Global Opportunities

Benefit from IHA’s International Business Council, which offers opportunities, education and insight to help members succeed in the global marketplace!

Brazil / Colombia Trade Mission September 2015

A motivated group of International Housewares Association supplier members gathered in September in São Paulo to begin a six day mission that would involve tours of leading retail stores in São Paulo and Bogotá and preset one-to-one meetings with important retailers of housewares and home retailers in both markets. On Sunday, September 13, our intrepid group boarded a bus in…

Mexico: Online Retail

Article from: morningnewsbeat.com Bloomberg reports on how Mexico is becoming a hot market for online retailers. "In June," the story says, "Amazon.com Inc. began operating in Latin America’s second-largest economy -- where online retail sales, excluding travel and event tickets, are seen growing 30 percent to $5.7 billion this year, according to eMarketer. While Web-based…

UK Retail – Asda to Delay Store Expansion in London

Article By Saabira Chaudhuri The Wall Street Journal Asda, the U.K. supermarket chain owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., WMT 0.10 % on Monday moved to delay store expansion in London and scale back its “click-and-collect” program as the retailer works to reinvigorate its physical store base and fend off a pair of discounters that have badly squeezed its sales. The announcement…

Up Your Global Game – Small Business Forum

October 23 Global Small Business Forum sponsored by Global TradeSource Ltd. with: TradeUp; Endicia; Chicago Expert Importers; The International Trade Association of Greater Chicago as well as other sponsors. 7:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. (Networking Reception follows) Navy Pier, Festival Hall, Rooms 328-329 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago. Fee: $105 For information &…

IHA Trade Mission Explores Australian, New Zealand Markets

Housewares suppliers interested in the home and housewares markets in Australia and New Zealand can meet with key retailers and learn more about the business climate during a trade mission to Sydney and Auckland Nov. 8 to 13 sponsored by the International Housewares Association. Spots are still available in the trade mission, which is limited to 12 IHA member companies. In…

SBA Support for Export Promotion – Financial Support for your Export Efforts

You may already be familiar with the Small Business Administration’s State Trade and Export Promotion Pilot Initiative (CFDA# 59.061). This program allows companies who are seeking to explore export markets to receive support from this combined state and federal government program. As their website states: The State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Program is a pilot export…

How China’s Currency Policies Will Change the World

China’s currency analyzed and how it will impact the entire world from an economic standpoint. Summary The recent fluctuations in China's currency typify the best and worst of a globalized world, where developments in one place can instantly change the political and financial calculations of governments in others. For most of human history, the communities, cultures and…

2015 IBC Global Forum: Daniela Romero, HEB Mexico

The concluding presenter at the 2015 IBC Global Forum was Daniela Romero, Buyer for a leading Mexican supermarket and general merchandise retailer, HEB Mexico. Affiliated with the US based HEB, HEB Mexico sources product independently. Ms. Romero’s presentation included these stats on HEB Mexico: -HEB has 52 stores in Mexico & Ma Tienda has 9 stores in Mexico -HEB in the…

2015 IBC Global Forum: Jackson Liang, Genesis Household Products

The burgeoning China market holds tremendous promise form makers of well-designed and functional products for the home. Our next speaker, Jackson Liang, Managing Director of Genesis Household Products, a company which imports and places products in the China market. Mr. Liang offered these insights on his market: - China's population is 19% of total world population -…