I’ve learned a lot of lessons from over a decade of observing the efforts of senior trade development professionals, combined with research that included trade mission/show follow-ups, interviews with SME exporters, and extensive conversations with foreign government trade development officials.

One of the most important is that all of these sources revealed a critical gap in export market entry.

Canada’s SME exporters still mainly rely on the traditional “push” export approach, which involves selecting a potential market, building and launching a market entry strategy, and attempting to penetrate a new market.

However, the vast majority of potential buyers, as well as Canada’s international competitors, transitioned many years ago to a “pull” procurement approach.

Buyers prefer to purchase from local suppliers who offer fast delivery, local invoicing, and produce service and warranty.

Exporters using the pull approach, rather than trying to force their way into an established and usually highly competitive market from afar, take a longer term view and become part of the local supply chain that allows them to instantly identify opportunities and pull any good or service from head office.

In contrast, the typical SME export approach is to focus on managing risk and guaranteeing ROI over the near term. This is most easily accomplished by a simple push approach that relies on selling goods into markets without a previous invitation or request, and doing so with the minimal risk or expense.

But with service exports or services integral to product exports like software, licensing, R&D, custom design and fabrication, etc. becoming an increasingly important part of international trade, companies lacking the ability to provide these services are falling behind. As more countries require a certain percentage of local or domestic involvement, many companies not already in those markets are immediately excluded. And if a buyer is looking for a supplier, they will often find several local options and limit their search to those options, rather than expanding their search further to international options.

I suggest that the focus on push exporting goods and systematically excluding other potential exporters not using the pull approach is the primary cause of why Canadian SMEs export less than SMEs in many of Canada’s primary trading partners.

By encouraging more businesses to set up local presences in international markets, new doors will open for them and their exports should increase as a result.

How pull procurement tilts the odds towards businesses with a local presence

The pull approach is nothing new and has been in common use by international competitors and large Canadian exporters for decades, but has largely been ignored by most SMEs.

The fundamental success factor in any pull application requires only that SME have an established presence in the target country that allows them to identify, quantify and access opportunities from inside that market.

They can then pull goods, services and value-added intellectual property in as required. This presence can take several forms, and is almost always much lower cost than trade missions or even trade shows.

So why does pull work so much better than push? Put simply, suppliers are easy to find in any given market: they advertise, have websites, are often members of highly effective international trade promotion groups, focus exclusively on getting product into the hands of buyers, and compared to buyers are relatively few in number.

In contrast, buyers are much greater in number, do not advertise, and the vast majority rarely, if ever, attend trade shows. But more importantly, procurement has changed and now often focuses on services or service-intensive goods that demand a local presence. In addition, the vast majority of buyers depend on local supply chains, either by preference or to comply with local regulation or procurement contracts, as mentioned above.

This puts buyers (pull) in control of the procurement relationship. With the entire world and often literally thousands of suppliers to choose from, the chance a buyer will find one specific seller is low.

How does this play out in real-world examples?

Our international market research in 15 countries has shown that most of Canada’s SME competitors have been using a “pull” approach since at least the mid-1990s. In many markets they have dominated and have effectively shut out push type export sales into these countries.

EDC has successfully used the pull approach on larger projects and foreign buyers for years, although despite their best efforts, this approach generally does not benefit the majority of SME firms as much as larger companies.

A clear example of the power of the buyer vs the supplier is a Latin American startup importer that easily identified and qualified providers and signed procurement and services agreements with over 30 suppliers in 14 countries (pull) in under 120 days. Over the next two years they grew to dominate their multi-million dollar national market, yet only one international exporter reached out to them (push) to carry their product.

Another recent example of the gap between push and pull exporters is a country actively trying to develop a new oil and gas services and support cluster, that offers excellent (potentially huge) opportunities and facilitated access to market for significant numbers of Canadian SME.

While these opportunities are obvious, easy to identify and quantify, and offer immediate revenue generation, over the past two years dozens of Canadian firms have visited this country on push type trade visits, but to date few, if any, have achieved meaningful success.

One reason is obvious: local content procurement regulations systematically eliminate push exporters, and direct procurement towards registered local pull type providers who must meet minimum local supply and service levels.

How can I take greater advantage of buyers using a pull approach?

Any effective approach must address the gap between SME needs to manage risk and provide a low cost, facilitated market entry, as well as recognize the constraints of the offshore buyers and their requirement to operate within their supply chain as pull importers.

Unfortunately, while simple and inexpensive, this is not as easy as it should be. Any SME can do it on their own, but very few will, so it usually comes down to developing a group (shared risk/cost) approach.

The most successful examples are where industry groups and associations, usually working with various levels of government engage private sector consultants who are subject matter experts in the various industries and have a strong understanding of the local and target country markets. These consultants can then package export investment opportunities and present them in a format that is easy to understand and promote.

The generic approach that has been observed to offer a success rate of well over 50% for each opportunity identified is to:

1. Assess the target sector. Identify strategic operational areas in services and value added supply chain where there is a demonstrated need that is expected to grow strongly for at least 5 years.
2. Identify the ideal profile of the target SME firms they would need to attract.
3. Review the local operating environment with respect to constraints that could restrict trade and develop effective solutions before these constraints become problems.
4. Develop a comprehensive business case on each opportunity with sufficient detail to allow an SME to make an informed decision.
5. Where possible, partner with the provincial and federal government trade promotion agencies and various industry associations to promote it to their members and constituents, as this can sharply reduce the cost of any due diligence.

The post Try this approach to improve the number of export opportunities available to your business appeared first on Trade Ready.

Today more than ever, companies need a comprehensive strategy for global supply chain management.

International trade has been steadily rising, and Canada alone accounts for 2.5% of global merchandise exports. But, according to consultancy group AIMIA, more than 60% of companies considering global expansion don’t know where to start.

In today’s digital-first world, many successful companies are taking a technology-driven approach.

Automation in particular is one way that companies are streamlining their transactions – both with their vendors and with their customers.

This allows companies to go beyond just warehouse automation, and improve their entire supply chain from beginning to end.

Purchasing and procurement automation

To keep their supply chains operating smoothly, companies need to be able to communicate quickly and effectively. This is true in regard to both internal communications (such as purchase order requisitions and sourcing decisions) and external communications (such as collecting and responding to invoices.)

Purchasing and procurement automation allows companies to:

• Instantly send internal documents to collaborating departments for review
• Collect, sort, and validate vendor invoices
• Check for early payment discounts
• Schedule payments in their ERP or line of business system

Some solutions can even automate global currency conversions, a must-have for companies that do business on a global scale. This way, employees don’t have to manually convert dollars to euros, pounds, or yen using a process that can be easily computerized.

In this regard, companies can spend less time on day-to-day administration, and more time on strategic analysis. An example: they can focus on monitoring the stock of each part they keep in their warehouse, rather than manually validating each raw materials invoice into their ERP.

Fulfillment and shipping automation

On the other side of the supply chain, companies can use automation to streamline communications with their warehouses and shipping providers (as well as communications that go directly to their customers). They can:

• Convert purchase orders to sales orders
• Track and fulfill engineering change orders
• Track each product’s QA status
• Automatically send shipment notifications to their customers
• Generate pack/pick lists and send them to warehouse employees
• Manage shipping documents in an electronic archive

One particularly important way this can help is that it makes it easy to comply with regulations that apply to cross-border transactions. Companies can manage their customs forms, bills of lading, shipping manifests, certificates of origin, and NAFTA certificates from a single, streamlined platform. Anyone who needs access to these documents and has the appropriate authorization to view them can do so – whether that’s from a warehouse, a shipping dock, or a receiving bay. This is a simple way for companies to get through the export clearance process more quickly.

There’s also the benefit of increased visibility into each order’s status.

When customers reach out for information, companies can provide immediate – and accurate – updates. This can increase customer satisfaction, and in turn, your chances of earning their repeat business.

Additionally, companies can use this same visibility to optimize their supply chain from end to end. Comprehensive reporting tools can help analysts pinpoint delays, provide real-time solutions, and develop future strategies for increasing efficiency and reliability.

Planning for automation in your own company

If you’re considering automation for your own company, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for the full investment. As with any new technology, there’s the initial purchase to account for – as well as recurring maintenance fees and professional services charges that are required for installation.

Even when factoring in all the costs that can accompany automation, many companies are able to achieve a return on their investment within a year. Businesses that stand to benefit the most are those that:

• Miss out on early payment discounts due to long invoice processing times
• Manually enter their customers’ purchase orders into their order management system
• Have their warehouses in a different location than their corporate offices, making it more difficult for departments to collaborate on order fulfillment
• Are experiencing cash flow issues related to slow invoice turnaround and high DSOs

Companies also tend to achieve the most benefits when they choose an enterprise-level solution from the start. This allows them to automate several different parts of supply chain management (unlike process-specific tools that have a more limited scope.)

That said, automation isn’t likely to completely replace the need for human employees. The most effective approach?

Use computers to handle low-value tasks, and people to monitor performance and develop strategy. Ultimately, this positions companies to continue growing – even on a global scale – in today’s competitive marketplace.

The post How your company can use automation today to improve supply chain management efficiency appeared first on Trade Ready.

Particularly popular articles featured planning your market research and strategy, spotlights on some of the elite professionals who hold the CITP®|FIBP® designation, and the latest about FITT, the job market and international trade as a whole.

Whatever interests you most, we hope this gives you a chance to catch up on some of the most popular articles you may have missed, or re-read some favourites as we head into 2018.

10. 4 ways artificial intelligence is transforming trade

As the technology has matured, businesses in all industries are working hard to develop applications for AI that will boost their productivity and improve their operations.
And it’s no wonder why: a study by business research group Accenture found that artificial intelligence has the potential to double economic growth rates within the next 20 years, while increasing productivity by 40%.
The international trade sector has quickly caught on to the artificial intelligence trend. With so much data generated by companies, there is ample opportunity to improve trade processes with artificial intelligence.

9. Varun Anthony, CITP|FIBP – Agricultural Specialist

Varun Anthony is a pillar of patience. As he tells his clients, a dose of patience is what helps a brand successfully enter a potential international market.

Varun always wanted to pursue a career that was client-centric. At first he thought the hotel industry would provide the client-based work he was interested in. While the work was rewarding, Varun often found he had to be to be highly reactive. He wanted a career where he could be proactive and creative. This led Varun to start researching new career options, which led him to international trade.

8. Simplify your market entry strategy with this 9 step checklist

When developing a market-entry and maintenance strategy, a variety of other factors must be considered.

What method best suits your company’s product or service? What is the layout of existing distribution networks, and what forces drive them? What is the competition doing, and what can be improved? What does the market research indicate are the drivers of customer buying behaviour? What investment needs to be allocated, in both the short and long term? How will the strategy need to be modified as you (the exporter) progress through the market- development cycle?

Most importantly, what are the critical success factors that could determine the difference between success and failure in a target export market?

7. Shriya Ramachandran, CITP|FIBP – Trade Commissioner (Infrastructure)

Shriya Ramachandran entered the world of international trade as an environmental researcher, monitoring various aspects of climate policy that impacted local and global industries. Transitioning from that position into a career focused on international trade was a very natural process.

Shriya began working as a trade officer for Global Affairs Canada (formerly DFATD) in 2014. Before that, she worked at the Finnish Trade Office in India as the clean tech program head for over three years.

6. What types of data do you need for your market research?

Once you have the objectives for your market research established and the parameters specified, researchers can select which methods you will use to collect data, and there are a wide range of research options available

When researchers answer the important questions they face, it will help them identify the potential data sources for the research information and the methodologies needed to obtain the information. The sources and methodologies can then be compared to the budget and timelines to decide if they are suitable and achievable.

5. EDC and FITT Teaming up to Educate Canada’s Next Generation of Trade Leaders

Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) today announced a formalized partnership to deliver enhanced trade education to Canadian companies and trade professionals.

At the core of the partnership is the creation of the EDC-FITT International Trade Learning Centre (Centre) – a digital platform from which EDC and FITT will offer information, learning modules, and other knowledge-based resources focused on helping small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) go, grow and succeed internationally. The Centre is expected to be fully operational in early 2018.

4. Top 5 fastest growing international trade jobs

Despite a certain amount of political and economic instability, global trade is a sector that will continue to create jobs. As the world gets smaller through technology, global connectivity brings with it endless opportunities for companies to do business in international markets.

Jobs that drive these international activities are growing, and therefore professionals who have international competencies will continue to be in high demand. Growing salaries often means qualified employees are in short supply.

While there is no shortage of positions available for the global business savvy professionals out there, we’ve identified the top five jobs that are growing in both demand for employees and salary.

3. The role of international organizations in international business law

As international trade has grown, so has the evidence of its benefits to both states and enterprises, the most obvious of which is economic gain. The more universal the market, the more freely trade flows, generating more economic resources for market growth, infrastructure, research and development, jobs, market and labour specialization, global, economic, and social stature.

Numerous guidelines, model laws, conventions, and treaties now exist to manage and govern international trade. Their goal is to open borders, modernize customary exchanges and reduce trade barriers around the world.

In an effort to realize these goals, a number of international organizations (IOs) have been established.

2. 10 global trade trends we’ll be watching in 2017

A new year means three things: lots of people are going to sign up for gym memberships they won’t use in three months, others will keep writing the wrong year on all their correspondence, and of course there are a plethora of new trends and predictions to look out for in the year ahead. We’re going to focus on the last of the three.

What should you have been looking out for or expecting in the international business world in 2017? Let’s take a look and see what was dominating the headlines you read over the past twelve months.

1. The 7 steps of a strategic procurement process

The procurement process can be a complicated one. Strategic procurement is an organization-wide process. It requires input from all departments and functional areas for an organization. Organizations should set up a strategic procurement team. This team sets the overall direction for procurement, aligned with the business strategy. The team will then use the data from the strategic procurement process to develop and implement a strategic procurement plan.

Here are the 7 steps that lead to a successful procurement process.

The post Top 10 most popular global trade articles from 2017 appeared first on Trade Ready.

Hossein Mashatan, MBA, CITP|FIBP, has been living and breathing international trade, in one form or another, for over 35 years.

After earning his BBA degree from Tehran Business College in 1973, he went on to receive a full scholarship from the Central Bank of Iran to attend the MBA program at the American University in Washington D.C. He earned his MBA degree in 1975.

Reflecting on his time in academia, Hossein states, “My academic background and passion for researching and analyzing international trade’s contribution to the economic development of nations provided me with a solid platform to pursue my professional career in this field.”

His first professional foray into international trade came a few years later when he had the opportunity to join a center for bulk importation of steel products in Iran as an executive. He was charged with negotiating with major steel mills around the world, unique experience he would carry with him to future endeavors.

Over the next twenty years Hossein oversaw international trade activities in several sectors, including energy, automotive, and textiles. He also managed multinational companies involved in manufacturing auto parts, heavy machinery, and water treatment. One of the most enjoyable aspects of his work during these two decades involved immersing himself in his target markets.

“The last enriching flavour to the above period was my management of solo trade exhibitions in the selected target markets, such as Canada, Mexico, Italy, and Dubai, in the mid-nineties.”

Tackling complex projects in a complex environment

Also in this period, up until the early 2000s, Hossein faced challenging international business conditions. These included volatile economies, unforeseen changes in regulations and political instability in his region of the Middle East.

I was personally was under constant pressure for timely delivery of items needed by the production lines, setting up the supply chain systems for automotive manufacturers with diversified bill of materials, inquiries with already set quality standards, and expected quantities and arrival times, during a time of economic upheaval.

But Hossein persevered and met with success in his business, in no small part due to his skills with international diplomacy and intercultural competencies.

“Interactions with international suppliers with different cultural and business values have always been critical, and an inspiring part of my professional life. Procurement plans and scheduled purchasing orders necessitated visiting suppliers’ facilities in various origins, and receiving them reciprocally to discuss pending issues. This sometimes involved lengthy technical negotiations, working towards mutually satisfactory terms of contracts.”

“In particular, I have been fortunate to have visits and negotiate trade deals with major auto manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, and Toyota. I’ve also visited steel mills in Japan, South Korea, and Europe, and textile raw material producers in Europe, China, and India. For all these trade deals, I had face-to-face negotiations with their top executives, through which I honed my skills in providing amicable solutions for complexities arising in international trade practices.”

Building a procurement network stretching across the globe

Hossein put his learned skills and considerable experience to work starting his own firm in 2002, Mashimex Inc, offering industrial procurement and engineering solutions.

He says that every single procurement and export business had its own unique attributes in terms of financial engineering, payment methodologies, logistics, multi-modal transportation, risks, after sales services, inspections, guaranties, and laws and regulation considerations on both sides. To facilitate the above functions, Hossein founded and managed several trading arms in major business hubs around the world.

“In particular, our companies in Dusseldorf-Germany, Dubai-UAE, and Toronto-Canada have facilitated market entry strategies and provided direct access to the local vendors, chambers of commerce, banks, tenderers, trade associations, specialized fairs and exhibitions, research facilities, and information centers.”

For the past 15 years, Hossein has lived and managed international trade activities in Canada, which he has found to be a positive opportunity and he has been able to find great success working from this new home base.

“I have been able to effectively identify Canada’s competitive advantages to introduce to my associates, contacts and affiliates as well as end-users in the Middle Eastern market.”

Leadership is built on a foundation of proven knowledge

Throughout Hossein’s professional career, teaching and executive training have been his passion and consistent side-activity.

I believe that in the ever-changing international trade environment bursting with new innovations such as e-commerce, practitioners and professionals need to attend professional development training courses and seminars.

Not long after setting up in Canada, Hossein discovered the Forum for International Trade Training and wanted to get involved.

“On a daily basis, I go through the inquiries I receive and manage proper sourcing.  My job necessitates that I follow the news and events in international trade topics and try to bridge the gap between the players in Canada and other markets I deal with. This includes checking WTO, EDC, and of course FITT’s (FITTforTrade.com and TradeReady.ca) websites every day.”

“After approaching Seneca College in pursuing my passion for teaching, I learned about the elite CITP®|FIBP® designation. Considering my level of experience, I applied via the executive path with confidence, and was honoured that my application was accepted by the committee. This designation means a lot to me and opened an exceptional window to the world of international trade professionalism.”

Hossein recognized the value in the FITTskills training and certification, and has been a strong advocate for the program ever since.

“As a practitioner and instructor in international trade, I found FITT to be a unique organization with a perfect assortment of courses needed by individuals pursuing international trade related services.”

I would strongly recommend all recruiters and employers to either require FITTskills courses as a prerequisite, or to invest in their staff by sending their employees to take FITTskills courses as professional development.

“I have always advocated for FITT among my friends and colleagues here. At the moment two of my family members are taking the courses based on my recommendation, and have found them extremely helpful.”

Seeing a wealth of opportunities for Canadian exporters in largely untapped markets keeps Hossein motivated and confident in the work he does with businesses of all sizes.

“I believe for Canadian exporters there are still markets, such as in the Middle East, that have the potential to be explored further with efficient market entry strategies. I can assist institutions such and individual exporting companies as a consultant to enhance these trade activities.”

The depth of Hossein’s experience in international trade from more than three decades of extensive engagement as a top executive in large manufacturing and trading companies will no doubt continue to benefit international businesses in Canada and beyond.

The post Hossein Mashatan, CITP|FIBP – President of Mashimex Inc. appeared first on Trade Ready.

Even as communication and information technology steadily advance, travelling to other countries and meeting potential clients face to face has remained an important part of international business.

While the thrill eventually wears off for some, many others never lose the excitement of stepping foot somewhere new for the first time. No matter how much research you do, or how many pictures you see, the experience of seeing a major landmark in person or being immersed in a totally different culture is something that is impossible to replicate.

If this sounds familiar, then an international trade career could be an excellent fit for you. Within international trade, however, there are many different options you can choose from, some of which offer more travel opportunities than others.

Here are 5 in-demand international trade occupations to choose from if travel is a major priority in your future career.

1. Be the face of your company as an International Business Development Professional

Professionals working in business development are at the forefront of their company’s growth strategy. Their main responsibilities are to develop new clients and customers, while also maintaining or improving their relationships with existing ones.

Since these clients and customers are often located all over the world, business development professionals get to travel to meet them face to face. Early steps are usually done by email, video chats, phone and other technology, but at least one in-person visit is an often crucial step in the relationship process.

Even after initial agreements are made, further travel is needed to regularly meet with clients and customers to make sure things are going smoothly, address any issues and find ways to deepen the relationship.

It’s therefore vital for these professionals to have strong intercultural competence and the ability to build relationships across cultures, increasing these skills within their own organization.

Olivier Canolle, CITP|PACI, Business Development Manager for SBB International, says that the travel involved in his job is key to his company’s success.

We rely a lot on direct contact—we attend three trade shows and take over 15 business trips every year, which is huge for a company of our size. We feel that this allows the company to understand its customers’ needs and show them we care. That’s how bonds are formed and trust is built.

For those ready to do so, the opportunity to travel frequently and meet many new people around the world awaits.

2. Oversee A to B as a Supply Chain Manager

When you consider the amount of steps that any product needs to go through to get from raw materials to a packaged product sitting on a shelf, it’s truly staggering.

A supply chain manager needs to keep track of each step in the process, making sure it’s proceeding efficiently, quickly and in a cost-effective manner.

From inspecting manufacturing facilities to meeting new vendors, checking on port and warehousing facilities and gathering the goods needed to create a product, there are a vast number of places a supply chain manager may need to travel.

They must be able to navigate the laws of each country through which the supply chain links, and understand the cultures of employees in each part of the supply chain. They also need to be able to constantly analyze and find ways of improving overall efficiency and mitigating risk.

If you like to combine your travel with problem solving, and are looking for a field that will be in high demand in the future, working in the supply chain industry could be your ideal vocation.

3. Close big deals face to face as a Sales Manager

Ultimately, the sales manager’s responsibility is to sell products and services by developing new client relationships and maintaining existing ones. This requires not only knowing their products and services inside and out, but also the needs, wants and cultural considerations of their clients and customers.

Whether selling to businesses or directly to customers, sales managers need to know where their customers are from, how they think, and what will make them want to complete a sale.

To best gain  this information, travel is often necessary to complete negotiations and sign the final contract. Even as technology progresses to make e-commerce easier and video chats more effective than ever, face to face interactions  remain integral parts of the sales cycle.

Not every company will require travel for sales, so make sure to check any job posting or inquire to see whether it is an expected part of the position. For the many sales managers who fly around the world, there are few things more exciting or important than completing a sale with a new international client.

4. Evaluate the source of goods as a Procurement Specialist

Want to purchase materials or business services for companies? You’ll need to find reliable suppliers, negotiate costs, and secure suppliers with contracts. Once the relationship is official, you must determine delivery details, ensure documentation is completed properly and maintain supplier relationships.

Procurement specialists typically travel once a potential supplier is selected. Face to face meetings are a key part of the negotiations, and in-person inspections of the goods to ensure their quality are also important.

Kevin Duncan, CITP|FIBP, Senior Buyer, Technical Procurement for NOVA Chemicals, also emphasizes this point.

Travel is important in my work, in order to meet with vendors face to face and build relationships and trust. These are the building blocks of a good vendor/buyer relationship, but also an opportunity to see your vendor on their turf. It is important to understand their challenges and issues in order for them to supply you with the goods and services you need.

“One needs to understand the entire supply chain from a cost, risk and security basis. So travelling to meet up with vendors is extremely important in any import/export relationship.”

Even after agreements are made, periodic returns to renew or change contracts, make further inspections, and continue strong personal relationships should be made.

“I always say it’s important to sit with them and look them in the eye when negotiating, but also to get to know them as a person. The human element is the best tool we have to build trust and long lasting relationships with vendors,” Kevin adds.

Regular travel and interaction with professionals in other cultures is therefore a common job feature for procurement specialists, making it an enticing option for those with itchy feet.

5. Be an international leader as a Global Senior Manager

While they may not be available to entry-level professionals, management positions in companies engaged in global business often include frequent travel.

The purposes also vary, as they can include many important tasks such as meeting with management of a potential major client, on-site oversight of a new facility, training a new local team in an international market, and attending relevant events and conferences. If the variety appeals to you and you’re willing to put in the preparation to handle the myriad of travel responsibilities, you could be an ideal fit.

In addition, senior positions often lead to opportunities to network with new international clientele in similar roles, which could lead to new business or partnerships. Depending on how it progresses, this may be handled personally or delegated to someone who specializes in a sales or business development role.

Public speaking is also an increasingly important part of the job for many in management, so travel can be involved in order to represent the company or organization in that capacity.

For those willing to put in the work to move up the corporate ladder, a senior management position could be the key to the jet-setting career you’ve always wanted.

Want to learn more about which competencies you need to have to succeed in each of these positions, and others? Head to FITT’s International Business Resources page to read occupational profiles for 20 international trade occupations, including the ones listed here!

The post 5 international trade occupations that will take you around the world appeared first on Trade Ready.

For those looking to initiate business with the U.S. federal government, my aim is to lay aside some of the mysteries around the U.S. federal contracting process by introducing a few terms that are tossed around in a conversation, but perhaps not well understood, such as FAR, DFARS, FCT and GSA.

This article will also point to a few important websites that will be useful for Canadians in the pursuit of exporting to our closest neighbour and biggest trading partner.

The first and second articles published in this series provided information on where to review U.S. opportunities, and how to register to do business with the U.S. Government. Let’s hope that this piece will provide sufficient knowledge to put the “big picture” in context, enabling you and your team to move ahead in selling to the U.S. Government.

Discover the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and its cohorts

The FAR is the manual of U.S. Government contracting. You can find it, you can learn it, you can use it and you can understand it if you work at it, but you can’t possibly memorize it! Note that the FAR consists of 53 parts, which are further divided into detailed subparts.

Above and beyond the FAR, some U.S. Government departments and agencies have supplemental regulations. In the case of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), it has the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). These specific regulations are based upon DoD policy and/or U.S. law.

A complement to the DFARS is the Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI). The PGI will help you to understand the DFARS. The Office of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) is the DoD authority for contracting and procurement policy.

Agreements between friends

As a Canadian company and a potential supplier to both DoD and NASA, you need to be aware of two important agreements between Canada and the United States of America: the Defence Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA) and the Defence Development Sharing Agreement (DDSA).

The DPSA is administered by the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), while the DDSA is managed by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly named Industry Canada).

The DPSA was signed in 1956, and the DDSA in 1963. In 1985,the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Program (JCP) office was activated in Battle Creek to support both agreements by allowing Canadian and American companies access to controlled unclassified technical information belonging to DoD and DND (Department of National Defence) on a need-to-know basis. By the way, a hybrid JCP website also exists in a transition state during an update to new Defense Logistics Agency web pages; you can try either site to see what works best for your browser.

The legal authority in Canada for the JCP is the Technical Data Control Regulations enacted under the umbrella of the Defence Production Act.

A contract award by a U.S. Government agency to your company will contain clauses that come from the FAR, and maybe even supplemental regulations. In the case of a contract award from DoD, it will contain clauses from the FAR and the DFARs as well.

Some special clauses directly relating to Canada are those in the DFARS which identify CCC. For example, DFARS 225.870 is one which stipulates that awards over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) (currently $150,000 U.S.) must go through CCC. Can you find the FAR that identifies the SAT level(s)? Hint, look at FAR 13.000 Policy.

If a DoD contracting office wants to award a contract to your company over the SAT, DoD will award it to CCC, who in turn will create a domestic contract for your company, provided it passes CCC’s due diligence (managerial, technical and financial) process. In turn, CCC gives DoD a sovereign guarantee on the terms and conditions of the contract. Are you keeping up with all of these acronyms?

If a contract is under the SAT dollar level, DoD can award it to your company directly or ask one of its sub-contractors to purchase it for them. They also have the option of making a credit card transaction.

Pay attention to security

In the U.S. Government environment, Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential are the security levels of protection that may be required in the performance of classified contractual work.

Security requirements in an awarded U.S. contract to CCC are converted into the Canadian equivalent using a Canadian Security Requirements Check List (SRCL).

If a contract contains a classified security requirement, no contract can be awarded to the company until the company itself, and appropriate staff, have been identified as having the required level of facility and personnel security clearances.

Such clearances are issued by Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (formerly Public Works and Government Services) Industrial Security Directorate. Obtaining security clearances for classified projects can take a considerable amount of time to process.

Readers need to review the Industrial Security Manual to understand that security is everybody’s business. Also, note that if your company is required to have certain U.S. defense articles as part of the contract, you will have to apply to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and appoint a Designated Official as part of the process.

By the way, DFARS dealing with cybersecurity are very topical within the U.S. defence milieu and will remain so because of the threat environment. It is recommended you review the presentation found at the link in this paragraph.

What happens when a Canadian supplier receives an unclassified contract with cybersecurity DFARS identified and the end buyer is the U.S. Government? In this situation, if the CCC is the Canadian prime contractor, the company should contact the CCC contracting officer for assistance.

In turn, the CCC would most likely discuss the question with Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Industrial Security Directorate to develop the appropriate policy and guidance. You should expect to see cybersecurity clauses called out in any contract you receive indirectly or directly from DoD.

Finally, if a CCC contract award requires you to have Communications Security (COMSEC) equipment and keying material, you must work with CCC and the Industrial Security Directorate to obtain the required security clearance level for the contract. Then, be sponsored for a private sector COMSEC account.

Research your competition and customers

Who is the competition? Who is buying what? If you don’t know, it’s absolutely crucial that you find the answers to these questions.

Remember to use USASpending.gov and fbo.gov to do your research as well. You can use Subscribe Now to see daily listings of high value DoD awarded contracts from the main DoD web site. Use USASpending.gov by inserting a company name into the Search Site box found on the right hand side near the top of the page. You can also use the Advanced Data Search.

When you use fbo.gov, go to “Opportunities List,” click on “Advanced Search,” and select “Archived Documents” on the right hand side. Next, go to “Opportunity/Procurement Type” and check “Award Notice”.

As another avenue, try searching the FBO Opportunities List for “BAA” without the quotes. You will be surprised what you find.

Another DoD program you can use to search for opportunities is the annual Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program. Once at the site, click on “Help” to discover what the program is all about this year. Also, review the DND web site dealing with international programs that can help you in dealing with the U.S., or even NATO.

In FBO, many awards from the Defense Logistics Agency show Canadian suppliers. Review the DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS) to view and submit secure quotes on DLA items of supply. TIP: If you enter DLA into the Keyword/Solicitation # box at FBO.gov you will see a comprehensive listing of DIBBS requirements without going to the actual DIBBS website. JCP certification is required to obtain access to the secure C-Folders part of the DIBBS web site. Once at DIBBS, you will get a consent banner – click “OK”. At the actual site see the “DIBBS Notices” at the bottom of the page for important information.

Training, Knowledge, and Opportunities (TKO) seminars have been scheduled for 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. They should be of interest to companies supplying parts to DLA or who want to do so. The JCP Directly Arranged Visit process should enable you to attend the event. Contact the Canadian Representative if problems arise with access to the seminars.

The opportunity to sell to the U.S. Federal Government is a profitable one that is accessible to exporters both large and small, and now is a great time to start the process.

Doing your homework and getting to know the players, regulations and hurdles you may face on the way will be key to your success in tapping in to this market.

In the next article, we will be talking about the biggest challenges you will meet on your way to achieving a contract to sell to the U.S. Government and how you can overcome them.

The post Rules of the road: the key players, rules and obstacles you need to know to sell to the U.S. Government appeared first on Trade Ready.

Raj Devani, CITP|FIBP, is an accomplished supply chain, purchasing and customer service professional and former business owner who immigrated to Canada from Nairobi, Kenya in 2011.

He is currently working part time as a photo/electronics specialist at London Drugs, based out of Vancouver, BC. It’s a position that has allowed him to stay connected to the electronics industry that he is passionate about, while continuing his education and building on his international trade credentials in his new home country.

Jumping headfirst into a world of business opportunities

Raj first got involved in international trade as a business owner looking to grow sales by entering new markets.

“I started a business that involved sales, service, installations and repairs of two-way radio communication and security equipment.”

In order for me to successfully expand the business, I decided to look into being a direct importer, which would greatly reduce my costs and make my products and services more affordable.

Going global was the obvious next step and he took the driver’s seat in negotiating exclusive distributorship status with various overseas manufacturers and distributors. Raj enjoyed the process and the opportunities it opened up for him and his company.

“What I like most about the international trade industry currently, is the convenience of instantly sourcing suppliers and products over the internet.”

Through his business, Raj supplied various equipment to government entities, private institutions and non-profit organizations, both domestically and internationally. This involved frequent business trips visiting resellers and suppliers all over the world.

The thrills and challenges of going global

He also travelled to many of his installation sites in East and Central Africa to ensure everything was done according to his clients’ and manufacturers’ requirements and specifications.

“Some of the most challenging projects I’ve worked on were installations in remote areas of South Sudan and Somalia. From logistics to security, we had our fair share of challenges.”

In fact, Raj enjoyed the challenges of the job. He found working on tenders quite fascinating, especially getting the fine details right and making sure nothing has been left out.

At the same time, Raj was also working part-time as a commercial pilot for a small African airline, an adventurous occupation he had gotten into in 1988. His training flying in and out of remote locations, sometimes in harrowing conditions, taught him valuable lessons that he has used in many situations throughout his life.

“Working with an airline that provided scheduled services to various game parks and national parks in East Africa was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.”

One of the most important things I was taught during my training as a commercial pilot was ‘NEVER PANIC in ANY SITUATION’ as panicking only makes a situation worse.

“There have been times where I’ve had to overshoot an airstrip at a national park because the lions were basking in the sun and enjoying the extra heat from the tarmac, or during the famous wildebeest migration season, I’d take a ‘detour’ to show the passengers this amazing sight.”

“Every day was a new adventure and a new experience.”

The biggest international adventure

But one of the biggest adventures of his life was yet to come.

Raj and his family made the momentous decision to immigrate to Canada, selling his successful business in order to seek new opportunities halfway around the world.

“Moving to Canada was an extremely difficult decision, as it meant that I would have to sell a business I started from scratch and grew to one of the leading and most successful organizations in its category.”

“It all started years ago, when I came to came to Canada for a holiday and fell in love with the place. The beautiful scenery, friendly people, exquisite cuisine and the unique experiences, like riding a bicycle on the sea wall or talking a hike on a scenic trail, were motivation enough to make the big move.”

“In addition, the thought of the excellent post-secondary education system for building my son’s future was the icing on the cake.”

Though hopeful, Raj knew it wouldn’t be easy to build up his career from scratch in a new country.

“The experience of moving to Canada was quite a roller coaster ride, especially with most employers asking for ’Canadian Experience’ or ‘Canadian Education’.”

Striving to make a new name for himself by joining the global trade elite

He knew he had to do something to gain credibility and recognition to build a new career in international trade, so he began looking into post-secondary education and discovered the International Business Program at Brighton College.

“I had the most amazing experience taking the FITTskills courses at Brighton College. My instructor, Terry Gray, was amazing and so full of knowledge.”

It’s no surprise given his passion for sourcing, negotiating and customer service that his favourite course was Global Supply Chain Management.

The FITTskills courses have helped increase my knowledge, making me better prepared and qualified to advance my career in the international trade industry.

After completing his diploma in International Trade, Raj wasted no time in applying for his CITP®|FIBP® designation to further qualify his global trade expertise.

“I applied for my CITP®|FIBP® designation to increase my credibility, options and opportunities for advancing my career within the global trade industry. My new designation will make my future employers aware of my elite level of experience, education and my capabilities. I am ecstatic to have earned the designation.”

Now that he has joined the elite CITP®|FIBP® global trade community, Raj is looking for opportunities in the supply chain sector where he can show off his business acumen, negotiation skills and procurement expertise.

“My dream is to have a full time position where I can use my experience and FITTskills training to make a real difference, benefiting my employer as well as myself.”

We wish Raj the best of luck in his future endeavours and can’t wait to see where his new career takes him.

The post Raj Devani, CITP|FIBP – Supply Chain, Purchasing and Customer Service Professional appeared first on Trade Ready.

For each sourced good or service, companies should conduct the following activities:

• Manufacture in-house or outsource to a third party (make or buy analysis)
• Total acquisition cost analysis
• Supply-base rationalization and consolidation
• Primary and secondary sourcing
• E-procurement

1. Make or buy analysis

In some circumstances, it might make sense for a company to manufacture a product from sourced raw materials or components. In others, companies might find it more profitable to pay another company to perform the manufacturing process and then sell the finished product.

The decision about whether to make or buy is not always an easy one. Companies must examine the following factors in order to make the most cost-effective choice:

Cost

If the goods or services are to be produced in-house, companies must consider the costs associated with labour and other capital assets. In some cases, the capital assets might be better used in some other way.

If a supplier will be manufacturing the product, companies must factor in the costs of dealing with the supplier and correcting any errors to ensure quality control.

Supplier reliability

Companies must be confident that a supplier will produce a regular supply of product and deliver it in a timely fashion. An interruption in supply of raw materials can be prohibitively expensive, because human resources and plant machinery will not be used for an indeterminate time.

Customers are also likely to select a competing brand of product if supplies are not available.

To ensure a constant supply of materials, companies can use one or more of several procurement strategies:

• The company can purchase the supplier company.
• The company can hold an amount of safety stock. This involves paying additional inventory storage costs and potential obsolescence cost, but these might be justified if there are frequent interruptions in supply.
• The company can select a supplier that is located close to the manufacturing plant to cut down on transportation times.

Production capacity

If the company does not have adequate production capacity, it can choose to subcontract out some or all aspects of production.

Competitive advantage

If a company does not want its competitors gaining knowledge about a proprietary product or process, it should not use external companies to produce its products.

2. Total acquisition cost (TAC) analysis

The price that a company will pay for goods or services will depend on various factors:

• The respective negotiating skills of the importer and the supplier
• The quality of the materials or service provided
• The available quantities of the product or availability of the service
• The distance goods or service personnel must travel

However, the price of supplies should not be a company’s most important consideration.

Instead, companies must consider the total acquisition cost (TAC). This takes into account the costs involved with issues such as:

• transportation
• international trade documentation
• inventory
• supply chain interruptions
• import fees
• fixing poor quality supplies
• making required adjustments to foreign-produced goods
• reverse logistics of handling repaired or returned items

3. Supply-base rationalization and consolidation

The more suppliers a company has, the more complex its supply chain becomes and the more expensive it is to manage.

Companies must aim to ensure the supply of goods or services while minimizing the number of suppliers, maintaining quality standards and meeting cost objectives.

Companies can help ensure the quality of supplies by insisting that suppliers implement quality-management systems, such as those of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and raise quality standards.

Higher standards of quality will automatically mean that some potential suppliers are not eligible for the supply chain, thus minimizing the number of suppliers.

Reducing the number of suppliers has major cost benefits for companies.

With a smaller number of suppliers, companies must purchase more from each supplier and purchase more regularly. This will usually result in a reduced purchase price.

Because each supply relationship takes time and effort to manage, fewer supplier relationships result in reduced costs. Working with fewer suppliers will also make it easier for companies to implement processes aimed at improving the supply chain.

4. Primary and secondary sourcing

In some circumstances, a company will be able to, or will have to, use a sole source for their supplies.

However, the company should always have a contingency plan in case a sole supplier becomes unreliable, is taken over by a competing company or is affected by external events.

Many companies use primary and secondary sourcing, in which a primary source is used for as long as they meet company requirements for supply, delivery and quality, and a secondary supplier is available to cover shortfalls.

5. E-procurement

When a company wants to receive bids from several suppliers, online bid-based sourcing can be used to streamline the process. Importers can put an RFP/ RFQ on an online notice board and potential suppliers can post their response confidentially.

This system reduces paperwork and speeds up the bidding process, especially when bidders are located overseas.

The post 5 methods to build a more efficient procurement strategy appeared first on Trade Ready.

Damien Violante is a Product Purchaser and Team Leader with over 10 years of experience in the industrial field.

Over the duration of his career, he has worked in all areas of supply chain management in an industrial setting, developing expertise in sourcing, purchasing, supplier relationship management and negotiation in North America and Europe.

Among his major accomplishments, Damien has developed purchasing processes from the ground up for Siemens Transmission and Distribution in his native Grenoble, France, and helped coordinate a major project in Algeria. Despite his success in France, Damien has fallen in love with Canada and looks to take his career there in the future.

The industrial path to international trade

Though he may not have known it at the time, Damien’s journey in international trade actually began in 2004, when he graduated from Vaucanson University in Grenoble, France with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Industrial Technology.

He was hired on as Maintenance Team Leader that same year for STMicroelectronics, a semiconductor manufacturer, a position he held for 8 years. This role gave him a strong foundation in leadership and project management, and cemented his knowledge in industrial manufacturing.

During his tenure with STMicroelectronics he became interested in international processes. He found the time to earn his Master’s degree in Management, Specialized Purchasing in 2009 from the Institute d’Administration des Enterprises and his Masters in Purchasing Management, Supply Chain and Procurement from Grenoble Ecole de Management in 2011.

Forging a new path for a world-leading manufacturer

This led to a job offer with Siemens Energy, where he was tasked with developing a new purchasing process for high voltage portable power solutions. Damien’s knowledge base in international manufacturing and project management made him the perfect candidate to take ownership of the task.

He took full responsibility of commodity management, which involved a high proficiency in sourcing, qualification, negotiation, developing contracts, and managing supplier relations to their frequent trading partners in Africa and Eastern Europe.

The processes he was developing as the leader of the procurement department would soon come into play when an important project came to Siemens from Algeria.

Damien and his team were a key component to the project, supplying 30 electrical substations to the country over the course of a year. He was tasked with implementing a sourcing strategy for trailers that involved calculating total costs and looking for opportunities to save money.

The project was a resounding success, with Damien and his team contributing to a total savings of 300,000€ off the budget. He and his colleagues were gratefully recognized by Siemens’ management in the company newsletter.

Following opportunity all the way to Canada

Fresh off his success with Siemens Damien felt it was time for a new challenge. He took advantage of an opportunity to come to Canada with his wife and baby daughter, and study business English. As he studied, he took on a marketing internship position at the CCEL Canadian College of English Language.

It was at this time he discovered FITTskills courses at Canadian College in Vancouver and decided to further his education in international trade.

“I had an opportunity to study for my FITT Diploma in Vancouver. Over six months, I learned a lot of interesting material in my courses with some amazing teachers.”

Damien identified value in getting a North American certificate in trade on the international stage.

I think this diploma will be very valuable for me in the future because it is a North American Certificate that could give me great opportunities.

Another impressive quality he shares with many of his fellow international trade professionals is his ability to not only learn a new language, but study global trade in that new language. Of the experience he says,

“It was very interesting for me to learn in English. The way that North America teaches is totally different from Europe, and I was so happy to open my mind with this experience.”

Becoming an online entrepreneur

Damien enjoyed his time in Canada and it opened his eyes to a world of new possibilities. Damien went back to Grenoble in April 2015 and is now pursuing a new passion for e-commerce.

“I created several websites for garments and laptop accessories. I had to find my sources in Asia and I think it was a continuation of my love for international trade because I had to create a supply chain, deal with customs, and marketing. Today, I am working on a new project for organic garments for kids.”

Fully committing to Canada and international trade

He earned his CITP designation shortly after returning,

Earning my CITP|FIBP designation was, for me, an achievement. This title represents a wide range of knowledge and a very good asset for an employer.

“I decided to leave my country with my wife and my daughter (6 months) for this goal and it was, for us, an incredible experience.”

Damien and his family are looking for opportunities to return to Canada. Earning his CITP|FIBP designation may be the key to finding his dream international trade position in his new home country.

“We fell in love Canada, and I think that for the future, if I can come back in Canada, my CITP|FIBP designation will help me to find my footing with Canadian employers.”

The post Damien Violante, CITP|FIBP – Product Purchaser appeared first on Trade Ready.

Kevin Duncan, CITP|FIBP, is a Senior Buyer Technical Procurement at NOVA Chemicals, where he ensures compliance with all customs, and manages an important supply portfolio, providing competitive pricing while maintaining strong supplier relationships.

He has almost 30 years of experience working in international trade, specializing in global customs (Canada, EU, China), international logistics and supply chain management, import/export, commercial documentation, transportation and freight forwarding.

Discovering the global marketplace through brick phones and Commodore 64s

Kevin got his start in the international trade industry in 1986 after completing a diploma in Business Administration and Marketing at Loyalist College and taking a position as International Sales Scheduler for Motorola Information Systems in Brampton, Ontario. He was tasked with scheduling international orders from overseas offices to the production floor for high tech communications equipment.

“Computers and phones were really taking off globally at this time and the demand was huge. I started working with so many countries and it opened my eyes to what a huge global marketplace is out there.”

I knew then that I would want to be involved in International Trade and hopefully get out there and see the world.

In 1987, Kevin moved to Calgary, Alberta and took a position with NOVA Chemicals Corporation., Canada’s largest petrochemical company and the company he still works for today. His first role within the company was in International Customer Service. He soon moved on to International Logistics Coordinator and Global Packaged Logistics Coordinator, positions he held for two decades.

At the time, NOVA was in a period of rapid expansion and Kevin was responsible for international customer service, working with letters of credit and processing trade documentation for China, India, Africa and South American companies.

He points out how things were done a little differently in the field back then.

“We did Export documents by hand as there were no computers to manage documents like we have today, so we learned the hard way. You didn’t want to make a mistake on a letter of credit, especially in some countries because you might not get paid. There was a lot of pressure to be perfect and manage detail. I credit this role in helping me in my career today.”

Becoming a leader in a new era of exports

In June 2008 Kevin was promoted to International Customs and Trade Compliance Manager, and again in 2011 to Senior Customs and Commodities Manager at NOVA Chemicals Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA.

These roles saw him take on a leadership position in the trade compliance and supply chain management of the company. This growing responsibility helped steer him towards earning the CITP®|FIBP® designation in 2012.

I had a colleague who was a member of FITT and he told me about the FITT skills program. I researched it and found it to be something that was missing in today’s workplace and something that is promoting Canadians to get out and see the global market as a positive thing for their business.

Kevin had watched NOVA and Motorola grow from their exporting endeavors, and their reliance on export markets to move their products. He says exporting strategically gave them a competitive advantage.

“Companies in Canada need to realize their markets are not just North America and that there are skilled people out there that can help them grow and diversify their sales.”

In order to do that, companies need to have educated, trained staff to lead those exports in new markets successfully.

Getting involved in international trade training and development

Kevin says FITT’s solutions for educating international trade professionals made him want to take a more active role in the development of trade training in Canada.

FITT provided the education and training that was lacking in Colleges and Universities that focused on International Trade. To me, this was why I liked this program, and as a result I wanted to get involved more.

“I participated on the members panel for the study that was done back in 2011/2012 for trade training in Canada and I was really impressed at how FITT took a leadership role in the study and used a cross section of trade professionals to complete the study and facilitate the dialogue between the members and the third party companies that developed the report for Canada.”

After earning his CITP®|FIBP® designation, Kevin found people wanted to know more about how they too can improve their skillset and expertise in global trade. This common drive and curiosity within the industry has led to some excellent networking opportunities.

“The biggest thing CITP has done for me is it has gotten people asking me what the CITP®|FIBP® designation is, and how can they get one. The people who ask are really interested in getting the skills to better understand how to Import and Export. I have the ability to network with people who understand trade.”

Making a difference is its own reward

Throughout his time with NOVA, Kevin has proven himself to be a valuable, effective member of his team. He has been recognized with several internal awards for his work, including winning the President’s Award. He won the award as part of the export team responsible for exporting a record-setting amount of material from NOVA’s plants around the world.

“We helped NOVA Chemicals market products globally when the North American market was not as strong. We had to do some crazy things to move product to many difficult countries to export too. Being part of a team with a clear goal, achieving it, and getting recognized for it is the best award you can get.”

While he considers this a great achievement, his proudest accomplishment is being able to make a difference every day in his work, acting as a leader in his field and helping his colleagues navigate the complicated world of international trade and compliance.

My proudest accomplishment is being a go-to person in my company for many folks who don’t understand International Trade and International Trade Compliance. I like to help people and be a resource for people to help navigate the many challenges in shipping globally.

“I helped develop a Customs Compliance Network at NOVA along with my colleagues who have a passion for trade and trade compliance. This team of people is a cross section of regulatory, logistics, customs, legal, product integrity, procurement, etc. that meet regularly to tackle the complex trade and customs issues companies face today.

“The knowledge is shared across the organization and so I am proud to say our company does really well in this area. To me that’s my biggest reward, seeing my company succeed. With great people and a passion for excellence you can do great things. Our leaders at NOVA recognize the good work this team does and supports us when we need their help because they know we can deliver the goods.”

The kind of wisdom that only comes from experience

When asked about his experiences in international trade in the field, visiting countries around the world, he offers this advice:

“My best advice is to respect cultures and treat people like you would want to be treated.”

In all my travels I have found that most people want the same things in life: to be happy, to be safe and to live well and be free.

“We are lucky as Canadians to have all these things and when you travel you meet many people who have maybe one or two.”

Kevin recalls one instance where he may have been a little too polite:

“My favorite travel story like many relates to food. I was a very nervous traveler and some food would make me sick, so many times I would not feel like eating on trips and this would make me tired and I would lose energy. It was so bad I had to go get some help and after that I had a new attitude. Enjoy the experience and try new things was my new motto.”

“When having dinner with a President of a Chinese chemical company there was some pickled duck tongue on the table. He slowly spun the table so the plate lined up with me to try it. Being polite but adventurous, I took several of them and they were not that bad. I then spun the table back to the Chinese President who had encouraged me to try them in his sly way. He took a look and sad ‘no thanks, those things make me sick.’”

Kevin continues to be involved in the prosperity of Canadian international trade as much as he can. He has been on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters (IE Canada) for the past two years. There he provides oversite and helps shape the direction of IE Canada as an advocate for in customs, trade issues, training and regulation.

The post Kevin Duncan, CITP|FIBP, Senior Buyer Technical Procurement appeared first on Trade Ready.