The lazy days of summer may be here, but activities have not slowed down for SC's international trade sector.  One initiative worth knowing about is the US Chamber of Commerce's focus on free trade agreements (FTA's): identifying companies able to trade in FTA countries, educating them on how to do so, and leveraging existing resources to make it happen.  In support of this effort, trade promotion groups statewide are being brought into the planning of this project, which is scheduled to rollout in the next few months.

Also, SC manufacturers are the target of a new program called "Marketing to Manufacturers in Mexico", which facilitates sales from SC suppliers to manufacturing sites in Mexico and is sponsored by the US Commercial Service, US Department of Commerce.  Maquiladora (foreign-owned assembly) plants in Mexico produce goods for export, pay wages on average 10 to 20 percent higher than other Mexican manufacturing facilities, and import $88 billion in components, supplies, and machinery - over half of Mexico's total imports.  This new program helps SC exporters take advantage of NAFTA, the location of maquiladora plants along the 2000-mile border with the United States, and the fact that three-quarters of them are US owned.

Videoconferences hosted by the SC Department of Commerce are coming up in Columbia with market experts in Sweden, South Africa, and Chile, all before summer’s end. CWIT monthly luncheon programs will take a break during July and August but resume in September. So there's a lot to do trade-wise this summer.  See you in September, if not sooner.  - Ann Watts, CWIT Chair

---

Background After joining Robert Bosch Corporation in 1986, Mr. Smith started his career as a quality inspector at the end of a production line. In the years that followed,  Mr. Smith moved up through various positions until he joined the International Trade Department (ITR) in 1999. While in ITR,  Mr. Smith specialized in database development, documents retention and IT support for the department. It was necessary that he learn about the business of International Trade. In 2001  Mr. Smith was given the opportunity to start up and manage Bosch's Foreign Trade Zone at their distribution center. In two short years, administration of the FTZ has grown from a single office with a staff of one to three full time workers on staff.  Mr. Smith manages hundreds of warehouse and import transactions per day and has recently passed a 10,000th shipment milestone.  Mr. Smith is a graduate of Charleston Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Recent Accomplishments Weathered various storms that impacted the FTZ including the migration to SAP, implementation of component warehousing at the distribution center and implementation of third party manipulation within the Foreign Trade Zone.

Affiliations CWIT; National Association of Foreign Trade Zones; South Carolina Association of Foreign Trade Zone

---

The Home Depot's Lonndon Seely, Director of Global Logistics, and Caroline Beaird, International Supply Chain Analyst, presented May 11 to a full house of CWIT members and guests at the Radisson hotel in North Charleston. Both speakers detailed how recent government security initiatives, such as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Custom’s 24-Hour Rule have permanently, though positively, impacted The Home Depot's supply chain processes and security. Seely stated that while examinations of processes that were needed to integrate security were rigorous, measures led to overall process improvements, improved asset protection and reduction in shrinkages, and increased company wide understating of the same. According to Seely and Beaird, The Home Depot now has a permanent focus on supply chain processes and security and has demonstrated leadership as a corporation taking responsible for securing its supply chain. www.homedepot.com

Schedule your brief meeting announcement about you or your company by sending an e-mail to: -- Maylyn Thomas, Historian Chair

---

JUNE 8: CWIT hosts Mikasa Distribution Center Warehouse tour limited to 40. Lunch catered by Sticky Fingers. Members $20.00, non-members $25.00. For more information or reservations, call Amy Thomson at 803.737.0488 or e-mail [email protected].

AUGUST 7: Kathleen Brophy, Director of Corporate Relations of the American Heart Association will speak at during Charleston Women in International Trade’s September 7, 2004 luncheon meeting at the Radisson Airport Hotel, 5991 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406, starting at 11:45 AM. Members $20.00, non-members $25.00. For more information or reservations, call Amy Thomson at 803.737.0488 or e-mail [email protected].

---