They've been busy at the USITC. Every month I get this email which updates me on trade data, but this one has many new goodies, so I will reproduce it in full. One particular item is videos on how to look up HTS classifications, which never hurts to learn more. I also like the trade in services report, even though the reports are not very substantial.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FTD Web News
- What's new and what's news from the Foreign Trade Division?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: September 1, 2009
Contents:
1. New Look and Feel for the Web Site
2. About this mailing list...
a. Subscribe
b. Unsubscribe
3. Questions & Comments
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1.) NEW LOOK AND FEEL FOR THE WEB SITE
Today, the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau
released some redesigned web pages.
- MAIN: This is the main page about FOREIGN TRADE. You'll have
access to the most recent trade figures, news, upcoming data
releases, export regulations, and seminars.
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html]
- ABOUT FOREIGN TRADE: An overview of Forign Trade and the types
of data and other services that are available.
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/about/index.html]
- DATA: Get the latest trade data from this page. Previously, it
was called "Statistics".
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/data/index.html]
- AES: News about the Automated Export System (AES) and how to
participate.
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/index.html]
- REGULATIONS: The latest about Foreign Trade Regulations.
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/regulations/index.html]
- REFERENCE: Need codes? Want to know more about Foreign Trade?
Here's where you'll find your references.
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/reference/index.html]
- DEFINITIONS: Definitions of Foreign Trade terms in one convenient
reference.
[
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/reference/definitions/index.html]
- SCHEDULE B: Look up your Schedule B export codes.
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html]
- FAQs: Look at Foreign Trade Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
[http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/faq/index.html]
Also on every page:
- IMPORTANT LINKS to other pages that relate to FOREIGN TRADE
- Links to RELATED SITES about the economy and business
- Schedule of UPCOMING RELEASES AND SEMINARS. Always know what
we're doing next.
- CONTACT US. You'll always have some way to get in touch with us.
2.) About this mailing list...
--------------------------
This mailing list is meant to keep you apprised of the latest
notices and information available through the Foreign Trade Division
web site.
- http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/index.html
2a.) Subscribe
---------
If you would like to subscribe to this list, follow the
instructions under SUBSCRIBING TO FTD-WEB-NEWS on the list
information page.
- http://lists.census.gov/mailman/listinfo/ftd-web-news
2b.) Unsubscribe
-----------
Should you wish to unsubscribe to this list:
i.) Go to http://lists.census.gov/mailman/listinfo/ftd-web-news
ii.) Under the heading FTD-WEB-NEWS SUBSCRIBERS, enter your
subscription e-mail address in the last field and click
the button labeled "Edit Options".
iii.) Under UNSUBSCRIBING FROM FTD-WEB-NEWS, enter your password.
- We require the password to keep others from unsubscribing
you.
- If you don't know your password, click EMAIL MY PASSWORD
TO ME
to have your password emailed to your subscription e-mail
address.
3.) Questions and comments
----------------------
Please e-mail any questions or comments to ftd.web.news@census.gov.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Foreign Trade Statistics - Your Key to Trade
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_______________________________________________
ftd-web-news mailing list
ftd-web-news@lists.census.gov
http://lists.census.gov/mailman/listinfo/ftd-web-news
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Govt Stats Site Updated
It Figures...
The first entity in the United State that the socialist paradise Cuba is able to communicate with is the postal service. Maybe something good can come of this, such as more freedom down the road for Americans.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Ty Warner Hotels
I mention Ty Warner in my book, and I saw an ad in Forbes for one of his properties. The fellow made so much off Beanie Babies he was obliged to buy entire resorts cash to sop up some of the money. Sheesh!
Hatchette Cannot Compete In A Free Market
The financial Times does not want their articles extracted for others to argue with so they play with the text to make it unusable. The important parts are my comments which are layed out normally, so give this a patient read.
* F T H o m e
E - b o o k s c o u l d s p e l l t h e e n d f o r h a r d b a c k s , w a r n s H a c h e t t e c h i e f
B y B e n H a l l i n P a r i s
P u b l i s h e d : A u g u s t 3 0 2 0 0 9 2 3 : 3 1 | L a s t u p d a t e d : A u g u s t 3 0 2 0 0 9 2 3 : 3 1
H a r d b a c k b o o k s c o u l d b e k i l l e d o f f i f A m a z o n s e - b o o k s a n d G o o g l e s d i g i t a l l i b r a r y f o r c e p u b l i s h e r s t o s l a s h p r i c e s , A r n a u d N o u r r y , c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o f F r e n c h p u b l i s h i n g g r o u p H a c h e t t e , h a s w a r n e d .
***Amazon cannot force anyone to do anything. Some business managers may feel compelled to take some act, out of ignorance or greed, but no one is forced to do anything in business.***
E b o o k s M r N o u r r y s a i d u n i l a t e r a l p r i c i n g b y G o o g l e , A m a z o n a n d o t h e r e - b o o k r e t a i l e r s s u c h a s B a r n e s & N o b l e c o u l d d e s t r o y p u b l i s h e r s p r o f i t s .
***These companies control Hatchette’s profits? Hatchette is reactive onjly, it has no proactive capabilities?***
H e s a i d p u b l i s h e r s w e r e v e r y h o s t i l e t o A m a z o n s p r i c i n g s t r a t e g y o v e r w h i c h t h e o n l i n e r e t a i l e r f a i l e d t o c o n s u l t p u b l i s h e r s t o c h a r g e $ 9 . 9 9 f o r a l l i t s e - b o o k s i n t h e U S . H e a l s o p o i n t e d t o p l a n s b y G o o g l e t o p u t m i l l i o n s o f o u t - o f - c o p y r i g h t b o o k s o n l i n e f o r p u b l i c u s e .
***Not all publsihers are hostile. Seattle Teachers College Press has been consistently please, if soometimes pleasantly surprised, by Amazon’s pricing strategies.***
O n t h e o n e h a n d , y o u h a v e m i l l i o n s o f b o o k s f o r f r e e w h e r e t h e r e i s n o l o n g e r a n a u t h o r t o p a y a n d , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e r e a r e v e r y r e c e n t b o o k s , b e s t s e l l e r s a t $ 9 . 9 9 , w h i c h m e a n s t h a t a l l t h e r e s t w i l l h a v e t o b e s o l d a t b e t w e e n z e r o a n d $ 9 . 9 9 , M r N o u r r y s a i d .
***Mr. Nourry does not keep up with the publishing industry in which Hatchette is presently a leader. When he says “free” he means free of royalty payments to authors, which is true of most books ever written.. They still bneed to be produced and distributed, at a profit, something that Mr. Noury seems not to understand.***
T h e r e w a s a r e a l a n d m u s c u l a r d e b a t e i n t h e i n d u s t r y i n t h e U S , h e a d d e d . R e t a i l e r s w e r e p a y i n g p u b l i s h e r s m o r e t h a n $ 9 . 9 9 f o r e a c h e - b o o k , s o w e r e s e l l i n g t h e m a t a l o s s : T h a t c a n n o t l a s t . . .
***So why didn’t publishers get into this business? Why were they paying too much? It sounds as though business sense has atrophied at Hatchette.***
A m a z o n i s n o t i n t h e b u s i n e s s o f l o s i n g m o n e y . S o , o n e d a y , t h e y a r e g o i n g t o c o m e t o t h e p u b l i s h e r s a n d s a y : b y t h e w a y , w e a r e c u t t i n g t h e p r i c e w e p a y . I f t h a t h a p p e n s , a f t e r p a y i n g t h e a u t h o r s , t h e r e w i l l b e n o t h i n g l e f t f o r t h e p u b l i s h e r s .
***For publishers like Hatchette, that have lost the ability to compete, due to having something of a monopoly on publishing and distribution.***
S o m e r i v a l p u b l i s h e r s h a v e e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n i n p r i v a t e a t A m a z o n s f i x e d $ 9 . 9 9 p e r t i t l e p r i c i n g o n i t s K i n d l e e l e c t r o n i c r e a d e r . O t h e r s n o t e t h e m i n i m a l c o s t s o f d i s t r i b u t i n g b o o k s e l e c t r o n i c a l l y m e a n t h e y c a n m a k e h i g h e r p r o f i t m a r g i n s e v e n w i t h l o w e r p r i c e s t h a n i n p r i n t .
***VEry good... so now respond.***
R e s i s t a n c e t o t h e G o o g l e b o o k s p r o j e c t f r o m E u r o p e a n l i b r a r i e s a p p e a r s t o b e e a s i n g , w i t h t h e N a t i o n a l L i b r a r y o f F r a n c e c o n f i r m i n g t h i s m o n t h t h a t i t w a s w o r k i n g w i t h t h e U S i n t e r n e t g i a n t . B u t E u r o p e a n p u b l i s h e r s s a y t h e y a r e d e t e r m i n e d t o d e f e n d t h e i r r i g h t s .
***They are figuring out change is good.***
M r N o u r r y s a i d H a c h e t t e t h e w o r l d s s e c o n d l a r g e s t p u b l i s h e r o f b o o k s b y s a l e s w a n t e d t o w o r k w i t h G o o g l e b e c a u s e o f i t s f o r m i d a b l e o n l i n e p r e s e n c e . B u t h e c a l l e d o n t h e g r o u p t o b e m o r e r e a s o n a b l e i n i t s d e a l i n g w i t h F r e n c h p u b l i s h i n g h o u s e s .
***Or, far less expensive to the consumer, Hatchette can be more entrepreneurial.***
C o p y r i g h t T h e F i n a n c i a l T i m e s L i m i t e d 2 0 0 9 . Y o u m a y s h a r e u s i n g o u r a r t i c l e t o o l s . P l e a s e d o n ' t c u t a r t i c l e s f r o m F T . c o m a n d r e d i s t r i b u t e b y e m a i l o r p o s t t o t h e w e b .