I would estimate that the NEXUS system has saved me personally from over 100 hours of border line ups in my car, waiting in line to pay Customs Duties & Taxes and bypassing long security line ups at the airport.
I tell everyone I know to Get NEXUS! It saves so much time. So, I was happy to hear that they are improving the cards and the processing at the borders. I have found that because so many people are signing up for the program - there are many more cars in the NEXUS lane, and that means longer lines. However, they are still much shorter than the regular lanes and from what I understand - the newer facilities being built will have multiple NEXUS lanes rather than just one.
Here is the full article -
New border-crossing cards to improve, speed-up security process
Craig Pearson, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2008
WINDSOR, Ont. - NEXUS border-crossing cards are changing to improve security, though a U.S. government official says the changes also should help speed the process.
Sometime in the fall, current NEXUS cards - in use for five years to help regular commuters move quickly across the border - will be swapped for second-generation NEXUS cards.
Chief Ron Smith of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the new cards will be issued in conjunction with the introduction of new card readers that improve the radio-frequency-identification-device technology, which can read nearby cards without having to swipe them.
The chip in the old NEXUS cards sent information 15 feet (4.5 metres). The new card will send it only 10 feet (three metres), which lessens the chance someone can intercept the information. As well, the new cards are harder to counterfeit or to alter.
The new U.S. card readers can also handle more information, making them faster.
With the previous system, the card readers could only identify one or two people at the same time. With the updated system, the readers will be able to identify four NEXUS commuters in one car, at once.
"It's an all-around better system," Smith said. "It should also help us increase our NEXUS usage."
About 355,000 people currently hold NEXUS cards. Both Canadian and American officials hope that number will climb significantly, since NEXUS cardholders typically cross land borders with less delay than those using other government-issued ID.
Smith also noted that the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will require all Canadians and Americans to use passports to enter the United States, including through land borders, starting June 1, 2009. "NEXUS cards can be used as a passport at the border," Smith said. "It's simple."
NEXUS is a partnership program between the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
© Windsor Star 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The Eagle has landed
In March, I let you know that A & A was sponsoring an eagle for "Eagles in the City" in Vancouver.
Well, the Eagle has landed!
Our artist, Barbara Roden, received her blank canvas eagle today.
Barbara will start work on the eagle shortly.
Here is a picture of it outside of her studio -
Stay tuned for more updates.
Well, the Eagle has landed!
Our artist, Barbara Roden, received her blank canvas eagle today.
Barbara will start work on the eagle shortly.
Here is a picture of it outside of her studio -
Stay tuned for more updates.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
July 2008 Economic Digest - Importing and Exportin
July 2008 Edition
OIL
As oil prices have soared, thieves are among those seeking new sources of crude oil. A sharp rise in thefts at oil fields is driving oil companies and law enforcement to beef up security at wells that are being targeted more frequently as a source of easy money. Thieves are tapping into pipelines, paying off drivers and sometimes simply driving up to wells in tanker trucks and pumping the oil out of storage containers. Investigators who specialize in oil field crimes have seen their caseloads increase fivefold in the past two years.
LUNCH
According to a recent poll of 5,000 workers, eight out of 10 British workers take less than 30 minutes for lunch each day, and 44 per cent eat at their desks, even though 71 per cent say their company has an area set aside for a meal break. 41 per cent say they feel guilty if they take a full hour.
SATISFACTION
Airline passengers are among some of the most dissatisfied customers in the U.S. The annual report of the University of Michigan shows that the industry scored 63 out of a possible 100 in 2007. The study represents the views of 80,000 consumers who were asked about goods and services they have purchased. Only the cable and satellite TV industry scored lower with 62. Even the Internal Revenue Service scored higher. Disenchanted employees, increasing fuel costs, bankruptcy and record levels of lost, delayed and damaged luggage are the most common complaints.
NUMBERS
China's one-child policy created a generation of only children that number 90 million. 119 baby boys are born for every 100 girls and the number of unmarried young men-called bare branches-is predicted to be 30 million by 2020. Three in ten Chinese families have grandparents living in the same household. Urban Chinese earn more than three times as much as those in rural areas. One in four residents in Beijing is a migrant from the country and public protests rose by 50 per cent in 2006. Cell phones in China have grown from 87 million in 2000 to 432 million today.
PUMPS
Small service stations in the US ran into problems as the price of gasoline marched towards $4 a gallon. Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials. The pumps, throwbacks to bygone era, are difficult and expensive to upgrade and replacing them is often out of the question for station owners. Many of the same pumps can only count up to $99.99 for the total sale, preventing owners of some trucks, SUVs and vans filling their tanks all the way. As many as 8,500 of the nations 170,000 service stations have the old pumps.
THE OFFICE
An Agricultural University of Norway study suggests that potted plants in the office can improve the health of workers and reduce the number of sick days. This adds to the body of evidence that suggests that plants in the work place have a beneficial effect. Plants appear to reduce office workers' fatigue, dry throats, headaches, coughs and dry skin. Plants and microbes in the soil are good at removing volatile, organic compounds that can effect health.
INVESTING
Despite the weakness of the dollar, U.S. firms are going on a spending spree in Europe. By May of this year, American corporations (excluding private equity firms) had bought 112 British businesses worth US$12.4-billion. In seven of the last 10 years, the UK has been the top destination for US multinational corporations looking to expand. The American thirst for deals reached its peak during the dotcom boom in 1998 when US companies spent a total of $41-billion on 481 UK-based businesses.
RESEARCH
According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, online real estate websites have reduced the number of homes that buyers and renters visited in person 57 per cent of the time and 29 per cent claim that online research saved them money. 57 per cent say the internet reduced the number of places they looked at and 54 per cent took a video tour of a house or apartment, or neighbourhood in which they were interested.
FUNERALS
American pet owners are turning to animal funeral parlours to send off their four-legged loved ones with the same dignity and ceremony usually afforded only to humans. Riding a boom in US spending on pets, the total this year is expected to reach US$43-billion, traditional undertakers are branching out into the sensitive area of pet funerals. One company offers a 24-hour service with caskets starting at around $185 and can reach as much as $5000. The first pet funeral home started in Indianapolis and expects to open 250 to 300 more locations over the next seven years.
LUXURY
One of the world's most prized culinary delicacies, the famous Perigord black truffle, could soon be off the menu. Scientists fear it will be wiped out by an invading Chinese truffle they have discovered growing in European soils which has almost no taste at all. The Perigold black truffle sells for about US$1400 a kilogram. Only the Piedmont white truffles fetches higher prices. Harvests of the Perigord truffle have declined greatly over the past century falling from over 1,500 tonnes in 1870 to less than 100 tonnes today.
GROCERIES
Members of the fast-growing South Asian and Chinese Canadian communities account for one-third of grocery spending in Toronto and Vancouver. South Asian Canadians households spend up to 23 per cent more on groceries than others in Canada. Chinese Canadian shoppers spend nine per cent more on groceries than an average household. Both groups tend to shop at discount supermarkets.
SCOOTERS
With the high price of gasoline, there is an increased interest in the U.S. in the small scooters that get 100 miles per gallon (2.35 litres per 100 kilometres). More than 130,000 Vespas, Hondas, Yamahas and other scooters were sold in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2008, a 24 per cent increase over the previous year. The figures do not include sales by small manufacturers in China and elsewhere.
FOWL
Chickens are the most common birds in the world. About 30-billion chickens are eaten each year, more than 1,000 a second. The Romans considered chickens to be sacred to Mars, the god of war. A lifetime's waste from one chicken can power a 100-watt bulb for five hours.
PUNCTURES
Changing a tire by the side of the road could soon become easier thanks to a clever British invention. Instead of the tiring process of lifting the car up by winding a jack handle, the Titan air jack raises it for you. A bag attached to the exhaust pipe is placed under the car and when the engine is run at idle it inflates and lifts it to wheel-changing height in less than a minute. It can be used on any surfaces and lifts vehicles up to four tons.
PAPERS
The number of daily newspapers rose to 287 in 2006 from 185 in 2005, according to the World Association of Newspapers. Global newspaper advertising will increase to US$130-billion in 2010, from $125-billion in 2007, thanks in part to growth in India and other emerging markets. This trend is reversed in the North America where newspaper advertising revenue in the U.S. fell by 7.9 per cent in 2007.
COINS
To lessen the cost of minting pennies and nickels, which cost more to make than they are worth, the US Congress is looking at the possibility of going to steel coins such as those used during World War II.
SHIPS
The biggest shipbuilding boom in history has collided with the largest credit market loss ever. As much as US$14-billion in ship orders is threatened by cancellations and delays as lenders are demanding bigger deposits and shorter terms for financing. The loss or delay in delivery of about 250 cargo ships, or 10 per cent of orders, will tighten the supply of ships. Freight rates have increased over 50 per cent this past year. The value of cargo ships under construction at the end of 2007 was US$141-billion and the approximate cost of a new vessel, is about 155-million.
ACCOUNTING
The world's chief accountant has praised Canada for its decision to adopt global accounting standards by 2011. The International Accounting Standards Board is leading the push to persuade countries to abandon their national accounting standards and embrace a single, global standard, known as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). So far, 110 countries have agreed to the change.
CANOLA
Farmers are expected to plant a record 14.8-million acres of canola this year. Last year it was worth C$6 per bushel, this year it should sell for $14. Canada produces just over 6-million tonnes of canola seed per year, 20 per cent of the worlds supply. 3.4 million tonnes of this is exported as seed, 706,000 tonnes as oil and another 1.15 million tonnes as meal. The U.S is the largest importer.
RUNNING
GTX Corporation of Los Angeles has developed a way to turn running shoes into real-time tracking devices capable of transmitting location data that can be viewed as Google Maps on any Internet-connected device. The company hopes its technology will be used in insoles by the end of the year. The footwear will cost up to $200 with a $20-monthly subscription fee and the gadget requires cell towers.
PRESCRIPTIONS
More than half of insured American now take prescription medicines, mostly on a daily basis, for what are described as chronic problems. Experts say the data reflects worsening public health, better medicines and aggressive pharmaceutical advertising.
ACCIDENTS
Every year, according to the WHO, 1.2 million people die in road accidents making it the seventh biggest killer in the world, ahead of diabetes and malaria. Wearing a seat belt would save half of all car occupants who die in crashes.
ASIA
The value of Japanese exports to China in 2007, the year in which China overtook the U.S. as Japan's biggest export market destination was US$165.2-billion. The value of Japanese exports to the U.S was about $161-billion. China's exports to Japan in 2007 were worth $102-billion. Japan's foreign direct investment to China last year was $6.2-billion.Japan remains the biggest economic power in Asia with a US$4.3-trillion economy in 2006, against China's $2.7-trillion.
BUGS
At a recent U.N. meeting in Thailand, experts considered the dietary value of bugs. More than 1,400 insect species are eaten by humans worldwide offering promising possibilities both commercially and nutritionally. Among the most popular are beetles, ants, bees, crickets and moths, some of which offer as much protein as meat and fish. At least 527 different insects are eaten across 36 countries in Africa, while they are also eaten in 29 countries in Asia and 23 in the Americas.
HEARTACHE
A Japanese company has introduced "heartache leave," a new benefit. One day off is granted to employees in their early 20s suffering a breakup. Two days for those in their late 20s and three days for those over 30. The same company has "bargain leave" to take advantage of retail sales.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
As oil prices have soared, thieves are among those seeking new sources of crude oil. A sharp rise in thefts at oil fields is driving oil companies and law enforcement to beef up security at wells that are being targeted more frequently as a source of easy money. Thieves are tapping into pipelines, paying off drivers and sometimes simply driving up to wells in tanker trucks and pumping the oil out of storage containers. Investigators who specialize in oil field crimes have seen their caseloads increase fivefold in the past two years.
LUNCH
According to a recent poll of 5,000 workers, eight out of 10 British workers take less than 30 minutes for lunch each day, and 44 per cent eat at their desks, even though 71 per cent say their company has an area set aside for a meal break. 41 per cent say they feel guilty if they take a full hour.
SATISFACTION
Airline passengers are among some of the most dissatisfied customers in the U.S. The annual report of the University of Michigan shows that the industry scored 63 out of a possible 100 in 2007. The study represents the views of 80,000 consumers who were asked about goods and services they have purchased. Only the cable and satellite TV industry scored lower with 62. Even the Internal Revenue Service scored higher. Disenchanted employees, increasing fuel costs, bankruptcy and record levels of lost, delayed and damaged luggage are the most common complaints.
NUMBERS
China's one-child policy created a generation of only children that number 90 million. 119 baby boys are born for every 100 girls and the number of unmarried young men-called bare branches-is predicted to be 30 million by 2020. Three in ten Chinese families have grandparents living in the same household. Urban Chinese earn more than three times as much as those in rural areas. One in four residents in Beijing is a migrant from the country and public protests rose by 50 per cent in 2006. Cell phones in China have grown from 87 million in 2000 to 432 million today.
PUMPS
Small service stations in the US ran into problems as the price of gasoline marched towards $4 a gallon. Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials. The pumps, throwbacks to bygone era, are difficult and expensive to upgrade and replacing them is often out of the question for station owners. Many of the same pumps can only count up to $99.99 for the total sale, preventing owners of some trucks, SUVs and vans filling their tanks all the way. As many as 8,500 of the nations 170,000 service stations have the old pumps.
THE OFFICE
An Agricultural University of Norway study suggests that potted plants in the office can improve the health of workers and reduce the number of sick days. This adds to the body of evidence that suggests that plants in the work place have a beneficial effect. Plants appear to reduce office workers' fatigue, dry throats, headaches, coughs and dry skin. Plants and microbes in the soil are good at removing volatile, organic compounds that can effect health.
INVESTING
Despite the weakness of the dollar, U.S. firms are going on a spending spree in Europe. By May of this year, American corporations (excluding private equity firms) had bought 112 British businesses worth US$12.4-billion. In seven of the last 10 years, the UK has been the top destination for US multinational corporations looking to expand. The American thirst for deals reached its peak during the dotcom boom in 1998 when US companies spent a total of $41-billion on 481 UK-based businesses.
RESEARCH
According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, online real estate websites have reduced the number of homes that buyers and renters visited in person 57 per cent of the time and 29 per cent claim that online research saved them money. 57 per cent say the internet reduced the number of places they looked at and 54 per cent took a video tour of a house or apartment, or neighbourhood in which they were interested.
FUNERALS
American pet owners are turning to animal funeral parlours to send off their four-legged loved ones with the same dignity and ceremony usually afforded only to humans. Riding a boom in US spending on pets, the total this year is expected to reach US$43-billion, traditional undertakers are branching out into the sensitive area of pet funerals. One company offers a 24-hour service with caskets starting at around $185 and can reach as much as $5000. The first pet funeral home started in Indianapolis and expects to open 250 to 300 more locations over the next seven years.
LUXURY
One of the world's most prized culinary delicacies, the famous Perigord black truffle, could soon be off the menu. Scientists fear it will be wiped out by an invading Chinese truffle they have discovered growing in European soils which has almost no taste at all. The Perigold black truffle sells for about US$1400 a kilogram. Only the Piedmont white truffles fetches higher prices. Harvests of the Perigord truffle have declined greatly over the past century falling from over 1,500 tonnes in 1870 to less than 100 tonnes today.
GROCERIES
Members of the fast-growing South Asian and Chinese Canadian communities account for one-third of grocery spending in Toronto and Vancouver. South Asian Canadians households spend up to 23 per cent more on groceries than others in Canada. Chinese Canadian shoppers spend nine per cent more on groceries than an average household. Both groups tend to shop at discount supermarkets.
SCOOTERS
With the high price of gasoline, there is an increased interest in the U.S. in the small scooters that get 100 miles per gallon (2.35 litres per 100 kilometres). More than 130,000 Vespas, Hondas, Yamahas and other scooters were sold in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2008, a 24 per cent increase over the previous year. The figures do not include sales by small manufacturers in China and elsewhere.
FOWL
Chickens are the most common birds in the world. About 30-billion chickens are eaten each year, more than 1,000 a second. The Romans considered chickens to be sacred to Mars, the god of war. A lifetime's waste from one chicken can power a 100-watt bulb for five hours.
PUNCTURES
Changing a tire by the side of the road could soon become easier thanks to a clever British invention. Instead of the tiring process of lifting the car up by winding a jack handle, the Titan air jack raises it for you. A bag attached to the exhaust pipe is placed under the car and when the engine is run at idle it inflates and lifts it to wheel-changing height in less than a minute. It can be used on any surfaces and lifts vehicles up to four tons.
PAPERS
The number of daily newspapers rose to 287 in 2006 from 185 in 2005, according to the World Association of Newspapers. Global newspaper advertising will increase to US$130-billion in 2010, from $125-billion in 2007, thanks in part to growth in India and other emerging markets. This trend is reversed in the North America where newspaper advertising revenue in the U.S. fell by 7.9 per cent in 2007.
COINS
To lessen the cost of minting pennies and nickels, which cost more to make than they are worth, the US Congress is looking at the possibility of going to steel coins such as those used during World War II.
SHIPS
The biggest shipbuilding boom in history has collided with the largest credit market loss ever. As much as US$14-billion in ship orders is threatened by cancellations and delays as lenders are demanding bigger deposits and shorter terms for financing. The loss or delay in delivery of about 250 cargo ships, or 10 per cent of orders, will tighten the supply of ships. Freight rates have increased over 50 per cent this past year. The value of cargo ships under construction at the end of 2007 was US$141-billion and the approximate cost of a new vessel, is about 155-million.
ACCOUNTING
The world's chief accountant has praised Canada for its decision to adopt global accounting standards by 2011. The International Accounting Standards Board is leading the push to persuade countries to abandon their national accounting standards and embrace a single, global standard, known as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). So far, 110 countries have agreed to the change.
CANOLA
Farmers are expected to plant a record 14.8-million acres of canola this year. Last year it was worth C$6 per bushel, this year it should sell for $14. Canada produces just over 6-million tonnes of canola seed per year, 20 per cent of the worlds supply. 3.4 million tonnes of this is exported as seed, 706,000 tonnes as oil and another 1.15 million tonnes as meal. The U.S is the largest importer.
RUNNING
GTX Corporation of Los Angeles has developed a way to turn running shoes into real-time tracking devices capable of transmitting location data that can be viewed as Google Maps on any Internet-connected device. The company hopes its technology will be used in insoles by the end of the year. The footwear will cost up to $200 with a $20-monthly subscription fee and the gadget requires cell towers.
PRESCRIPTIONS
More than half of insured American now take prescription medicines, mostly on a daily basis, for what are described as chronic problems. Experts say the data reflects worsening public health, better medicines and aggressive pharmaceutical advertising.
ACCIDENTS
Every year, according to the WHO, 1.2 million people die in road accidents making it the seventh biggest killer in the world, ahead of diabetes and malaria. Wearing a seat belt would save half of all car occupants who die in crashes.
ASIA
The value of Japanese exports to China in 2007, the year in which China overtook the U.S. as Japan's biggest export market destination was US$165.2-billion. The value of Japanese exports to the U.S was about $161-billion. China's exports to Japan in 2007 were worth $102-billion. Japan's foreign direct investment to China last year was $6.2-billion.Japan remains the biggest economic power in Asia with a US$4.3-trillion economy in 2006, against China's $2.7-trillion.
BUGS
At a recent U.N. meeting in Thailand, experts considered the dietary value of bugs. More than 1,400 insect species are eaten by humans worldwide offering promising possibilities both commercially and nutritionally. Among the most popular are beetles, ants, bees, crickets and moths, some of which offer as much protein as meat and fish. At least 527 different insects are eaten across 36 countries in Africa, while they are also eaten in 29 countries in Asia and 23 in the Americas.
HEARTACHE
A Japanese company has introduced "heartache leave," a new benefit. One day off is granted to employees in their early 20s suffering a breakup. Two days for those in their late 20s and three days for those over 30. The same company has "bargain leave" to take advantage of retail sales.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) - It's our future
We have over 200 employees and many of them spend a lot of their time keying in information that has been keyed once, twice, even three times before we have keyed it.
This adds costs to the supply chain in a number of ways - time to key the information. Human error. Mistakes. Fines and penalties.
Many, many orders are keyed electronically these days and I am still amazed that at the end of the line - somehow that data 'gives birth' to a piece of paper - or many, many pieces of paper.
We encourage our customers to transmit data to us as much as possible to avoid extra time and expense. (If we do not have to key in the data, our fees go down because there is less work involved for us.)
For more information on how to speed up your shipments using EDI, please contact us.
This adds costs to the supply chain in a number of ways - time to key the information. Human error. Mistakes. Fines and penalties.
Many, many orders are keyed electronically these days and I am still amazed that at the end of the line - somehow that data 'gives birth' to a piece of paper - or many, many pieces of paper.
We encourage our customers to transmit data to us as much as possible to avoid extra time and expense. (If we do not have to key in the data, our fees go down because there is less work involved for us.)
For more information on how to speed up your shipments using EDI, please contact us.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
June 2008 Economic Digest - Importing and Exportin
June 2008 Edition
GREENHOUSES
After a long period of continuous growth, greenhouse expansion in Canada stalled in 2007 because of the rising value of the Canadian dollar and higher labour and energy costs. Total greenhouse area under plastic and glass was down last year about one per cent to approximately 20.9 million square metres. Greenhouse operators reported sales of C$2.3-billion. Producers of flowers and plants accounted for two-thirds of total greenhouse sales but, for the first time since 1993, the vegetable area, which was 10.7 million square metres, exceeds plant and flower area which stood at 10.3 million square metres.
TRENDS
A new regulation in New York City requires restaurants that are parts of chains with at least 15 outlets across the country, to post calories on menus and menu boards. This will include fast-food places like McDonald's and Wendy's. The New York State Restaurant Association had vigorously opposed the rule in court claiming that it violated the First Amendment.
VACATIONS
The average working Frenchman spends 37 days each year on vacation, with Italy in second place with 33 days. Britain trails with 26 days of holiday per year, a rise of two days in two years. America comes last with just two weeks off.
JUNGLE
The Madre de Dios region of Peru has been undergoing an ecotourism boom. More than 70 "eco-lodges" cater to tourists from around the world eager to experience a few days in the Amazon. Last year more than 60,000 foreigners visited the area, a 20-fold increase over 15 years. Its success stems from two factors. First, the region comprises vast areas of pristine rainforest, and it is also easily accessible.
MINING
The number of mining deals around the world rose 69 per cent in 2007 with much of the activity happening in Canada. The total value of those transactions was US$158.9-billion, up 18 per cent over 2006. Of the 2007 deals, Canadian companies were targets 32 per cent of the time, up from 23 per cent the year before. Canada was followed by Australia and China. Canadian companies were also the majority of acquirers. They purchased 41 per cent of the time, up from 34 per cent the year previously.
KOSOVO
Some of the statistics from this country's US$3.5-billion economy are surprising. The U.N estimates that 1.2 billion euros worth of goods came into the country while just 100-million euros worth went out. Cash sent from abroad was worth a sixth of the total value of the economy. Kosovo's largest export over the past few years has been scrap metal which is estimated to represent half of Kosovo's export value.
GAS
Recent research shows that in 2007, the gasoline share of consumers' weekly spending in the U.S. ranged from 12 to 16 per cent and is expected to reach 19 per cent this year. Consumers report that they are combining errands and trips, eating out less and doing more things at home to counterbalance rising gas prices. With more than 146,000 U.S. locations, convenience stores are the preferred stop for fuel consumers, attracting nine times more gas buyers than warehouse clubs or grocery stores.
POTATOES
After wheat and rice, potatoes are the world's third most important food crop. In 1991, the world potato production was around 257-million tonnes. In 2007, this figure was 321-million tonnes. There are 110 calories in a medium sized potato and five kilograms are required to produce a litre of vodka. In 2007, China led the world producing 72-million tonnes of potatoes, followed by the Russian Federation, 36-million, India, 26-million, Ukraine, 19-million and the U.S., 18-million tonnes. Each year, farmers around the world produce about 600-million tonnes of wheat.
STIRRING
The teaspoon could become a thing of the past after the invention of a mug that can stir liquid by itself. All the drinker has to do to work the clever cup is gently swirl it. This sets in motion a ceramic ball positioned in the bottom of the mug that stirs the contents.
HOGS
The Canadian government is planning to pay hog farmers up to C$50-million in total to slaughter as many as 150,000 breeding swine. Farmers will receive $225 for every hog they kill and must stay out of the hog business for three years. The $225 price is about four times what a farmer would get for a culled hog on the market today. This cull will reduce Canada's breeding herd by 10 per cent and is the only way to save thousands of hog farmers across the country. Rising food prices and the Canadian dollar having been putting many hog farmers out of business.
MEETINGS
More than 70-million people attended meetings and conferences across Canada in 2006, generating more than C$23-billion in spending. 670,000 meetings were held in Canada in 2006 and 43 per cent of the participants were visitors, including 2.3-million who came from the U.S. or other countries.
ECO-FRIENDLY
With Americans increasingly expressing environmental concerns, manufacturers are taking steps to convey the eco-friendliness of their products. The number of new products with an environmentally friendly claim has grown substantially in the past five years. In 2002, only five such products were launched but in 2007 there were a staggering 328 which was an increase of 200 per cent from the year before. People especially look for eco-friendliness when shopping for household paper products (66%), food (57%) and energy efficient appliances (48%). It is estimated that 200 million American now buy green products.
ART
China's art market overtook France's for the first time last year in world rankings which are still dominated by New York and London auction houses. The global art market, which comprises sales of fine art works--paintings, drawings and photographs--saw an overall rise for the seventh year running, with revenue up 44 per cent on the previous year. China accounted for 7.3 per cent of world sales, after a massive 78 per cent rise.
LIGHTS
An American inventor based in Britain has won a prize for his Rectiv cycle jacket which changes colour as the cyclist brakes. This was the result of him wanting to feel safer cycling around London. The jacket uses an accelerometer to sense movements, changing the colour of LEDs in the back from green when accelerating to red when braking. A tilt switch in the jacket also makes the LEDs in the arm flash amber when the wearer lifts their arm to indicate a turn.
MONEY
A new report suggests that the Canadian Mint should scrap the 1-cent coin, eliminate the nickel, replace the $5-bill with a coin, adding 20-cent and smaller 50-cent coins, and eventually consider creating a $200 bill. Ottawa should immediately scrap the 1-cent coin which is increasingly obsolete, has so little purchasing power that people routinely refuse to accept it, throw it out or stockpile it. The hoarding phenomenon is part of the reason that coin production rose sharply in 2006, particularly of pennies which jumped 51 per cent to 1,160 million pieces and cost $150-million to produce.
RIGHT TURNS
A major global courier company redesigned its routes so drivers would make a minimum of left-hand turns, thus reducing vehicles idling in traffic burning fuel and releasing emissions. As a result, the company shaved more than 48-million kilometres off its deliveries in 2007, saving the cost of more than 11-million litres of gas. It also reduced the truck emissions by 32,000 tonnes (equivalent to 5,300 passenger cars).
EXPORTS
The U.S. now accounts for less than 80 per cent of the market for Canadian exports, the lowest level since 1992, before the NAFTA took effect. China has now risen to third place among Canada's export partners displacing Japan. Britain is in second place. The U.S. is still by far the No 1 buyer of Canada's products absorbing C$354-billion worth. Canada's exports to China rose 21 per cent in 2007 and by 26 per cent to Europe in the same period.
RETAIL
Despite economic uncertainty, online retail sales in the U.S. are forecast to increase 17 per cent this year to a record US$204-billion as consumers continue seeking the convenience of shopping via technology. Internet retail sales, excluding travel, are expected to comprise 7 per cent of total retail sales this year, up from 6 per cent or $175-billion in 2007.
NEW ZEALAND
Wine overtook wool exports in value for the first time and is now New Zealand's 12th most valuable export worth US$610-million, up from $94-million in 1997. Last year, the wine industry sold 1-billion glasses of wine in nearly 100 countries. Exports to Australia are buoyant and New Zealand accounts for over 10 per cent of wines sold in Britain and interest in the U.S. is picking up too.
HOARDING
Rice prices have hit new highs and farmers across Asia are hoarding their crops, raising the prospect of a shortage in Asia and Africa that could lead to widespread unrest. Prices in Asia have doubled since the beginning of the year, driven higher by rising demand, a steady depletion of government stockpiles and a pest outbreak in Vietnam, the world's second-largest exporter after Thailand. Governments around the region are curbing exports to safeguard domestic supplies putting further pressure on prices.
AUCTIONS
An oversized six sheet poster for the 1933 film classic King Kong fetched US$345,000 to top all items in a two-day auction of Hollywood memorabilia. The auction raised $4.1-million from the sale of 1,100 pieces. A velociraptor from Jurassic Park went for $115,000 and a complete Batman costume for $103,500.
NEWSPAPERS
The U.S. newspaper industry has experienced the worst drop in advertising revenue in more than 50 years. Total print revenue in 2007 plunged 9.4 per cent to $42-billion compared to 2006.
DANCING
Salsa has become the biggest international dance craze since the advent of rock'n'roll in the 1950s, and dwarfs even the popularity of the tango during the 1920s. It has spawned a new niche for the tourist industry and is now a major cultural export with almost every city in Europe opening clubs offering classes at all levels. Salsa is also a passion in Japan and is taking hold in India and China.
WOMEN
According to a new UN report, women are still discriminated against in almost every country around the world, despite that fact that 185 member UN countries pledged in 2005 to outlaw laws favouring men. 70 per cent of the world's poor are women and they own just one per cent of the world's titled land.
MOVIES
An Australia-based chain is to introduce the first $35 movie experience this October in Redmond, WA. Luxury touches will include: digital projection, Dolby sound, reclining seats with footrests, seat-side food and beverage service, valet parking. A lounge area will have a full bar and serve entrées. Each of the seven auditoriums will have no more than 40 seats.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
GREENHOUSES
After a long period of continuous growth, greenhouse expansion in Canada stalled in 2007 because of the rising value of the Canadian dollar and higher labour and energy costs. Total greenhouse area under plastic and glass was down last year about one per cent to approximately 20.9 million square metres. Greenhouse operators reported sales of C$2.3-billion. Producers of flowers and plants accounted for two-thirds of total greenhouse sales but, for the first time since 1993, the vegetable area, which was 10.7 million square metres, exceeds plant and flower area which stood at 10.3 million square metres.
TRENDS
A new regulation in New York City requires restaurants that are parts of chains with at least 15 outlets across the country, to post calories on menus and menu boards. This will include fast-food places like McDonald's and Wendy's. The New York State Restaurant Association had vigorously opposed the rule in court claiming that it violated the First Amendment.
VACATIONS
The average working Frenchman spends 37 days each year on vacation, with Italy in second place with 33 days. Britain trails with 26 days of holiday per year, a rise of two days in two years. America comes last with just two weeks off.
JUNGLE
The Madre de Dios region of Peru has been undergoing an ecotourism boom. More than 70 "eco-lodges" cater to tourists from around the world eager to experience a few days in the Amazon. Last year more than 60,000 foreigners visited the area, a 20-fold increase over 15 years. Its success stems from two factors. First, the region comprises vast areas of pristine rainforest, and it is also easily accessible.
MINING
The number of mining deals around the world rose 69 per cent in 2007 with much of the activity happening in Canada. The total value of those transactions was US$158.9-billion, up 18 per cent over 2006. Of the 2007 deals, Canadian companies were targets 32 per cent of the time, up from 23 per cent the year before. Canada was followed by Australia and China. Canadian companies were also the majority of acquirers. They purchased 41 per cent of the time, up from 34 per cent the year previously.
KOSOVO
Some of the statistics from this country's US$3.5-billion economy are surprising. The U.N estimates that 1.2 billion euros worth of goods came into the country while just 100-million euros worth went out. Cash sent from abroad was worth a sixth of the total value of the economy. Kosovo's largest export over the past few years has been scrap metal which is estimated to represent half of Kosovo's export value.
GAS
Recent research shows that in 2007, the gasoline share of consumers' weekly spending in the U.S. ranged from 12 to 16 per cent and is expected to reach 19 per cent this year. Consumers report that they are combining errands and trips, eating out less and doing more things at home to counterbalance rising gas prices. With more than 146,000 U.S. locations, convenience stores are the preferred stop for fuel consumers, attracting nine times more gas buyers than warehouse clubs or grocery stores.
POTATOES
After wheat and rice, potatoes are the world's third most important food crop. In 1991, the world potato production was around 257-million tonnes. In 2007, this figure was 321-million tonnes. There are 110 calories in a medium sized potato and five kilograms are required to produce a litre of vodka. In 2007, China led the world producing 72-million tonnes of potatoes, followed by the Russian Federation, 36-million, India, 26-million, Ukraine, 19-million and the U.S., 18-million tonnes. Each year, farmers around the world produce about 600-million tonnes of wheat.
STIRRING
The teaspoon could become a thing of the past after the invention of a mug that can stir liquid by itself. All the drinker has to do to work the clever cup is gently swirl it. This sets in motion a ceramic ball positioned in the bottom of the mug that stirs the contents.
HOGS
The Canadian government is planning to pay hog farmers up to C$50-million in total to slaughter as many as 150,000 breeding swine. Farmers will receive $225 for every hog they kill and must stay out of the hog business for three years. The $225 price is about four times what a farmer would get for a culled hog on the market today. This cull will reduce Canada's breeding herd by 10 per cent and is the only way to save thousands of hog farmers across the country. Rising food prices and the Canadian dollar having been putting many hog farmers out of business.
MEETINGS
More than 70-million people attended meetings and conferences across Canada in 2006, generating more than C$23-billion in spending. 670,000 meetings were held in Canada in 2006 and 43 per cent of the participants were visitors, including 2.3-million who came from the U.S. or other countries.
ECO-FRIENDLY
With Americans increasingly expressing environmental concerns, manufacturers are taking steps to convey the eco-friendliness of their products. The number of new products with an environmentally friendly claim has grown substantially in the past five years. In 2002, only five such products were launched but in 2007 there were a staggering 328 which was an increase of 200 per cent from the year before. People especially look for eco-friendliness when shopping for household paper products (66%), food (57%) and energy efficient appliances (48%). It is estimated that 200 million American now buy green products.
ART
China's art market overtook France's for the first time last year in world rankings which are still dominated by New York and London auction houses. The global art market, which comprises sales of fine art works--paintings, drawings and photographs--saw an overall rise for the seventh year running, with revenue up 44 per cent on the previous year. China accounted for 7.3 per cent of world sales, after a massive 78 per cent rise.
LIGHTS
An American inventor based in Britain has won a prize for his Rectiv cycle jacket which changes colour as the cyclist brakes. This was the result of him wanting to feel safer cycling around London. The jacket uses an accelerometer to sense movements, changing the colour of LEDs in the back from green when accelerating to red when braking. A tilt switch in the jacket also makes the LEDs in the arm flash amber when the wearer lifts their arm to indicate a turn.
MONEY
A new report suggests that the Canadian Mint should scrap the 1-cent coin, eliminate the nickel, replace the $5-bill with a coin, adding 20-cent and smaller 50-cent coins, and eventually consider creating a $200 bill. Ottawa should immediately scrap the 1-cent coin which is increasingly obsolete, has so little purchasing power that people routinely refuse to accept it, throw it out or stockpile it. The hoarding phenomenon is part of the reason that coin production rose sharply in 2006, particularly of pennies which jumped 51 per cent to 1,160 million pieces and cost $150-million to produce.
RIGHT TURNS
A major global courier company redesigned its routes so drivers would make a minimum of left-hand turns, thus reducing vehicles idling in traffic burning fuel and releasing emissions. As a result, the company shaved more than 48-million kilometres off its deliveries in 2007, saving the cost of more than 11-million litres of gas. It also reduced the truck emissions by 32,000 tonnes (equivalent to 5,300 passenger cars).
EXPORTS
The U.S. now accounts for less than 80 per cent of the market for Canadian exports, the lowest level since 1992, before the NAFTA took effect. China has now risen to third place among Canada's export partners displacing Japan. Britain is in second place. The U.S. is still by far the No 1 buyer of Canada's products absorbing C$354-billion worth. Canada's exports to China rose 21 per cent in 2007 and by 26 per cent to Europe in the same period.
RETAIL
Despite economic uncertainty, online retail sales in the U.S. are forecast to increase 17 per cent this year to a record US$204-billion as consumers continue seeking the convenience of shopping via technology. Internet retail sales, excluding travel, are expected to comprise 7 per cent of total retail sales this year, up from 6 per cent or $175-billion in 2007.
NEW ZEALAND
Wine overtook wool exports in value for the first time and is now New Zealand's 12th most valuable export worth US$610-million, up from $94-million in 1997. Last year, the wine industry sold 1-billion glasses of wine in nearly 100 countries. Exports to Australia are buoyant and New Zealand accounts for over 10 per cent of wines sold in Britain and interest in the U.S. is picking up too.
HOARDING
Rice prices have hit new highs and farmers across Asia are hoarding their crops, raising the prospect of a shortage in Asia and Africa that could lead to widespread unrest. Prices in Asia have doubled since the beginning of the year, driven higher by rising demand, a steady depletion of government stockpiles and a pest outbreak in Vietnam, the world's second-largest exporter after Thailand. Governments around the region are curbing exports to safeguard domestic supplies putting further pressure on prices.
AUCTIONS
An oversized six sheet poster for the 1933 film classic King Kong fetched US$345,000 to top all items in a two-day auction of Hollywood memorabilia. The auction raised $4.1-million from the sale of 1,100 pieces. A velociraptor from Jurassic Park went for $115,000 and a complete Batman costume for $103,500.
NEWSPAPERS
The U.S. newspaper industry has experienced the worst drop in advertising revenue in more than 50 years. Total print revenue in 2007 plunged 9.4 per cent to $42-billion compared to 2006.
DANCING
Salsa has become the biggest international dance craze since the advent of rock'n'roll in the 1950s, and dwarfs even the popularity of the tango during the 1920s. It has spawned a new niche for the tourist industry and is now a major cultural export with almost every city in Europe opening clubs offering classes at all levels. Salsa is also a passion in Japan and is taking hold in India and China.
WOMEN
According to a new UN report, women are still discriminated against in almost every country around the world, despite that fact that 185 member UN countries pledged in 2005 to outlaw laws favouring men. 70 per cent of the world's poor are women and they own just one per cent of the world's titled land.
MOVIES
An Australia-based chain is to introduce the first $35 movie experience this October in Redmond, WA. Luxury touches will include: digital projection, Dolby sound, reclining seats with footrests, seat-side food and beverage service, valet parking. A lounge area will have a full bar and serve entrées. Each of the seven auditoriums will have no more than 40 seats.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Canadian Customs Broker in the news..
You may have read an article about a Canadian Customs Broker being sentenced to jail after being convicted of evading more than $4.7 million in duties and taxes.
According to the CBSA - "What he did was submit accounting documents claiming a GST exemption code - so no GST was charged even though the goods did not qualify for the exemption," Giolti said. "In addition, rather than account for the goods in the correct currency such as. U. S. dollars, he would claim other currencies so the values would be less.
”However, when he billed the client, he would then bill the right amounts owing: GST and the right currency rate."
This may be unsettling for our customers and I thought I would address our process and systems should you have any questions. There are 2 main things we to do make sure we are compliant -
1) We have a very extensive compliance checking process where we have both the supervisors and managers of our various departments and branches check their people's work for compliance issues. We also have a compliance department that checks the supervisors and managers work for errors or omissions. We are very confident in our people's abilities to catch errors or omissions and a number of our customers have been audited with good outcomes such as this one.
2) We have what we call a "Duty Exception Report" which cross references our customs entries to confirm that what was paid out was billed out. If there is an exception - it goes on this report for our people to check into and fix. It also works in both directions. So, if we paid customs $100.00 in Duty, but we billed our customer $150.00 in Duty - it immediately goes on a report to fix. And, likewise, if we paid customs $150.00 in Duty, and billed our customer $100.00 in Duty - it goes on a report to fix.
I like to keep an open line of communication on this type of issue both for our customers and for our employees.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
According to the CBSA - "What he did was submit accounting documents claiming a GST exemption code - so no GST was charged even though the goods did not qualify for the exemption," Giolti said. "In addition, rather than account for the goods in the correct currency such as. U. S. dollars, he would claim other currencies so the values would be less.
”However, when he billed the client, he would then bill the right amounts owing: GST and the right currency rate."
This may be unsettling for our customers and I thought I would address our process and systems should you have any questions. There are 2 main things we to do make sure we are compliant -
1) We have a very extensive compliance checking process where we have both the supervisors and managers of our various departments and branches check their people's work for compliance issues. We also have a compliance department that checks the supervisors and managers work for errors or omissions. We are very confident in our people's abilities to catch errors or omissions and a number of our customers have been audited with good outcomes such as this one.
2) We have what we call a "Duty Exception Report" which cross references our customs entries to confirm that what was paid out was billed out. If there is an exception - it goes on this report for our people to check into and fix. It also works in both directions. So, if we paid customs $100.00 in Duty, but we billed our customer $150.00 in Duty - it immediately goes on a report to fix. And, likewise, if we paid customs $150.00 in Duty, and billed our customer $100.00 in Duty - it goes on a report to fix.
I like to keep an open line of communication on this type of issue both for our customers and for our employees.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
May 2008 Economic Digest - Importing and Exportin
May 2008 Edition
CONTROL
Next year in California, state regulators are likely to have the emergency power to control individual thermostats, sending temperatures up or down through a radio-controlled device that will be required in new or substantially modified houses and buildings to manage electricity shortages. The changes would allow utilities to adjust customers' preset temperatures when the price of electricity is soaring. Customers could override the utilities' suggested temperatures but in emergencies, the utilities could override customers' wishes.
GEOLOGY
Major Canadian mining companies are paying geology grads 44 per cent more than three years ago giving them higher salaries than the average MBA graduate in the U.S. Demand from developing nations including China has helped prices of gold, silver and copper more than double in that time. Canada is home to three of the world's largest gold producers and will graduate 1,200 new geologists this year to fill 9,000 positions in the country's mining industry. The average salary will be C$90,700. The average salary for a U.S. MBA is US$85,700.
WEALTH
Russia now has 101 billionaires, the most in the world after the U.S., which has 415. Germany is third with 60. Bountiful reserves of oil, gas and coal and soaring commodity prices have brought money pouring into the country.
ACCESS
Mobile phone coverage is now available along the entire climbing route of Mount Everest. Yaks and porters were used to transport the equipment for a transmission station 6,500 metres up the side of the mountain.
SIZE
Some of the new megayachts are so big that they have to dock in commercial ports. The growth in the number and size of yachts is also making it hard to find qualified crew members. It takes four years to build a yacht and prices are rising so quickly that some owners are selling their boats before they're even finished, for a tidy profit. There are 2,000 superyachts in the world today over 120 feet long. The longest, presently being built in Germany, will be over 530 feet when completed.
IMMIGRANTS
A record 429,649 foreigners came to live in Canada last year, many of them needed to address Canada's labour shortages. More than 251,000 permanent residency permits were issued and some 178,000 came on a temporary basis. More than 900,000 are still waiting for the immigration ministry to process their applications, some of whom have been waiting for up to six years.
ASTROTURFING
This is an umbrella term for any sort of fraudulent message masquerading as grass-roots word of mouth. It comes alongside a continued explosion in the world of viral marketing--self replicating techniques that use text messages, video clips, images and other means to encourage people to pass on a marketing message voluntarily and spontaneously. Viral marketing has grown 39 per cent in the last year alone, generating nearly $1-billion. Some 65-million American consumers shared their personal views on products with others online according to a recent study.
MAMMALS
Of all the mammal species that have become extinct in the past 200 years, nearly half are Australian. Since the country was colonized, 27 mammals, about 10 per cent of the total, have disappeared. Most Australian species are unique to the continent so when one vanishes, the loss is felt globally.
OIL
Britain was once the sixth-biggest producer of oil and gas but her share of the North Sea is now in decline. Production peaked in 1999 at 4.4-million barrels a day and has since fallen to 3-million and a target to maintain this level until 2010 looks certain to be missed. Presently, the industry supports 400,000 jobs and the oil and gas industry is now the biggest corporate contributors to the treasury, paying three-quarters of the US$26-billion paid in corporate taxes last year.
TECHNOLOGY
When the United Nations imposed a ban on trade in Liberia's logs in 2003, Liberia was synonymous with uncontrolled and environmentally devastating logging. Now a system has been set up to track all of Liberia's timber. Future lumber concessionaires will be required to attach a barcode to each tree they fell and to the stumps they come from. A corresponding entry in a database will record the origin, species, size and destination of each log. In theory this should make it much harder to forge paperwork and easy to catch those who misrepresent the amount of wood they have harvested.
EXPENSIVE
A recent survey by economists lists Oslo, London and Copenhagen as the three most costly cities in Europe and Dublin is now in fourth place. In Asia, Tokyo is the most expensive, followed by Seoul, Singapore and Hong Kong. By contrast, cities in the U.S. have become cheaper because of the weaker dollar.
VALUE
The share price of two shipping companies in Hong Kong have increased fivefold in the last two years. Meanwhile staggering sums have been made in private transactions. Ships generally fall in value as they age yet an iron-ore carrier built for $31-million in 2001 was sold for $150-million in 2007. It was immediately leased out on a long-term contract, making a vast profit for the buyer, even after that made by the seller. An oil tanker built for $142-million and still under construction was recently sold for $168-million.
INVENTIONS
Japanese scientists recently unveiled an invention, code named Smart Goggle, which not only records what the wearer of a pair of glasses is seeing, but recognizes it. The glasses can playback footage of when the wearer last saw an object, a remote or car keys for example. Initially, the user has to tell the glasses the name of everything that he or she looks at and the glasses will remember. They can then locate the last time the object was seen if it is misplaced.
COUPONS
Valpac, a company formed in 1967, invented the concept of its trademark blue coupon-stuffed envelopes sent to 45-million homes each month. Today it is an advertising giant that earned about $250-million in revenue last year. It has about 200 franchises across North America which expect to ship 20-billion coupons this year in 520-million envelopes from its massive $220-million facility in Florida.
BUTCHERS
A meat industry spokesperson in Britain recently claimed that high street butchers shops are closing at a rate of 23 a month. In 2000, there were 9,081 butchers in Britain but last year there were only 7,186 according to the tax authorities. The decline is largely caused by the dominance of the giant supermarkets.
CONCRETE
One of the most common building materials in the world today is concrete. However, it is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions which contribute to global warming. Between 5 and 10 per cent of global CO2 emissions are related to the manufacture and transportation of cement, a major ingredient in concrete. Manufacturers are experimenting with using organic waste materials as a substitute for some of the cement in concrete. These materials, such as fly-ash, produced when coal is burned, could replace up to 25 per cent of the cement in a mix.
SHOPPING
The Nielsen Co. reports that U.S. consumers are making fewer shopping trips across most retail outlets as they look for ways to combine errands and save money in an effort to battle rising gas prices and other economic pressures. While shopping frequency across most retail channels is flat or declining, supercentres continue to show growth.
TRAINS
Travellers are increasingly using trains to get around Europe. High-speed rail operators are ambitiously adding routes and cutting travel times to compete with the short-haul airline market. Spain, at the forefront of the boom, recently got high speed service between Madrid and Barcelona cutting the journey to two hours, 35 minutes, down from four hours. Switzerland has opened a 35-kilometre tunnel passing through the Alps cutting the travel time to Italy by over an hour. The travel time from London to Paris is now down to two hours, 15 minutes.
TRAVEL
The Commerce Department recently announced that America ran a US$17.8-billion travel surplus in 2007, more than double the 2006 figure. Arrivals from Canada were up 11 per cent; from Mexico, up 13 per cent. Visits from many west European countries, China and India also increased by double digits. The weak dollar and high oil prices also encouraged Americans to take their holidays near to home, providing a further boost for domestic tourism.
FAKES
Only three 1967 P4 Ferraris were ever built and now each is worth in the millions. Recently one turned up that proved to be a fake made in a garage in Thailand that was about to be shipped to Europe. It replicated the original in every visible detail and is an example of the genius of counterfeiting that is flourishing and is estimated to be worth $600- billion worldwide costing billions in lost revenues. Today, reverse engineering can take place at a keystroke as counterfeiters using 3D laser scanners and software develop a perfect copy in record time.
PETS
Among the affluent in China, keeping pets has become the rage, even though some Chinese still consume dog and cat meat. Spending on pet food and pet care In China will be worth US$870-million in 2008, up about 15 per cent from the $757-million spent in 2007. There were nearly 11-billion pets in China in 2007, the majority being birds, fish and reptiles. It is estimated that there are 150-million pet dogs and 11-million pet cats. Beijing has 120 restaurants that serve dog meat.
BRIDGES
China has revived a plan to build an 18-mile bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland. Officials will seek private partners to help fund half of the US$6-billion costs. Private companies involved would see their investment returned in part through tolls. The bridge is the latest in a series of grand projects undertaken by Beijing as the economy booms.
DOOMSDAY
Plans are being made to erect a "doomsday arc" on the moon containing DNA, embryos and all the essentials of life and civilization, to be activated should Earth be devastated by a giant asteroid, a climate flip or nuclear holocaust. The information bank would provide survivors on earth with a remote-access toolkit to rebuild the human race. A basic version of the arc would contain hard discs holding DNA sequences and instructions for metal smelting and planting crops to be buried in a vault under the lunar surface. Transmitters would send the data to heavily protected receivers on Earth.
ROMANCE
It seemed romantic when the man in England had the florist put the $12,000 engagement ring in the helium balloon for him to give to his girlfriend. The plan backfired however when the wind caught the balloon and it sailed away never to be seen again.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
What to do when you get audited.
If you are either being audited or are notified that you are going to be audited - it is very important that you contact your customs broker as soon as you are made aware.
Your customs broker can save you countless hours of time and energy by providing information to Customs on your behalf. A customs broker keeps excellent books and records of your imports and should be able to quickly gather the information that Customs is looking for.
A Customs audit should not be a scary process. Many of our importer clients have been audited and both the importer and ourselves have been satisfied with the outcomes of the audits we have seen.
We are by no means perfect - but we do take compliance very, very seriously.
Here are some ways that we strive for compliance -
Your customs broker can save you countless hours of time and energy by providing information to Customs on your behalf. A customs broker keeps excellent books and records of your imports and should be able to quickly gather the information that Customs is looking for.
A Customs audit should not be a scary process. Many of our importer clients have been audited and both the importer and ourselves have been satisfied with the outcomes of the audits we have seen.
We are by no means perfect - but we do take compliance very, very seriously.
Here are some ways that we strive for compliance -
- We have an in house Consulting and Compliance Team that has many years of experience in Compliance, Tariff, Valuation and Origin issues.
- We send out a "Self Compliance" document with every invoice as a double check for our clients to review their shipments for accuracy.
- We offer online tutorials to educate importers and exporters on the importance of compliance.
- We have an intensive entry checking process to review for errors and ommissions.
- We have highly trained, knowledgeable, qualified people handling our clients work.
Customs audits can be a scary process - but it doesn't have to be if you're taking a big picture approach to compliance.
Contact your customs broker for more information.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Happy Earth Day
Earth day is April 22 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
Here at A & A, we have been doing some things to lessen our impact on the Earth.
Here at A & A, we have been doing some things to lessen our impact on the Earth.
Below is a list of items that we have started -
- Installed motion activated lighting in washrooms
- Installed motion activated lighting in infrequently used rooms
- Purchasing energy efficient PC's, Notebook and servers
- Recycling old, outdated PC's
- Shutting down PC's overnight for Earth Day
- We black-out monitors after 5 minutes of idle time
- Using half the lights in the IT office
- Turning off server room lighting
- Encouraging no printing on Earth Day and as little printing as possible always
- Defaulting printers to two sided on Earth Day
- Lower wattage bulbs in our office lighting
- Recycling programs in our offices
- I drive a Hybrid vehicle
We consider the environmental impact before making a purchase of a product or service.
An Earth Day logo will be on our website today and tomorrow to 'inspire awareness of and appreciate for the Earth's environment.'
I believe this quote sums things up very well "WE DO NOT INHERIT THE EARTH FROM OUR ANCESTORS: WE BORROW IT FROM OUR CHILDREN."
Congratulations on a record breaking Sun Run!
Our first (and definitely not our last!) Vancouver Sun Run team had a fantastic day on Sunday. Despite it being one of the coldest days in Sun Run history, our people braved the elements and walked, jogged and ran their hearts out!
The rolling wave start meant that some people had finished the race before others even crossed the starting line. The Sun Run organizers do a fantastic job of keeping the event flowing.
When the finish line came into sight - everyone turned on their jets and it was a sprint to the end.
We're a little sore today and that memory will soon fade as we start setting our goals for next year's run!
Congratulations to everyone who participated in this wonderful event - and an extra special congratulations to all of the "Team A & A" runners!
The rolling wave start meant that some people had finished the race before others even crossed the starting line. The Sun Run organizers do a fantastic job of keeping the event flowing.
When the finish line came into sight - everyone turned on their jets and it was a sprint to the end.
We're a little sore today and that memory will soon fade as we start setting our goals for next year's run!
Congratulations to everyone who participated in this wonderful event - and an extra special congratulations to all of the "Team A & A" runners!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Say hello to our Vancouver Sun Run Team
This Sunday, April 20th, the "Team A & A" corporate Sun Run Team will participate in the 24th annual Sun Run in Vancouver, B.C. (We are ignoring the forecast for rain / snow!)
The Sun Run has broken registration records with over 55,000 people this year! To put that into perspective - this event is almost double the size of some of the largest marathons in the world, and double the size of the Honolulu Marathon.
For Vancouver-ites - the total attendance will be the equivalent of 3 Vancouver Canucks hockey games spilling onto the streets! Not for the claustrophobic!
Back to our A & A Sun Run Team - I am very proud of our first corporate team. They've been training hard. Walking, jogging, running - eating well, drinking a lot of water in anticipation for the big 10K event. For many of them, it is their first time going this distance. For others, they are dusting off their running shoes and getting back at it.
I look forward to doing a re-cap after the big day on Sunday. Good luck everyone - it's a great accomplishment!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
April is Wellness Month at A & A
Each week we will have a different theme to focus our awareness:
· Week 1: Mind/Body/Spirit: this week will jumpstart our wellness month by focusing on the holistic approach—our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional dimensions.
· Week 2: Nutritional Fitness: this week we’ll focus our attention to how we fuel our bodies and how that relates to our health and happiness.
· Week 3: Emotional/Mental Health: we will look at ways to challenge our minds, relax our bodies, and focus on positive thinking.
· Week 4: Physical Fitness: we will take this week to focus on how to achieve our goals & on how taking care of our bodies takes care of our minds and emotions.
We will also be taught how to properly set up our desk chair, keyboard and monitor to ensure we are practicing the best ergonomics.
So, when I saw this video recently, I had a good chuckle -
· Week 1: Mind/Body/Spirit: this week will jumpstart our wellness month by focusing on the holistic approach—our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional dimensions.
· Week 2: Nutritional Fitness: this week we’ll focus our attention to how we fuel our bodies and how that relates to our health and happiness.
· Week 3: Emotional/Mental Health: we will look at ways to challenge our minds, relax our bodies, and focus on positive thinking.
· Week 4: Physical Fitness: we will take this week to focus on how to achieve our goals & on how taking care of our bodies takes care of our minds and emotions.
We will also be taught how to properly set up our desk chair, keyboard and monitor to ensure we are practicing the best ergonomics.
So, when I saw this video recently, I had a good chuckle -
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Our Customer Service options
Over the years, we have found that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to serving you when you have questions or requests for information.
We believe we've done a great job at providing a number of options for you, and I'd like to outline some of those here -
1) Telephone - We take pride in the fact that we have multiple receptionists to take your phone calls. Our goal is to answer the calls within 2 rings and either provide you with the answer right there or transfer you only once to a live voice for further help.
We don't have an automated answering service - because we have been told that you like to call and talk to a a human. Frankly - don't we all? We also dislike 'voice mail jail' - when you can never seem to get a hold of a human and can't get out of voice mail. If you ever get transferred to a voice mail on our system and decide you would like to talk to someone rather than leave a message - you can simply press "0" and get back to a live voice. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with our own people and they can get your answer for you.
2) Fax - We have all of our phone and fax numbers listed here on our Contact Us page - http://www.aacb.com/contact/index.asp
3) email / Internet - We are very proud of the system that we have implemented for our email and online requests. Our Online Customer Care Centre - http://aacb.custhelp.com/
We have hundreds of Frequently Asked Questions posted here. If you have a question that is not posted, you can Ask a Question and we will respond. The system automatically generates a response to you to let you know that we have received it and are processing it.
Any questions that you ask are stored in your own personal database that you can refer back to anytime.
There are also other options such as asking to be notified if the answer ever changes (Customs regulations constantly change.), and another feature lets you email the question and answer to yourself or a colleague. All at the push of a button.
So, whether it's phone, fax or email - we treat each of your requests with the same high priority to make sure they are treated with a sense of urgency.
Please try them out and let me know what you think.
We believe we've done a great job at providing a number of options for you, and I'd like to outline some of those here -
1) Telephone - We take pride in the fact that we have multiple receptionists to take your phone calls. Our goal is to answer the calls within 2 rings and either provide you with the answer right there or transfer you only once to a live voice for further help.
We don't have an automated answering service - because we have been told that you like to call and talk to a a human. Frankly - don't we all? We also dislike 'voice mail jail' - when you can never seem to get a hold of a human and can't get out of voice mail. If you ever get transferred to a voice mail on our system and decide you would like to talk to someone rather than leave a message - you can simply press "0" and get back to a live voice. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with our own people and they can get your answer for you.
2) Fax - We have all of our phone and fax numbers listed here on our Contact Us page - http://www.aacb.com/contact/index.asp
3) email / Internet - We are very proud of the system that we have implemented for our email and online requests. Our Online Customer Care Centre - http://aacb.custhelp.com/
We have hundreds of Frequently Asked Questions posted here. If you have a question that is not posted, you can Ask a Question and we will respond. The system automatically generates a response to you to let you know that we have received it and are processing it.
Any questions that you ask are stored in your own personal database that you can refer back to anytime.
There are also other options such as asking to be notified if the answer ever changes (Customs regulations constantly change.), and another feature lets you email the question and answer to yourself or a colleague. All at the push of a button.
So, whether it's phone, fax or email - we treat each of your requests with the same high priority to make sure they are treated with a sense of urgency.
Please try them out and let me know what you think.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
April 2008 Economic Digest - Importing and Exportin
April 2008 Edition
ROSES
After a tentative start in the 1980s, the cut flower industry has become Kenya's third-largest foreign currency earner. From the colossal greenhouses that line the shores of Lake Naivasha, some 25 per cent of Europe's cut flowers now come from Kenya bringing in US$120-million each year. The top two earners, tourism and tea, have been wrecked since the disputed election last December.
SPACE
Amsterdam is going underground as overcrowding and soaring land prices force planners to look beneath the city's famous canals for future urban development. Residents of the historic houses that line Amsterdam's central canals have to wait seven years for parking permits and a garage space can cost as much as $150,000. Dutch engineers have unveiled plans for a US$15-billion underground city providing one million square feet of underground retail, leisure and parking facilities. Construction work is expected to last up to 20 years.
REPAIRS
Two groups, one in the US and one in the UK, are trying to create composite materials such as reinforced plastics that will mend themselves if they get cracked, in much the same way as animal's broken bones will heal. The difference is that these materials heal in minutes rather than months. Such materials will be welcome in high-stress applications that are difficult to inspect regularly (the blades of wind turbines for example) or are critical to safety (such as the doors and window-frames of aircraft).
COINS
The U.S. Mint plans to use less copper and nickel, but more zinc as it increases penny production and cuts back on nickels, dimes and quarters. The Mint's zinc needs will increase by approximately one million kilograms while its copper use will decline by three million kilograms and its nickel use will fall by 300,000 kilograms. The agency says its metal needs reflect a shift in its product mix of coins based on demand, not higher metal prices.
COPYRIGHT
The European Union is seeking to extend copyright protections for performing artists to 95 years, instead of the current 50 years, as is the case with composers. In comparison, novelists and playwrights enjoy protection for their life and 70 years afterwards. Copyright protection for performers in the U.S. is 95 years from release. In Australia it is 70 years.
CROPS
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over the past century, about 75 per cent of the world's crop varieties have been lost. UN researchers say we now rely on just three crops: wheat, rice and maize. Efforts are presently being made in some less-developed countries to re-introduce crops that could be profitable such as millet, which has a high nutritional value, and cassava, which is also known as tapioca.
TEA
The American specialty tea market has almost quadrupled in 15 years and is now worth around US$6.8-billion a year. America's health drive over the past two decades has triggered a boom in the specialty teas, credited with lower caffeine levels and antioxidants. Two centuries after the Boston Tea party, English tea is no longer seen as a symbol of oppression, but as an aid to health.
WIND
Overturning all previous records, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts of power in 2007 which will power the equivalent of 1.5-million U.S. households annually. This expands the nation's total wind power generating capacity by 45 per cent in a single calendar year and injects an investment of over US$9-billion into the economy. This is the third consecutive year of record-setting growth establishing wind power as one of the largest sources of new electricity supply for the country. The U.S. wind power fleet now numbers 16,818 megawatts across 34 states.
PHONES
This year, the number of cellphone users will overtake the number of non-users for the first time. Ownership rates in developing countries are rising fastest, with Brazil, Russia, India and China alone accounting for one billion subscribers last year. In 2000, only 12 per cent of the global population had a cellphone.
SAND
Scientists are trying to find out how dust is affecting marine biology and, in turn, the ocean's ability to soak up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Each year, about 1,700-million tonnes of dust are produced by deserts around the world and about one-third of this falls into the oceans. The North Atlantic receives the most dust thanks to its proximity to the Sahara Desert. This sprinkling of sand can be critical for marine life in the area.
ITCHING
Designers have developed pyjamas that regulate body temperature, stop itching and ensure a good night's sleep, it is claimed. The nightwear, which is produced from a fabric called Dermasilk, can also help reduce the itching endured by sufferers of skin disorders such as eczema and dermatitis. The pyjamas have been developed for Travelodge, the hotel chain, which carried out a survey to discover what kept people awake. The sleepwear will be tested by customers at five hotels in the U.K.
FLIGHTS
A quarter of domestic flights in the U.S. failed to arrive on time in 2007, the industry's second poorest performance on record. More than 26 per cent of commercial flights in the U.S. arrived late or were cancelled last year as rising passenger demand and a industry preference for smaller planes intensified congestion in the skies and on runways. The only time passengers had more difficulty getting to their destinations on time was in 2000 when more than 27 per cent of flights were tardy or cancelled. Back then there were 31 per cent fewer flights than in 2007.
COAL
Flooding in Australia, snow in China and power outages in South Africa have put a massive crimp in the world's coal supply. The deepest problems are in the Australian State of Queensland which is said to supply 70 per cent of the global coking coal market. Coking coal, also called metallurgical coal, is used in the production of steel. It now seems inevitable that coal prices will reach record levels in 2008.
ONIONS
A tear-free onion that should be tastier and healthier has been created by using genetic tinkering to turn off the enzyme that makes us cry. It is anticipated that the health and flavour profiles of the onions will actually be enhanced. The onions can be chopped without painful, stingy, weeping eyes. It is predicted that tearless onions will eventually become mainstay in household kitchens around the world.
GOLD
Sky-high gold prices did little to curb demand for jewellery in India, China and some other Asian countries in 2007. Gold surged more than 30 per cent last year, peaking at a 28-year high of about US$845 an ounce. Jewellery consumption rose to 558 tons in India, the world's largest gold buyer in 2007 from 526 tons in 2006. The big marriage season starts in April when speculation is that gold may reach $1,000 an ounce. Gold jewellery is the most common gift during religious events in India and forms an essential part of a dowry.
CARGO
A cargo train arrived in Hamburg recently on a trial run from Beijing after making the trans-Siberian journey in 15 days, half the time it would take to transport goods by sea, and underscoring growing trade between Asia and Europe. The train crossed through Mongolia, Belarus and Poland. Train transportation is quicker than moving cargo by sea and significantly cheaper than airlifting goods from China.
BEACHES
Grain by grain, Miami Beach is losing the fine, bone-white sand that draws five million tourists a year and pumps US$8-billion into the economy. In places, the Atlantic Ocean is now only six metres from the shore, the result of incessant winds and water erosion, not global warming and rising seas. The city is asking for federal help to lift a 21-year-old ban on importing sand.
WATER
China is planning to divert billions of gallons of water hundreds of miles from drought-stricken regions to feed Olympic development in the capital Beijing. Workers are struggling to finish a huge canal to meet a surge in demand for water, fuelled by construction projects and the hundreds and thousands of athletes and visitors at the games in August.
TIMESHARES
The slump in the American real estate market has made things harder for those trying to sell timeshares, though resale problems are worldwide. With a generation of adults approaching retirement and hoping to relax more, sales of new timeshares in the U.S., the biggest market, have nearly doubled over the last five years. Sales in the U.S. reached nearly $10-billion in 2006, about five times the rate of a decade earlier. In Europe, more than 1.4 million people own timeshares, with annual sales of more than $1.5-billion.
TRENDS
As part of a turnaround plan, the coffee giant Starbucks has announced that it will discontinue warm breakfast sandwiches at its stores and focus instead on healthy breakfast options and high quality baked goods. The company is to open 1,175 new restaurants in the U.S. during this budget year, down from its previous goal of 1,600. It will close 100 underperforming locations in the U.S. The company will open 75 more stores abroad than originally predicted, for a total of 975. U.S. sales have been battered by a weak economy and increased competition.
BOOKS
More books are sold on the Internet than any other product, and the number is increasing. A recent survey of 26,312 people in 48 countries, 41 per cent of Internet users has bought books online. Two years ago, 34 per cent of Internet users had done so. Much of the increase is in emerging markets such as South Korea and India.
FARMING
The world is set to see the first vertical farm which is going to be developed in Las Vegas. The 30-storey project is designed to be a functional and profitable working farm that will grow enough food to feed 72,000 people for a year. The structure will house 100 crops ranging from strawberries to lettuce. Even growing miniature banana trees may be possible in each floor's specially controlled environment. Although the initial cost of the project is high, the vertical farm should be as profitable as a casino.
BISON
Pushed close to extinction as the Prairies were ploughed, bison are increasingly find a home on Canadian farms. Between 2001 and 2006, the number of bison on farms increased by more than a third to over 195,000 head. Bison producers are concentrated in B.C. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Alberta had 49 per cent of the herd and 46 per cent of the farms. In 2006 exports of bison meat totalled 2,075,000 kilograms and live bison exports peaked at 13,255 animals.
LOOT
An international criminal gang have set their sights on stealing a new type of loot that is making them millions, top-of-the-range tractors. Hundreds of cumbersome agricultural machines are being stolen from farms across rural Britain and smuggled abroad in an operation worth US$6-million a year.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Borderlineups.com and Ferrylineups.com and long weekends
For a number of years, A & A has owned and operated http://www.borderlineups.com . We re-designed this website last summer with some great input from the frequent visitors.
We then expanded that to http://www.ferrylineups.com/ as a bit of a service for people using the ferries to see what the traffic is like as well as a simple website with some useful links like ferry reservations, bus schedules, etc.
These sites get views from all over the world from people who are interested in checking the weather or who want to check out the area. They also have a lot of local appeal to transportation companies checking on border congestion or cross border shoppers looking for the best route to take.
The long weekends, like the one we just had, always show a spike in traffic as people are gearing up for travel.
I am always interested to hear how we can improve these sites for the visitors so that we can make them more useful for you.
Please take a look and let me know.
Thank you.
We then expanded that to http://www.ferrylineups.com/ as a bit of a service for people using the ferries to see what the traffic is like as well as a simple website with some useful links like ferry reservations, bus schedules, etc.
These sites get views from all over the world from people who are interested in checking the weather or who want to check out the area. They also have a lot of local appeal to transportation companies checking on border congestion or cross border shoppers looking for the best route to take.
The long weekends, like the one we just had, always show a spike in traffic as people are gearing up for travel.
I am always interested to hear how we can improve these sites for the visitors so that we can make them more useful for you.
Please take a look and let me know.
Thank you.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Using our Vehicle Import Cost Calculator
Once the Canadian dollar started heading towards par with the U.S. dollar, it became very economical to consider purchasing a vehicle in the U.S. and importing it into Canada.
There are 3 'big' questions when importing a vehicle from the U.S. (Or, from overseas for that matter.) They are -
1) Is my vehicle allowed into Canada? Some vehicles are inadmissible by Transport Canada.
2) How can I get my vehicle from the seller to my door?
3) How much will all of this cost?
We have been upgrading our Vehicle Import Cost Calculator and it now answers all 3 of those big questions.
You can try it out here - http://www.borderbuddy.com Once you're finished with the quote, you can email it to yourself for future reference.
The calculator has a nice feature that allows you to put in an eBay item number if you are looking at a vehicle on eBay Motors.
You can read more about vehicle importing requirements on our vehicle importing services page.
There are 3 'big' questions when importing a vehicle from the U.S. (Or, from overseas for that matter.) They are -
1) Is my vehicle allowed into Canada? Some vehicles are inadmissible by Transport Canada.
2) How can I get my vehicle from the seller to my door?
3) How much will all of this cost?
We have been upgrading our Vehicle Import Cost Calculator and it now answers all 3 of those big questions.
You can try it out here - http://www.borderbuddy.com Once you're finished with the quote, you can email it to yourself for future reference.
The calculator has a nice feature that allows you to put in an eBay item number if you are looking at a vehicle on eBay Motors.
You can read more about vehicle importing requirements on our vehicle importing services page.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Eagles in the City - Vancouver
A & A is proud to be a sponsor of "Eagles in the City" in Vancouver.
Last year, we purchased a number of "Spirit Bears" at auction benefiting the BC Lions Society.
We have the bears at our Pacific Highway / Surrey B.C. office, at our Blaine, Washington office, at our family cabin and at the City Hall in White Rock, B.C.
This year - the BC Lions Society is doing "Eagles in the City" and A & A is a sponsor. This means we will sponsor our own artist and have our own Eagle.
We were at the media launch on Thursday, March 6th and were excited to see our 'blank canvas' Eagle. Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan was on hand along with the BC Lions President and the President from the Vancouver Board of Trade. Our artist, my cousin Barbara Roden, was also there for the unveiling.
Here are a couple of pictures of the event -
The Eagles will be officially unveiled in March/April of 2009 and will remain on display until April 2010.
This event was also published in The Vancouver Province and Barbara was quoted!
We are looking forward to keeping everyone updated as the events unfold for this great cause.
Last year, we purchased a number of "Spirit Bears" at auction benefiting the BC Lions Society.
We have the bears at our Pacific Highway / Surrey B.C. office, at our Blaine, Washington office, at our family cabin and at the City Hall in White Rock, B.C.
This year - the BC Lions Society is doing "Eagles in the City" and A & A is a sponsor. This means we will sponsor our own artist and have our own Eagle.
We were at the media launch on Thursday, March 6th and were excited to see our 'blank canvas' Eagle. Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan was on hand along with the BC Lions President and the President from the Vancouver Board of Trade. Our artist, my cousin Barbara Roden, was also there for the unveiling.
Here are a couple of pictures of the event -
The Eagles will be officially unveiled in March/April of 2009 and will remain on display until April 2010.
This event was also published in The Vancouver Province and Barbara was quoted!
We are looking forward to keeping everyone updated as the events unfold for this great cause.
The Power Within 2008 - Vancouver
On Wednesday, March 5, I attended The Power Within in Vancouver at GM Place. Attending with me were my wife and 5 people from our Pacific Highway branch - all of whom wrote a letter describing their desire to attend this uplifting and motivating day. We picked the top 5 submissions to join us.
The following presenters told their own stories -
Martha Stewart, International Business Icon, Best Selling Author, “Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook”, Television Host, “The Martha Stewart Show” on Creating a Brand
Quincy Jones, 7 Time Grammy Award Winner, Composer, Film Producer and Multimedia Entrepreneur on Creativity
Andre Agassi , 60 Career Singles Titles, Eight Grand Slam Tennis Championships, and founder of The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation (AACF) on Motivation
David Allen, Best Selling Author, “Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress Free Productivity” on Time Management
Christopher P. Gardner, Author “The Pursuit of Happyness” on Personal Inspiration
Frank Abagnale – “Catch Me if You Can” on Learning from Experience
Loretta LaRoche, Best-Selling Author “Life is Short, Wear Your Party Pants” on Stress Management
It was a great day of learning.
The following presenters told their own stories -
Martha Stewart, International Business Icon, Best Selling Author, “Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook”, Television Host, “The Martha Stewart Show” on Creating a Brand
Quincy Jones, 7 Time Grammy Award Winner, Composer, Film Producer and Multimedia Entrepreneur on Creativity
Andre Agassi , 60 Career Singles Titles, Eight Grand Slam Tennis Championships, and founder of The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation (AACF) on Motivation
David Allen, Best Selling Author, “Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress Free Productivity” on Time Management
Christopher P. Gardner, Author “The Pursuit of Happyness” on Personal Inspiration
Frank Abagnale – “Catch Me if You Can” on Learning from Experience
Loretta LaRoche, Best-Selling Author “Life is Short, Wear Your Party Pants” on Stress Management
It was a great day of learning.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
March 2008 Economic Digest - Importing and Exportin
March 2008 Edition
TOURISM
Canada is threatening to haul China before the WTO for discriminating against Canada by refusing to negotiate a tourism agreement that could provide billions of dollars for Canadian tourism businesses. Canada believes it could attract at least 700,000 and perhaps a million Chinese tourists annually if it wins an agreement known as "Approved Destination Status (ADS) which Canada has been seeking since 1999. Without an ADS, Canada is banned from advertising itself as a tourist destination in China and Chinese tour groups are prohibited from going to Canada.
BUMBERSHOOT
This is another name for an umbrella. A new one should be able to tell Americans when to prepare for rain. The device tracks the forecast for any of 150 U.S. locations. When rain is expected in the next few hours, the umbrella's handle illuminates. Patterns change to indicate rain, drizzle or thunderstorms.
SIZE
Panasonic recently introduced the "life screen," a TV set with a screen six feet high and 11 feet long. It enables viewers to watch everything in life size. The 227-kilogram set is expected to cost around $100,000. One drawback is that the life screen can only be watched comfortably from 30 feet away, making it unsuitable for most living rooms.
TAXES
A new theory hypothesizes that high taxes, not incomes, redistributes people. As proof it is noted that New York State, with maximum personal income tax rate of 10.5 per cent, lost more than 1.9 million people between 1997 and 2006. California with a maximum personal income tax rate of 10.3 per cent lost more than 1.3 million people. In contrast, Florida and Texas, both with a zero tax personal income tax rate, gained more than 1.6 million and 769,000 people respectively.
PIPELINE
The new 1,200 kilometre pipeline being constructed between Vyborg, Russia under the Baltic Sea to Greifswald in Northern Germany is both controversial and a huge technical and logistical challenge. Once construction is completed at the end of 2010, the pipeline will supply Russian natural gas to customers all over Europe. The long-term goal is to supply up to 55-billion cubic metres of gas each year. The project is expected to cost US$7.4-billion, but due to delays could cost much more.
TALENT
Last November, the International Baccalaureate exam, one of the world's most challenging tests of academic proficiency, was taken by 5,500 students from 125 countries. Twenty of them scored the maximum of 45 points and almost half of them were from a single school, the independent Anglo-Chinese school in Singapore. A score of 40 qualifies a student for admission to an Ivy League university in the U.S. or to Oxford in the U.K.
TASTE
Marmalade companies in the U.K are to launch a new form of the orange spread to appeal to youngsters in the hope of halting slumping sales. This market was worth about US$100-million but fell by two per cent in value over the past year because of a drop in demand. One company which has launched an orange spread has also developed apricot and carrot varieties which combine jam and marmalade properties.
DISASTERS
From winter storms in Europe, flooding in Britain and wildfires in the U.S., losses to natural disasters nearly doubled in 2007 to just below US$30-billion globally after an unusually quiet 2006.One large insurer warns that climate change could mean a growing number of weather-related catastrophes in coming years.
VEHICLES
GM executives claim that cars that drive themselves, even parking at their destination, could be ready for sale within a decade. Much of the technology already exists for vehicles to drive themselves such as radar-based cruise control, motion sensors, lane-change warning devices, electronic stability control and satellite-based digital mapping. The most significant obstacles could be human rather than technical; government regulations, liability laws, privacy concerns and people's passion for the control of automobiles.
ELEVATORS
Mitsubishi in Japan has opened the world's tallest elevator testing tower, a 173 metre-high structure. It is worth US$50-million and will be used to conduct research into high-speed elevators to serve the next generation of super tall buildings. It will test new drives, gears, cables and other lift systems. The world's current tallest building is the Taipei 101 at 1,666 feet but it will soon be dwarfed by towers in Dubai, Shanghai, Moscow and Chicago. Even traditionally low-rise London will soon have a 1,017 foot building, the tallest skyscraper in Europe.
LIGHTS
A new type of super-efficient household light bulb is being developed which could spell the end of regular bulbs. Experts have found a way to make Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) brighter and use less power than energy efficient light bulbs currently on the market. The technology, used in gadgets such as mobile phones and computers, had previously not been powerful enough to be used for lighting.
JOBS
According to analysis of U.S. Labour Statistics, department stores have slashed 247,100 jobs since 2001. Economists believe that technology has played a significant role in the downsizing. The industry spends US$34.5-billion annually on all kinds of in-store and stockroom technology.
TRENDS
The number of Christmas cards sold in Britain has dropped by 20 million in the past two years. The fall has been blamed on the rise of the "eCard," an electronic greeting sent over the Internet or by mobile phone. This is increasingly popular with young people who say it is easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional cards. A new survey found that 40 per cent of 16 to 35-year-olds are happy to abandon traditional cards in favour of eCards.
PLASTIC
China is declaring war on "white pollution" choking its cities, farms and waterways and is banning free plastic shopping bags and calling for a return to the cloth bags of old, steps largely welcomed by merchants and shoppers. There is no estimate of the number of bags used in China or the savings in terms of petroleum used to produce them.
KNIVES
The iconic Swiss Army Knife fell out of favour when airlines banned pocket knives and mobile phones and MP3 players vied for pocket space. Still, the strong Swiss-made label and perceptions of quality have recently helped lift sales of the knife by five per cent in the past two years in the face of cheaper competition and imitations. The private company that makes them had sales of US$418-million in 2006 and has now diversified into products such as luggage, kitchen knives, clothing, watches and even a perfume.
WINE
European governments are to pay wine makers to tear out 175,000 hectares of vines yielding low-quality grapes and put quality over quantity in a push to make wines from Chianti to Bordeaux more competitive with "New World" producers. Mass produced wines from California, Australia and South Africa are flooding into Europe. The 27-nation EU bottles and drinks three-fifths of the world's wine.
MAINTENANCE
The value of the global industry for aircraft maintenance and overhaul (MRO) in 2007 was US$41-million. 37 per cent of the work was done in North America, one per cent in India, five per cent in the Middle East, six per cent in China and the balance spread around the world. The market is expected to grow by almost nine per cent a year for the next five years and by 2017 will be worth $62-billion annually with both India and the Middle East increasing their share of the market.
ADVERTISING
Eleven leading companies in the European food and beverage industry have voluntarily agreed to change their policies on advertising for children by the end of 2008, setting standards on nutritional content to encourage more healthful lifestyles. They have agreed not to advertise food and beverages on television programmes, web sites or in the print media where children under 12 could be considered target audience, except for products that meet specific nutrition criteria.
AFRICA
A 14-teraflop Blue Gene supercomputer capable of making 14-trillion floating point calculations per second and worth about $2-million is being donated by IBM to a Centre for High Performance Computing in Cape Town, South Africa. This will be the most powerful supercomputer on the African continent and will be available free of charge to any qualifying African institution for use on advanced scientific projects. The donation is to stimulate scientific and socio-economic progress in the region.
HEALTH
Walt Disney Co., which claims to employ more people in one place than any other company in the U.S., has announced plans to build a medical centre for its workers at its Florida theme park. The $6-million, 15,000-square-foot clinic, to be open nights and weekends, is scheduled to open in 2009.
EATING
Restaurant industry sales in the U.S. are expected to reach $558-billion in 2008. The industry is entering its 17th consecutive year of real sales growth this year. Sales at full-service restaurants are projected to reach $188-billion this year, an increase of 4.3 per cent over 2007. Expanded menu choices, meeting the demand of today's increasingly sophisticated and value conscious consumer and added off-premise options (takeout and delivery) will drive the growth.
FUNDS
Saudi Arabia plans to establish a sovereign wealth fund that is expected to dwarf Abu Dhabi's US$900-billion and become the largest in the world. The new fund will be a formidable rival for other government-owned investment funds in the Middle East and Asia which are playing an increasingly active role in channelling capital to western companies.
COMPETITION
Tesco is Britain's biggest supermarket group and the world's third largest retailer. The company now intends to build 50 Fresh & Easy stores in southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix by February 2009, and 200 more stores per year after that in these areas, becoming about a US$10-billion operation by 2015.
HAM
Pure Iberian ham is one of Spain's most famous and possibly its most expensive export. It can cost up to US$2,000 for a whole leg. Acorns, the staple diet of the thoroughbred pigs used to produce the ham, are in short supply due to the rapid spread of a fungus that has been linked to climate change. Fuelled by drought, the fungus is killing up to 190,000 trees, or 10,000 acres annually. Exports of ham to Europe alone are worth US$90-million a year to the Spanish economy.
RECYCLING
Mourners shivering in a chapel in the U.K. are to be kept warm by using heat generated from cremating their loved ones. The City Council says that the heat generated will be enough to power the boiler and light the chapel. They admit this is a sensitive issue and have promised to consult clergy and the wider community. One priest says that as a final act of generosity, it's a lovely way for the dead to provide comfort for the living at a difficult time.
Thank you for reading the A & A Economic News Digest. For more information visit our website www.aacb.com or contact A & A Contract Customs Brokers Ltd. at strehler@aacb.com.
Past issues of the A&A Economic News Digest can be found at http://www.aacb.com/publications/ed/index.asp
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Do you need a U.S. address for shipping packages to?
From time to time, I am asked if we have a U.S. address to ship packages to. These questions come from family, friends, customers, etc. So, I thought I would do a post about this question.
The answer is "Yes" - especially for people located in B.C. We have a warehouse in Blaine, Washington that is very convenient to have packages sent to.
This is especially helpful if your are buying from a U.S. supplier who doesn't ship to Canada. And, many times, the supplier will ship within the U.S. / domestically for free.
To use this warehouse as a convenient receiving depot, simply follow these instructions - http://www.aacb.com/contact/usa_warehouse.asp
You can either drive down and pick up the packages yourself or have us pick them up, clear them through Customs and deliver them to your door.
The answer is "Yes" - especially for people located in B.C. We have a warehouse in Blaine, Washington that is very convenient to have packages sent to.
This is especially helpful if your are buying from a U.S. supplier who doesn't ship to Canada. And, many times, the supplier will ship within the U.S. / domestically for free.
To use this warehouse as a convenient receiving depot, simply follow these instructions - http://www.aacb.com/contact/usa_warehouse.asp
You can either drive down and pick up the packages yourself or have us pick them up, clear them through Customs and deliver them to your door.
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