Dollar Rally?

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Currency war?  Dollar rally?  Need for more U.S. economic stimulus?   You decide.

WORLD FOREX:  Dollar Falls to 15-Year Low Vs. Yen On Weak U.S. Jobs | WSJ.com


As Dollar Falls, 'Currency War' Talk Builds | WSJ.com

The dollar hit fresh lows against several currencies Thursday, raising pressure on global leaders to address worsening tensions among countries vying to keep their currencies weak and exports competitive.

FX Outlook:  U.S. dollar to get a respite after recent selloff | Reuters

US sheds 95,000 jobs in September | FT.com

The US needs to create about 200,000 jobs a month in order to keep up with population growth, let alone bring down the unemployment rate, and the weakness of the labour market since the spring has been one of the most troubling signs that the economic recovery has hit a soft patch.

IMF's Blanchard says no need for more U.S. stimulus | Reuters

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Global and Domestic Demand Begins to Return

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The Atlantic reports:

Even though the trade gap hit an 18-month high in May, exports rose substantially, by $3.5 billion. Imports just grew faster, by $5.5 billion. But increasing exports is pretty significant news. Last month they declined by $1 billion, so a big bump in the positive direction is welcome news. In fact, exports grew to the largest amount we've seen since September 2008, hitting a 20-month high.

Read more here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Develop a Structured Export Strategy

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Here's what U.K. based Dawson Precision Components (DPC) practices:

“There’s no point in competing on price with the Far East. We do get offered some ridiculous things where you couldn’t buy the material for the price of the job.” While it did lose one contract recently to a low-cost rival, he says it quickly won the work back based on the inferior results produced by the competitor. “We’re happy to focus on precision and quality."

Read more about this company's experience in the export market here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Exports Strengthen Global Trade

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According to the Commerce Department, the U.S. trade deficit expanded 2.5% to $40.4 billion in March, compared with the prior month.

The March rise in exports and imports was a positive indicator for U.S. demand, as well as for international trade, signaling that more economies around the world are recovering from the downturn.
U.S. exports rose 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted $147.9 billion, while imports increased 3.1% to $188.3 billion.

Read more here.
Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Signs of Life in Global Trade

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Two of the world's most important economies -- China and the United States -- are showing signs of growth.

U.S. exports grew in May, while imports fell, helping to narrow the trade deficit to its lowest level in nearly nine years. The report prompted economists to revise up their estimates of second-quarter gross domestic product. Some even suggested the economy might have grown slightly in the second quarter.

Read all about it here.

International Trade Symposium

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SBA will hold an International Trade Symposium in Nation's Capital on Tuesday, November 18. Part of what will take place:

Experts will educate small businesses on the resources available to help them export their goods and services. The symposium will begin with a panel of successful small business exporters who will share their stories and expertise on tapping into the global market. Valuable networking and counseling opportunities for small businesses interested in expanding their businesses through international trade also will be available.

Reducing barriers to trade is a significant way to help small businesses through the current economic downturn. With exports now accounting for a larger percentage of U.S. GDP than at any other time in history, expanding free trade is crucial for America's long-term economic health. Small businesses are playing an increasingly larger role in the U.S. export sector. The number of small and medium-sized exporters grew more than twice as fast as the number of large company exporters, between 1992 and 2003. This international trade symposium will enable small businesses to better understand how to take advantage of free trade and continue export growth.

Read more here.

Some U.S. Exports Are Facilitated by Fraudulent Credit Card Transactions

I am working on a project and just stumbled upon this information. Good advice and it doesn't just apply to Singapore. It could be any place on the planet.

Bottom line: If you receive a credit card order from anywhere in the world, check its legitimacy before you ship.