Global Opportunities

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

Shoppers Stop: Key Indian Retailer Update

As a preview to his presentation during the upcoming IBC Global Forum, the following is a brief on Indian retail, Vikram Chitnis and Shoppers Stop, a retailer with an extensive focus on home and housewares. Retail in India continues to expand and develop from traditional “son & pop” shops to organized brick and mortar retail. Organized retail is expected reach $150 bn…

Yuwa Group: Japan Market Overview

As a preview to their presentation during the upcoming IBC Global Forum, the following is a brief on Yuwa Group, a Japanese distributor of consumer and household products. Yuwa Group was established in 1965 as an importer of consumer goods mainly from Europe, and over the last 20 years has begun working with U.S. suppliers as well. Yuwa is presently the sole agent for…

Executive Education: International Negotiation Strategies

As a preview to his Executive Education session during the upcoming IBC Global Forum, the following is a brief on Dr. Denis Leclerc, Professor of Cross-Cultural Communication at Thunderbird School of Global Management. Dr. Leclerc’s work has been published in multiple journals with a focus on communication and negotiation, including the written research of the impact of…

May Currency Outlook

In their May 2017 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief U.S. GDP growth was at its worst level since 2014 European Central Bank showed economic optimism, but remains hesitant on tightening UK Prime Minister calls for early primary election…

Export 101: Understanding Product Selection

When initiating an export plan, conducting a product selection exercise is a key element. In reviewing market selection, suppliers may have considered product suitability as one aspect, understanding on a basic level what markets were best suited for the supplier’s current product lines. Before deciding to ship products overseas, however, a more in depth product review should…

EuroDev – Outsourced Sales Solutions in Europe

EuroDev is a business development company with headquarters in the Netherlands and a secondary office in France. EuroDev’s business model is built around being the outsourced sales force for U.S. companies which are looking for boots on the ground. With a team of dedicated, experienced and multilingual business developers and subject-matter experts, EuroDev have successfully…

Trade Facilitation Agreement: Implications for U.S. Exporters

Bureaucratic delays and “red tape” pose a burden for moving goods across borders for traders. Trade facilitation – the simplification, modernization and harmonization of export and import processes – has therefore emerged as an important issue for the world trading system. On February 22, the WTO announced that the historic Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) negotiated at…

Global Retail Intelligence – May

To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: May 19 – Alibaba Delivers Yet Another Year of Powerful Growth China’s vast ranks of consumers are finding ways to spend more money online — and that’s good news for Alibaba. The Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce giant that a few years ago led the biggest share listing in the history of the American stock…

Cuba: Immediate Challenges & Long-Term Opportunities

IHA Staff conducted a recent market visit to Havana, Cuba to assess the market potential of this relatively closed and unknown market. Due to the lifting of certain restrictions by U.S. citizens to visit Cuba, more and more Americans are beginning to visit this nearby country, and there is the potential in the coming years that U.S. housewares companies will be able to…