Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals, Issue 55 Volume 3 Number 7

[Federation of International Trade Associations]

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Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals Issue 55 Volume 3 
Number 7
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March 26, 2003
Issue 55
VOLUME 3 Number 7
 
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 IN THIS ISSUE
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OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- ITALY
SAFETY TIPS DURING WAR
MAPS OF IRAQ
HOW STUFF WORKS


Here's your latest issue of Really Useful Sites for International Trade 
Professionals. 
This free bi-weekly newsletter reviews useful Web sites from the Web Resources 
database 
at FITA's International Trade/ Import-Export Portal at http://www.fita.org, an 
excellent 
source for trade leads, news, events, and a link library of 5,000+ sites 
related to 
international trade. 

My name is John McDonnell, and for years I've been writing about useful Web 
sites for 
businesspeople, in various publications. Now I've focused on international 
trade, using 
my Web research skills to find sites that are useful for international 
businesspeople, 
and some sites that are just plain fun for anyone.


Here are the sites:


OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- ITALY
http://www.link2exports.co.uk/marketprofiles/regions.asp?lsid=1459

Although it has been on a bit of a belt-tightening plan in recent years, Italy 
is still one of the largest U.S. trading partners, and has the world's fifth 
largest industrial economy. A U.S. Department of Commerce report says that as 
the Italian government's austerity plan moves forward, Italy "should offer even 
more opportunities for U.S. firms, both as a destination for exports and a 
point for investment". If you want to research opportunities in the Italian 
market, a good place to start is the profile of Italy at Link2Exports 
<http://www.link2exports.co.uk/marketprofiles/regions.asp?lsid=1459> ( 
http://www.link2exports.co.uk/marketprofiles/regions.asp?lsid=1459 ). This site 
is run by the British Chambers of Commerce, but there's good information here 
for everyone. You'll find a detailed country profile, plus reports on the 
economy, political scene, tourist trade, and other areas of Italian life. 
You'll find particularly useful information if you click on "Export Tips", and 
"Indepth Info" at the top of the page. 
There are many more links to Italy at the FITA site. Go to 
<http://fita.org/webindex/index.html>, click on Regional Resources and 
Multi-Lateral Trading Areas in the left column, then scroll down to Europe and 
click on Italy in the drop-down box. Or simply type "Italy" in the search box 
at <http://www.fita.org>.  

SAFETY TIPS DURING WAR
http://travel.state.gov/asafetripabroad.html

As I write this, the U.S. has launched an attack on Iraq, and it seems to me 
the best thing for all humanity to do is pray for a swift, just, and peaceful 
end to this conflict. It is a solemn time, and I pray that innocent people will 
be spared the horrors of war, and that peace will come to the Middle East. 
This is probably not the best time to travel, but of course, many of us need to 
travel for our livelihoods. If you do travel, check out the page of the U.S. 
State Department's page of safety tips for travelers 
<http://travel.state.gov/asafetripabroad.html> ( 
http://travel.state.gov/asafetripabroad.html). At the State Department of the 
U.S.'s Travel and Living Abroad page <http://www.state.gov/travel/> ( 
http://www.state.gov/travel/ ), you'll find even more information for traveling 
safely. 
Another tip: Although we don't expect that any travelers will face problems in 
Western Europe, you should know that the emergeny number in Western Europe is 
112, and can be dialed free of charge from phones (including mobile phones). 
(The emergency number in the U.S. is 911.) For a list of emergency numbers 
worldwide go to: <http://www.healthcareland.com/sos/embassy_links.htm>. 


THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY
500,000 companies in 33 countries
http://www.europages.com <http://xis.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz46750> 
EUROPAGES <http://xis.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz46750> is a business 
directory listing 500,000 companies selected for their import-export dynamism 
in all business sectors in over 35 European countries. EUROPAGES is an ideal 
tool for finding new clients, suppliers and partners: it is a popular reference 
guide with European purchasing directors. Europages.com 
<http://xis.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz46750>, your connection to the 
business world ! 
One single ad in EUROPAGES generates an average of 102 business contacts in one 
year. People like Peter from Denmark say, "EUROPAGES is our best investment for 
export." Click here <http://xis.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz46751> to learn 
about how your company can be featured in EUROPAGES. 

MAPS OF IRAQ
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_iraq_key_maps/html/military_operations_1.stm

If you want to get a good picture of the war in Iraq, go to the BBC's Key Maps 
of the Middle East 
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_iraq_ke%20y_maps/html/military_operations_1.stm>
 ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_iraq_ke 
y_maps/html/military_operations_1.stm ). This is a clear, easy- to- use site 
with maps of Iraq. The maps are very detailed, and show things like Iraqi 
missile sites (showing the range of each missile), oilfields, weapons sites, 
coalition troop deployments, dissident areas, Saddam Hussein's residences, 
breaking news about military operations, and more. You can click on areas of 
each map for more information.  

HOW STUFF WORKS
http://www.howstuffworks.com/

I recently needed to replace a windshield wiper on my car. For most people this 
would not be such a big deal, but for me, a certified klutz when it comes to 
anything mechanical, it was a momentous occasion. This time, however, instead 
of panicking the way I usually do when I have to work with my hands, I went to 
HowStuffWorks  <http://www.howstuffworks.com/>( http://www.howstuffworks.com/ 
). At this site I found a history and explanation of windshield wipers, wiper 
maintenance and repair tips, and links to sites where I could order replacement 
wipers (and find out how to install them). HowStuffWorks is an amazing site, 
because it gives clear, detailed explanations of everything from ballpoint pens 
to rainbows, cruise missiles to the human ear, the stock market to hypnosis. 
You can either browse the topics (AutoStuff, MoneyStuff, ScienceStuff, etc.), 
or do a keyword search. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you can click 
on "Big List of Articles" to see all the topics they've covered. There's also a 
forum where you can ask questions and get advice.  





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Published by Federation of International Trade Associations 
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