Recently, Fashion Business, Inc. conducted a seminar on selling goods to foreign markets. We were fortunate to have Julia Son from Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Bobby Hines, International Trade Specialist, from U. S. Department of Customs as our guest speakers. It was a fascinating discussion, not easily summarized in a few paragraphs, but I’ll do my best.

As I’ve talked about in previous blogs, if you’re looking to expand your customer base, perhaps you should look outside the U. S. borders. The U. S. government has a number of programs in place to help your business sell to foreign markets if, and it’s a big IF, the products you’re looking to sell are made primarily in the U. S. I won’t try to explain the details of this – go to the Office of Textile and Apparel website for more information on what types of products qualify. All products will need a certificate of origin in order to be considered for export. For mixed origin materials or manufacturing, you’ll want to check with the Office of Textile and Apparel to see if your products will qualify. NAFTA or CAFTA goods have a different set of rules and regulations, so be sure to check with the Office of Textile and Apparel regarding these qualifications.

Enough of that, The U. S. government is very happy to encourage businesses to sell internationally. Exporting goods to foreign consumers helps strengthen our economy and who doesn’t want that? The Department of Commerce has offices in over 170 countries. Some of the many purposes of these offices are to help to identify markets for your company’s products, determine the best methods to handle financial transactions, orders, shipments and more. Plus, help you make connections in the countries your looking to develop your business contacts. Looking to find out the basics of exporting? Go to http://www.export.gov/ for essential information. Want to know more? Consider purchasing A Basic Guide to Exporting available at the U. S. Government bookstore.

When I talk about exporting with some of my clients, I usually hear about all of the barriers they’ve encountered trying to create an international business. Well, that may be true. Not all countries have the same type of trade relationship with the U. S. Some of those barriers may be with a specific country, or perhaps with the type of product a company is trying to export. Your best bet is to look for countries with Free Trade agreements with the U. S. Currently, we don’t have a Free Trade agreement with India, which makes trying to export products there very difficult. You’ll have a better chance trying to sell to Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Peru, Oman, or Singapore each of which has a Free Trade agreement with the U. S. Free trade isn’t limited to these countries – remember NAFTA or CAFTA? There are plenty of trade agreements with more than 150 countries, so do some homework to find countries and markets that are right for your products.

Looking to sell your product to China? Your first stop should be Hong Kong. Why? Prospects are bright, despite the global economic downturn. The U. S. government expects Hong Kong and China to bounce back faster than the rest of the world and Asian markets are hungry for U. S. products. Hong Kong is an easy entre to Mainland Chinese markets. It has a separate legal system, currency and customs system from that of Mainland China. And, did you know, English is the official language in Hong Kong? Hong Kong has an open financial banking system. There are no foreign exchange controls. It may be easier for you to get paid through a Hong Kong company rather than a Mainland Chinese company. If that’s not enough to entice you, Hong Kong is a free port with virtually no duties or tariffs; perfect for small to medium sized firms looking to do business in Hong Kong or Mainland China. Hong Kong is the perfect stepping stone into Mainland China and the rest of Asia. Want to find out more, go to Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) for information.

One more thing, the U. S. is one of the last countries in the world still using the Imperial measurement system. Almost every other country uses the Metric system. If you plan to sell products to foreign markets, make sure you sell them in the correct unit of measure for each country. A 32″ waistband won’t get you very far in many countries.

Some important websites to visit for anyone looking to export U. S. goods:

http://www.export.gov

http://www.buyusa.gov

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

Cal Poly Pomona Students Receive Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Scholarships

Students from the Apparel Merchandising and Management (AMM) department at Cal Poly Pomona won six of the eight Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Entrepreneurial Scholarships awarded annually through the Fashion Business Inc (FBI).

Sophomores Nicole Palumbo, Lynette Salgado, Samantha Gagne and Renee Roberts split an award of $1,000, awarded to students from a four year college who can present the best written business plan, and/ or the best thought through design concept for a line of apparel or accessories.  The Cal Poly team had developed a case analysis of Target’s women’s wear business, proposing a new business plan that would enhance bottom line profitability through improved merchandising and visual display strategies, centered on the concept of ‘My Brand’.

In addition, two other AMM seniors, Trish leBarge and Allie Poon, were honored with Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer scholarships for their outstanding work.  Each received associate membership of the FBI for one year plus $600.00 credit for any of the 80 plus seminars and classes presented at the FBI.  The awards were presented by Ethan Eller, Building Manager of the New Mart.

Other Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer scholarships were awarded to Diana Cha and Sara Caterinicchia.

The Apparel Merchandising & Management department at Cal Poly Pomona is a leading provider of Bachelor of Science graduates for the apparel industry in California, with specializations in apparel production and fashion retailing.  Fashion Business Inc. provides the industry with a range of training, education, consulting and other business services to support its growth and profitability