobile and the home appliances global market to the demise of some U.S. brands. The relatively cheap and sturdy international brands trampled some U.S. manufacturers resulting to record high job losses.

Absorbing the lessons learned from the mistakes of U.S. manufacturers and incorporating the ingenious inventions by the German, Japanese, and U.S. producers, Asian countries like China and South Korea and even Mexico in the Americas developed a way to produce cheap but good quality products. The low minimum wage in these countries also added to their boom. However, the financial crisis that hit many Asian countries in the 1990s taught the global market a bitter lesson. If a globally significant region sneezes, the rest of the global market could catch the flu.

The United States refuses to throw the towel on the international market arena, however. Many successful U.S. companies took the best business practices from other countries around the world and incorporated it to their own model. Paired with novel technologies, best U.S. education system and training, and state of the art equipment, the U.S. did not just caught up with the rest of the world, it even surpassed the achievements of other countries. But, there's a new wave of doing business in the global market today, and it's resting on the spirit of inclusion, not exclusion. Many internationally recognized brands know that to stay on top, they have to change the way they look at their competitors. International businesses now adopt the spirit of international cooperation, instead of competition. The challenges, however, are not defeated, but the spirit to conquer them runs high.

The spirit of mutual cooperation among nations couldn't be felt stronger than in the groceries. It's now second nature to see products from Japan and China in the grocery shelves of Wal-Mart; and Middle Eastern, European, and some Asian shoppers are now waving their plastic wand named American Express when they shop at their local malls, too. Will Smith, Mel Gibson, and Bruce Willis have become household names among foreign families, while the NBA, NFL, and the Major League are wowing sports enthusiast in foreign stadiums.

These facts are pointing to only one thing: the global market is here to stay. Any prudent individuals and companies know that the challenges are now global, and nothing short of careful preparation can save them from vanishing into the background.

Source : articlesbase

Luxurious Golden Traingle Tour Packages

Rajasthan is a globally famous tourism destination in the India. It attracts vacation Planners and tourists through out the entire globe and offers them to savor lots of delights with excellent tourist facilities. Drenched into the royal grandeur, Rajasthan is the largest state of India with beautiful city Jaipur as its capital. Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mandawa, Mount Abu, Jaisalmer, Kota, Chittorgarh, Ajmer, Pushkar, etc are some other tourist places and cities in the royal and imperial state of Rajasthan. There are an exciting range of tour packages available in the market today to choose from. Tourists can choose on of packages according to their needs and choice of destinations and can make their tours and travels in this vibrant land memorable - a unique experience of lifetime. Some popular travel packages for Rajasthan tourism are following. And more informaction about Rajasthan Tour Packages Explore euroworldtravels. Golden Triangle Tour can be a better option if you are planning to visit a place in India that is full of rich culture and tradition. Rajasthan is the place where you can get the enjoy the wildlife parks and sanctuaries. Enjoy the exotic palace hotels on your Golden Triangle Tour Packages.Goden Traingle Tour Includes Jaipur, Delhi and Agra Tourism along with its significance.Some popular tourist destinations and places to visit in this state are Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Mount Abu, Mandawa, Bharatpur, Kota, Bundi, Pushkar, Ajmer, etc. Some of the most popular tourist spots of various destinations in Rajasthan are- Amer fort and Hawa Mahal of Jaipur, Rat temple of Bikaner, Lord Brahma temple of Pushkar and Pushkar fair, Castles of Mandawa, Lakes of Udaipur and Jaisalmer fort of Jaisalmer. Apart from these tourist spots.The desert land of Rajasthan features many beautiful cities, tourist destinations and villages. One cannot ingnore an exotic city of rajasthan - Jodhpur. Jodhpur tourism is much known to domestic as well as forign tourists for its cultural beauty. Hotels in jodhpur are faciliated with luxury comodities for the convience of the travellers to stay. Also known as sun city; jodhpur is famous for Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhavan Palace, Jaswant Thada, Taj Hari Mahal Jodhpur.

 

 

Source: articlebase

Rising Commodity Prices Causing New Turmoil through the Mining Sector

Good times in the mining sector, eh? The Gold and Silver Index (XAU) is holding steady above 120, having reached a high above 156 in January, a level it had not seen since September 18, 1987. The spot uranium price is higher than it's been since January 1980. Crude oil? Filling up your gas tank should remind you that oil prices are still painfully high. So all of this must mean mining companies are thrilled with their good fortune? WRONG! There's a snowballing crisis in the mining sector, which has been kept off the typical investor's radar screen. This new emergency could drive commodity prices to even higher levels over the coming months, and possibly until the end of the decade.

The two-decade long bear market drove many geologists, and other qualified technicians, out of the mining sector. Drilling companies went bankrupt. Even with the recent explosion of activity in the mining sector, exploration in the sector is less than one-third of its peak in 1981, when more than 5,500 drill rigs were running.

The mining sector's labor and drill rig shortage has gone past the "we're in a crisis" stage. Without qualified geological staff and drill rigs for exploration and development programs, companies may fail to get their projects online fast enough to satisfy the worldwide demand for their metals, whether it is gold, silver, copper, or uranium. The Baker Hughes North American rotary rig count is a good barometer of how strongly the commodities boom has impacted the sector. In 1999, the U.S. and Canadian drill rig count reached its nadir of 488. On March 17th, the number stood at 1546 and climbing. Over the past seven years, the count jumped 316 percent. Compared to a year ago, the North American Rotary Rig Count is up by nearly 20 percent. Internationally, the same rig count rose almost 60 percent.

During the course of our three-month investigation, we found the labor and equipment shortage applied not only to uranium but also to coal, oil and gas, coal bed methane and precious metals exploration. Ed Calvert, who runs Nucor Drilling Inc in Wyoming, exclaimed, "There just aren't any rigs available in the U.S. You may find one, but it's a problem finding the right rig at the right time." His company began searching for a drill rig in September for drilling scheduled to commence June 1st. Calvert explained that the big oil companies had signed up rig contracts so they wouldn't get caught short, adding, "Whether the rigs are being used daily or not, they are paying the fees to hold them."

Vancouver-based Max Resources announced in early January of this year they had received permits to drill on their Thomas Mountain uranium prospect in Utah. They hoped to drill in late January, depending upon drill rig availability. We interviewed the company's uranium geologist Clancy Wendt, who complained in early February, "I thought I had a rig lined up. Now we have no idea when we will get a rig." Max Resources recently announced it planned to start drilling on or about the middle of March. Norman Burmeister planned more wisely, announcing in mid January Kilgore Minerals would drill the company's Idaho gold property in July. But Burmeister got stumped in moving his uranium property's permitting process forward, "I am still trying to find an archaeologist for my Nevada property. They just aren't available." Until he finishes that step of the permitting process, Burmeister can't lock up a drill contractor to help delineate his uranium prospect.

The drill rig shortage pales when compared to the frighteningly tight labor market in the mining sector. According to the February 2006 Employment Situation Summary, published by the U.S. Department of Labor, "Mining continued its upward trend in February, adding 5,000 jobs." Cynthia Pomeroy, Director of Wyoming's Department of Employment confirmed the crisis, "There is definitely a labor shortage."

Matt Grant, assistant director of the Wyoming Mining Association adamantly announced, "There are 800 direct job openings in the mining business that could be filled today." He quickly noted another 2400 indirect jobs to service the mining industry remain empty, begging for bodies to satisfy those positions. Starting geologists make between $35,000 and $50,000 annually. Top geologists command $200,000 and higher. Mining consultants get $800-1000/day. Even day helpers on drill rigs can charge $22/hour or more. Wyoming state and county development associations have attended job fairs in Michigan earnestly trying to fill the growing job vacancy by recruiting laid-off auto workers.

David Michaud, president of TheJobPit.com, finds jobs for geologists, metallurgists and others in the mining sector. A mining engineer and consulting metallurgist, having graduated from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and until recently the operations manager for Corriente Resources in Ecuador, he began his internet employment agency for the mining sector because the demand was overwhelming. "Headhunters who have been around for twenty years say they've never seen a market like this," Michaud stressed. "For the last ten years, the mining industry fed mining graduates to the wolves. Now they need them. All are busy with no takers to those far away places." Michaud lambasted the mining companies for their lack of foresight, "Mining companies have to expect the demand for professionals, such as production geologists, will go up with the price of metals. There were no jobs for the past eight years." He added, "It takes two to five years to train them."

For example, Michaud is desperately trying to fill a South American mining company's job opening for an experienced metallurgist. "Free housing, two cars, four weeks off annually, two plane tickets, basically no living expenses, and a salary starting at US$150, 000," Michaud sadly explained because no one has jumped at the offer. "In the field of metallurgy, including mill managers, metallurgical engineers, techs and operators, about 150 new jobs are offered each month." Only about one-half will be filled. Michaud warned the copper mining companies were in especially dire straits to fill new job openings.

Source : ezine article

Electricity Futures Trading - 8 "Whys" And "Hows" Of Electricity Futures Trading!

There are some commodities that are essential for one and all, such as crude oil, gasoline, heating oil, propane, electricity and natural gas. These are sources of energy that the world cannot do without. Sensing this, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) came up with the idea of transactions related to energy futures, base metals, propane, electricity, precious metals, heating oil, gasoline, natural gas and crude oil. But what it is most renowned for is, electricity futures trading.

To go into a more detailed commentary regarding NYMEX and electricity futures trading--

(1) The first question anyone would ask is, why is electricity being taken as an option for futures trading?

Electricity futures trading is prevalent because electriciy is a popular commodity among traders and investors. The prices never remain constant, they keep changing; generally, they are on the higher side. The last advantage is that electricity is something that is fungible (it can be exchanged or substituted).

(2) It is accepted by the trading community as a liquidity alternative to counter other stocks and bonds investments. So, a large number of people make a beeline to NYMEX. This exchange has the reputation of being a premier platform for transactions concerning precious metals and energy. It is after all, the largest global physical commodity futures exchange!

(3) NYMEX has an affiliate called PJM Interconnection LLC. Statistics reveal this to be the predominant global market for electricity, as more than 44 million clients have been involved with this company till date. Member firms of PJM have a capacity of 137,000 megawatts, or hold 1,000 generating units.

(3) Now, how does one exactly go about this business of electricity futures trading?

Transactions have to be conducted via a broker. And not just any broker, but one who has been recognized and certified by NYMEX as a series 3--commodity futures broker. The "right broker" has to be hunted out, and an account opened with him/her.

(4) Who can be classified as the "right broker"?

This person who represents the investor should be familiar with electricity futures trading, as well as have plenty of experience concerning transactions. It would be preferable to get a person whose focus is only on the electricity market. This ensures that the broker is an expert in this arena, plus time is saved by not diversifying into other areas. There is no conflict of interests between the broker and investor.

(5) Brokers can take up individual committments, work with smaller units, or work with big companies and institutions.

(6) After a particular broker has been selected by the investor, it would be advisable for both to get together ahd have a discussion regarding--what is his/her current financial status, the amount the investor is willing to put in/risk, the objective behind the investment, how much does the investor know about options and methods concerning futures trading, and so on.

(7) A first-timer would be well advised to go through investment options carefully before parting with his/her money. Also, an investor should avoid comparisons with others, since each commodity trading account is customized according to the individual's requirements. No two accounts are alike.

(8) There are peak hours for electricity futures trading, when business is brisk. They are from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Midnight to 7 a.m. are considered as off-peak hours; trading is allowed even during this time. However, http://www.nymex.com is there to answer further questions if required.

Source :  ezinearticle

What Commodity Seasonality Says About Coffee Futures This Spring

The principle of seasonality in commodities trading is one of the most overlooked, and in my opinion most important factors in trading successfully. When trading certain commodities, coffee futures for example, seasonality should be observed religiously if one is to avoid devastating losses or maximize gains. So what is Seasonality, and how does it affect commodities futures prices?

Seasonality is the tendency for commodities futures prices to rise or fall at a particular time of year, every year. In many agricultural commodities, seasonality is a result of harvest cycles. Prices fall when supply becomes abundant, and they rise when supply dwindles. In other commodities like gold or crude oil where supply tends to be steadier, barring any natural disasters, seasonality is determined by changes in seasonal demand patterns. For example, crude prices tend to rise in the spring ahead of the summer driving season, and again near the end of the summer to factor in the winter heating season. A ten year study of most commodities corroborates this phenomenon, and seasonal price tendencies ought to be respected more often than not.

Now that we know what seasonality is, let's discuss its relevancy to coffee futures for this spring. Coffee has some of the strongest seasonal tendencies among all tradable commodities. The most dramatic seasonal pattern occurs in June, where prices tend to collapse under the weight of the Brazilian harvest coming online. Because there are only a few major players making up the majority of coffee production in the world, their production cycles heavily influence prices. Brazil in the summer months, and Vietnam toward the end of the year, both contribute massive quantities of fresh coffee. This is a burden that tends to weight heavily on futures prices. But in recent years, due to steadily climbing worldwide demand, and due to the fact that the growth in worldwide supply has not kept pace with consumption, seasonal influences have become more pronounced. Every year since 2004 we have seen prices trend higher from October through March of the following year, while trending lower in the summer months.

Now lets add to this seasonal tendency for coffee futures prices to climb in the spring the fact that we're on the cusp of a huge deficit in coffee product for the 2009-2010 season, the fact that coffee stocks (reserves) at producing locations are at an all time low, and that worldwide reserves relative to consumption are at levels not seen in thirty years. This is the perfect storm for coffee futures, and is going to result in the largest bull run in recorded history. But some of these factors are not new, why have prices not begun climbing as of yet? Well friends, back to the title of our article. Seasonality. 2008 was a generous year coffee production, adding a good deal to stocks. That and the global financial crisis pulled money from every asset class out there. So we've been riding off of an excess of supply at a time when people are afraid to invest. I believe the catalyst for this market is just around the corner. The pricing in of the coming coffee deficit will begin any time now as we've cleared the Vietnamese and Colombian crops and have just a few months before Brazil harvests a cyclically smaller crop. Seasonality suggests the time is here for coffee to price in this deficit. So contact your commodities broker and go long, or buy yourself into a Coffee ETF and hang tight, cause we're about to see a bull run to remember.

Source : ezinearticles