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HECNA Global Forum attendees had the opportunity today to visit the Colon Duty Free Trade Zone, located about one hour outside of Panama City.  The Trade Zone is a key trans-shipment point where product suppliers and distributors hold products for re-shipment to their final destination.  Customs duties are only paid once the product enters the final destination country.  May's…

  Tuesday's final event was a tabletop trade show and reception where Global Forum attendees had the opportunity to showcase their products to more than XX buyers from YY countries.  This three hour event provided the perfect compliment to the education received earlier in the day, giving HECNA members a unique opportunity to meet directly with buyer attendees.  Key…

Those earning HECNA Global Trade Specialists awards were honored today in Panama City at the Global Forum.  HECNA members earn credits by attending official educational programs and by participating in trade missions and events.  Four members achieved the Level 1 distinction by earning 20 credits,  and one member achieved the Level 2 distinction by earning 40 credits. Level 1…

  This afternoon's program began with a presentation from Alejandro Lorenzo from Ace International.     Highlights include:   - Ace International has a network of 600 stores in 60 countries and operate in regions that have recently been given more purchasing autonomy.   - They have over 3,500 items in stock in their warehouse in Panama, and…

In the second half of this morning's session, Lucio Bernal, Home Sentry's General Manager, shared the story of this Colombian retailer and its growth from being hardware focused into a more full-line home products retailer.  Free standing stores are approximately 30,000 square feet, and shopping mall stores are approximately 10,000 square feet.  Home Sentry is transferring…

This morning's program featured market reports on Brazil, France and Australia.  The first presentation from Andre Carvalho from distributor Dellar focused on the dynamics affecting the growing consumer market in Brazil. Among his key points are: - Currency fluctuations create challenges for any supplier. - The size of the country makes freight costs a factor in pricing. -…

This afternoon, after an informative presentation on EU requirements for food contact products by Donald Moffett, Wilton Brands' Director of Global Compliance and Quality Assurance, Global Forum attendees are learning more about the South Africa market from the ultimate market insider, Annemie Fourie.   Ms. Fourie first entered the global housewares marketplace as a…

The second day of the HECNA Global Forum opened in Panama City, Panama with a deep dive into the intricacies of U.S. export controls with a presentation by Maarten Sengers of BSG Consulting. Martin claims, with tongue in cheek, to have dreamed as a child of becoming an export compliance expert.   Maartin goes on to share with attendees what the U.S. government…