Useful Sites # 69 about Sweden, Shipping Schedules, Visa Waivers and Mutual Funds

[FITA's Really Useful Sites]

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Really Useful Sites for International Trade Professionals Issue 69 Volume 3 
Number 21
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October 8, 2003
Issue 69
VOLUME 3 Number 21
 
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 IN THIS ISSUE
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OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- SWEDEN
SCHEDNET
VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
CHINESE VERSION OF REALLY USEFUL SITES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
MUTUAL FUND COST CALCULATOR


Hello, John McDonnell here, with your latest issue of Really Useful Sites for 
International Trade Professionals. In this issue I have a site that will give 
you the key to trade success in Sweden. In addition, I profile a site that will 
help you streamline your shipping operation. If you travel to the U.S. 
regularly, or you have business associates who do, you're probably affected by 
the U.S. State Department's Visa Waiver Program, and you should read my review 
of a site that gives up- to-date information about that program. Finally, I 
have a site that will tell you exactly how much you'll have to pay in fees if 
you invest in various mutual funds -- a key factor in making investment 
decisions.
If you'd like more information about international trade, go to FITA's 
International Trade/ Import-Export Portal <http://fita.org> ( http://fita.org 
), an excellent source for trade leads, news, events, and a link library of 
7,000 sites related to international trade.


OUR FEATURED COUNTRY SITE -- SWEDEN
http://www.sweden.se

If I were a company looking for international markets I'd take a look at the 
Land of the Midnight Sun, otherwise known as Sweden. This small but prosperous 
country has a high standard of living, and is so dependent on trade that 
exports account for 30 percent of GDP. Germany and Great Britain are Sweden's 
two main trading partners, but there are opportunities here for everyone. 
If you're interested in entering the Swedish market, go to Sweden.SE 
<http://www.sweden.se/> (http://www.sweden.se). This official gateway to Sweden 
on the Web has everything you need to get started researching Sweden. There are 
links to statistics, news, economic data, trade contacts, government agencies, 
legal information, travel & tourism tips,technology industry reports, and much 
more. This is the site to bookmark if you want to learn about Sweden. 
There are many more links to Sweden at the FITA site. Go to FITA's 
International Trade Web Resources <http://fita.org/webindex/index.html> at 
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 Sweden in the drop-down box. Or simply type "Sweden" in the search box 
at http://www.fita.org. <http://www.fita.org> 
There are some great books on trade with Sweden in the FITA Global Trade 
Bookstore <http://www.fita.org/marketplace/books.php>, including the D and B 
Export Guide: Sweden 
<http://www.fita.org/marketplace/product.php?asin=B00005OOYW>, Sweden 
Investment and Business Guide 
<http://www.fita.org/marketplace/product.php?asin=B00005R4TS> and Exporting to 
Scandinavia <http://www.fita.org/marketplace/product.php?asin=0749426918>. 
The Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce <http://www.sacc-usa.org/> are FITA 
member associations that promote trade with Sweden and have Web sites with 
extensive resources abouat doing business with Sweden.
 

SCHEDNET
http://www.schednet.com/home/index.asp

Closing the sale isn't the end of the story in international trade -- you still 
have to get the product to the customer. Shipping is critically important, 
which is why a site like Schednet  <http://www.schednet.com/home/index.asp>( 
http://www.schednet.com/home/index.asp) is so useful. Schednet has a large 
variety of tools for people who need to transport their goods, including 
shipping and air freight schedules, cargo tracking, a list of ports worldwide, 
classified ads, information about tariffs, a logistics directory, and much 
more. 


THE FITA BUY/SELL EXCHANGE
http://fita.worldbid.com <http://fita.m.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz173172>

FITA's business-to-business marketplace 
<http://fita.m.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz173172> at http://fita.worldbid.com 
helps your company find more business by delivering tender opportunities, RFQ's 
and qualified offers to buy and sell. The FITA Buy/Sell Exchange 
<http://fita.m.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz173172> give you access to a global 
network of affiliated trade sites that work together to bring together 
businesses across borders.

According to Tom Huynh of AAA Wholesale Distributor, "...Worldbid.com [FITA's 
partner powering the Buy Sell Exchange] has given us an opportunity to conduct 
our [giftware] business worldwide."

Click here <http://fita.m.xtenit.com/ct.jsp?uz327937Biz173172> to boost your 
trading with the FITA Buy/Sell Exchange, powered by Worldbid.com.

VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
http://travel.state.gov/vwp.html

Travelers from 21 countries included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program should be 
aware that by next year they will need a machine- readable passport (MRP) in 
order to enter the U.S. without a visa. These passports have biographical 
information about the traveler on a computer chip, and they are tamper-proof, 
which is why the Department of Homeland Security and State Department are 
requiring them. The date for compliance with this rule has been moved back to 
October 26, 2004. Hovever, there are six countries whose citizens are already 
required to use MRPs. To find out which countries are affected, and to learn 
more about the MRP requirement. go to the U.S. Department of State's Visa 
Waiver Program <http://travel.state.gov/vwp.html> ( 
http://travel.state.gov/vwp.html)  

CHINESE VERSION OF REALLY USEFUL SITES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE PROFESSIONALS
http://www.fita.org/sparkice/mediakit.html

FITA is proud to announce a new partnership with Sparkice 
<http://www.sparkice.com> of Beijing, China. Starting in October 2003 Sparkice 
will distribute a Chinese version of Really Useful Sites for International 
Trade Professionals to more than 600,000 international trade professionals 
throughout greater China. Click here 
<http://test.sparkice.com.cn/sparkiceApp/jsp/zh_CN/fita/magazine.html> for a 
sneak preview of the first issue. And click here 
<http://www.fita.org/sparkice/mediakit.html> for information about advertising 
to this huge market at a very low cost, including classified ads for companies 
seeking partners. To advertise, contact Barney Lehrer, FITA's Director of 
eCommerce at <mailto:address@hidden>. 

MUTUAL FUND COST CALCULATOR
http://www.sec.gov/investor/tools/mfcc/mfcc-int.htm

If you're a Joe Average investor like me, you probably wonder from time to time 
if you're paying too much in fees for your mutual funds. Mutual fund fees can 
eat up a healthy chunk of your profits, so it's important to know just how much 
you're paying. Now there's a way to compare fund fees. The Mutual Fund Cost 
Calculator <http://www.sec.gov/investor/tools/mfcc/mfcc-int.htm> ( 
http://www.sec.gov/investor/tools/mfcc/mfcc-int.htm), from the U.S. Securities 
and Exchange Commission, shows you exactly what mutual funds are charging, 
which is will help you make better investing decisions. You'll also find a 
handy guide to analyzing Mutual Funds at this site.  





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