An Introduction to Exporting

Interested in Exporting? Then check out the "Introduction to Exporting" seminar scheduled for March 9 in Orlando, Fl. Topics will include:

1. Organizing Export Procedures
2. Protecting Your Interests Abroad
3. Export Payment Methods & Financing
4. Export Logistics
5. Building an Overseas Infrastructure

I'll be speaking about ways companies can use social media to communicate with customers around the world. The event costs $45 to attend and will run from 9am to 3:30pm. To register, click here.

Rafael Gerena is the author of the "Go Global" blog and a former Economics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal. He can be reached at info@instruxo.com, www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelgerena or Twitter @instruxo

China's Achilles Heel

By Rafael Gerena, Instruxo

I was on a conference call today with Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, a global political risk research and consulting firm. He spent most of his 1-hour talk focused on China. His first main point: China will drive global economic growth for the next 5 to 10 years, but lose steam after that. He highlighted 3 key weaknesses: 1) China's working age population is set to decline in 15 years or so. This means the country's supply of low-cost manufacturing labor will be constrained. 2) China doesn't foster innovation or entrepreneurship- which hems its ability to create a world-class company ala Google or Apple. 3) China has a poor corporate governance system.

As for Latin America, Ian says Brazil should continue ascending as an economic power. And Mexico's economy should rebound as the U.S. economy does. 

You can find Ian's books on Amazon by clicking here.
His Foreign Affairs Article (subscription required) is here.

Rafael Gerena is the author of the "Go Global" blog and a former Economics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal. He can be reached at info@instruxo.com, www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelgerena or Twitter @instruxo

Florida Airports Prepare for Cuba

Florida airports are preparing for a New Era of U.S.-Cuba relations: Airport officials in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Key West and possibly Orlando plan to seek federal permission to establish direct flights to Cuba under new travel rules implemented last month by the Obama administration. The goal is to prepare for a possible rush of traffic if the two nations remove all travel barriers for American tourists, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. You can read the article here. 

The article avoids the elephant in the room: Aside from worthy political considerations, what are the business implications of booming passenger-air travel between the U.S. and Cuba? Obviously, the opening of Cuba's market would represent a major opportunity for U.S. purveyors of, say, financial services, logistics, infrastructure, higher education and consumer goods.

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Rafael Gerena is the author of the "Go Global" blog and a former Economics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal. He can be reached at 407-536-9146, info@instruxo.com, www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelgerena or www.twitter.com/Instruxo