US Industry and Trade Outlook

Description of publication

Last published five years ago under the title U.S. Industrial Outlook, this completely revised and updated guide has been renamed U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook to reflect its broader scope and in-depth coverage. It is written by a unique partnership among the U.S. Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration, DRI/McGraw-Hill, and Standard & Poor's. It is an outstanding research reference that all business faculty and students should investigate. The Outlook covers over 350 manufacturing and service business sectors in 50 chapters-giving readers in-depth overviews of each industry, key factors affecting domestic growth and global trends, and forecasts for the next one to five years. The book is eminently readable with clear charts and tables that provide a quick look at major economic trends, trade patterns, productivity, and other important data. The author of each section is included at the end of the piece along with his or her telephone number and the date the section was written. This person is your contact in Washington and should not be overlooked as a major resource for assisting in research.

Some of its most salient features include:

Up-to-date information on hundreds of industries, divided into 50 groups.

New, previously uncovered industries such as electricity production.

Expanded coverage in both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing sectors.

New graphical snapshots of economic and trade trends.

650 easy-to-read tables and charts.

New coverage of global industry trends

Hundreds of industry reviews, analyses, and forecasts.

Until the U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook, the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA) had published three reports under the Clinton administration. The first, Competing to Win in a Global Economy, analyzed the components of U.S. competitiveness vis-�-vis our most important trading partners. The second, The National Export Strategy, reported on the accomplishments of 19 federal agencies working together to promote American exports and their plans for the coming year. And a third report, The U.S. Global Trade Outlook, 1995-2000: Toward the 21st Century, provided an additional assessment of America's place in the global economy by highlighting growth and trade trends in key countries. Although these publications have been superseded, they are still fairly recent and probably could be found on the shelves of most libraries or through the Department of Commerce ITA.

To help U.S. firms compete in the global marketplace, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service has a network of district and branch offices in more than 70 U.S. cities. Most offices maintain business libraries containing the Commerce Department's latest reports. District office trade specialists provide the business community with export counseling and a variety of export programs and services, including the "Export Qualifier Program," a computerized program to help firms determine their readiness to export and enhance their exporting ability.

The Trade Information Center is a comprehensive resource for information on all federal government export assistance programs. The center is operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce for the 19 federal agencies comprising the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee. These agencies are responsible for managing the U.S. government's export promotion programs and activities.

International trade specialists can be reached weekdays on the center's toll-free telephone line. These professionals advise exporters on how to locate and use government programs and guide them through the export process. They are ready to supply general market information and basic export counseling. The TIC is an access point for information on all Federal export assistance programs including those that provide:

Export counseling.
International market research and trade leads.
Overseas and domestic trade events and activities.
Federal environmental export promotion programs and assistance.
Export financing.
Export license advice.

Country Commercial Guides (CCGs) are available through the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB), the government's complete source of international business information, at (202) 482-1986. The NTDB is published monthly on CD-ROM and is also accessible via Internet on the following locations: FTP: ftp.stat.usagov, (2) Gopher: gopher.stat.usagov, and (3) Mosaic: www.stat.usagov.

Country Commercial Guides provide the facts you need to succeed in more than 100 foreign markets. They are prepared overseas by the agencies of the U.S. Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee. Each CCG presents a comprehensive view of a selected country's commercial environment, with up-to-date information on topics of crucial interest to you or your company.

The U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) are customer-focused federal export assistance offices. USEACs streamline export marketing and trade finance by integrating in a single location the counselors and services of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank, the Small Business Administration, and, in Long Beach, the U.S. Agency for International Development. The four pilot USEACs are located in Baltimore, Chicago, Long Beach, and Miami.

Consideration should also be given to the United Nations' International Trade Statistics Yearbook, Volume II, where researchers and analysts can learn which countries export and which import their firms' products and the dollar quantities. Furthermore, according to Ball and McCulloch of International Business, annual dollar values are given for the past five years, enabling analysts to establish trends for projecting future values. The Yearbook uses the United Nations Standard International Trade Classification system based on 1,312 subgroups identified by five-digit codes.

For those who want to know if American competitors are already exporting products, analysts can use two U.S. Department of Commerce foreign trade sources-the FT925 and the U.S. Exports of Merchandise, both of which come on a CD-ROM from the Department of Commerce and replace the old publication FT447. The information on the CD-ROM is very helpful because it gives both units and dollar value, permitting the analyst to calculate the average price of the unit exported. It also lists more countries importing and exporting to the United States than the FT447 did and how much of the amount exported to each destination passes through each U.S. Customs district. Look in the government documents section of libraries and in Department of Commerce district offices for these research sources.

To help in their search for research on markets, students can obtain from the nearest Department of Commerce field office numerous studies prepared by U.S. embassies. Annual Worldwide Industry Reviews and International Market Research Reports indicate major markets for many products. The Country Market Surveys indicate products for which there may be a good market in a particular country. Other countries publish similar data. For example, the data office of the European Community, Eurostat (see Chapters 46 and Chapter 47), publishes an annual, External Trade.

An on-line database that could prove to be useful is the Internet Tradeline, (212) 425-2130; fax: (212) 425-2549. The Web site address is www.trade90.com. Tradeline helps traders to find manufacturers and wholesalers, shippers and insurance companies, lawyers and business consultants, banks and factors. It gives, according to its owners, "easy access to the product catalogs, pro forma offers, price list, and shipping terms you need to evaluate international commerce deals."

The World Trade Center Association offers a number of excellent opportunities for gaining information on international trade at the local level. Call this franchise organization, in business since 1970, at (212) 432-2640; or visit the Web site: www.wtca.org. If you aren't satisfied with the local approach, go to the World Trade Organization at www.wto.org.

The Canadian government also has valuable information on trade, industry, and statistics. Contact it through FaxLink International at (613) 944-6500 or Web sites for Foreign Affairs (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca), IndustryCanada (www.ic.gc.ca), and Statistics Canada (www.statcan.ca).

Most students, undergraduate or graduate, interested in international business have probably heard of Thunderbird: The American Graduate School of International Management, one of the top institutions of its kind. According to Thunderbird, it is the recognized leader in global business education. Since 1946, Thunderbirds (as they call themselves) have provided management talent for more than 9,000 companies in the United States and around the world. Thunderbird graduates, a powerful group of more than 28,000 global citizens, can, according to the Admissions Department:

Utilize their business skills beyond their home countries.

Manage a culturally diverse team.

Speak the language of their clients and associates.

Be flexible in changing global markets.

Thunderbird, an American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business accredited school, offers:

The Master of International Management degree, requiring courses in international management, international business environment, and any of 10 foreign languages.
The Executive Master of International Management degree, a two-year program for working professionals.
The Post MBA degree, a continuation, at the master's level, of courses focusing on the global market.

If you are interested in getting information from Thunderbird call the Office of Admissions at (800) 457-6940 or go on the Web to www.t-bird.edu.

If you've been waiting for an opportunity to work as a U.S. diplomat, you may want to obtain information on the exam and registration materials. Send a letter requesting the Application for the Foreign Service Officer (FSO) Examination to Foreign Service Written Examination, U.S. Department of State, P.O. Box 12226, Arlington, VA 22219. You can take the FSO exam at one of 185 U.S. sites. It consists of three parts: a knowledge test, an English expression test, and a biographic questionnaire. You must then also pass an oral examination, a medical exam, the fitness standards, and a background investigation before being put on the eligible-for-hire register. About 125 new FSOs will be appointed from the group taking the exam each November. To prepare for the exam, use the "Study Guide for the Foreign Service Officer Written Examination and Assessment Procedure," published by the Educational Testing Service, (609) 771-7243 or http://www.ETS.org.

www.ita.doc.gov/tradestats
ita@doc.gov

US Industry and Trade Outlook

ISSN 0-07-032931-1
For more information, call
the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service District Office in your area or the Trade Information Center (TIC)
Phone: (800) 872-8723