News about ITM and articles for classroom discussion

Position Available at JFK                                           Posted: April 16. 2009

OCEAN IMPORT COORDINATOR/SPECIALIST

Delmar, an International Freight Forwarder, NVOCC, Customs Broker and Logistics provider in the United States in Canada is looking for an experienced person for our Ocean Import Breakbulk department for JFK office in Jamaica, NY. Candidates must be highly motivated and organized. Requirements: Can-Do Attitude, Excellent Written and Verbal Communication, a minimum of 3 years of direct, import breakbulk experience. Announcement

2009 Warnaco Scholarships                                            Posted: April 12. 2009

TWO ITM MAJORS RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
ITM is proud to announce that the Warnaco Scholarship Selection Committee has chosen Cheung "Cynthia" Shuk Kwan and Mariko Fujii as recipients of the 2009-2010 The Warnaco Group, Inc. Scholarships. The judges were impressed with the applicants, noting the research and preparation conducted about the company prior to the interview as well as deep knowledge of the issues facing the fashion industry. We hope that you will all join us in congratulating Cynthia and Mariko for their well-deserved recognition. Article

U.S. Consumers pay up to 67% on shoe tariffs                            Posted: April 11. 2009

SENATE CONSIDERS ANTI-TARIFF BILL

A coalition of top footwear players is rallying behind the reintroduction of a bill in the U.S. Senate that would eliminate duties on certain types of low-priced and children’s footwear. Sen. John Ensign (R., Nevada) and nine other senators unveiled the Affordable Footwear Act on March 26, a required procedural step for legislation in each new session of Congress. House lawmakers are expected to reintroduce the bill in the coming weeks. The footwear industry has been lobbying for the Affordable Footwear Act for nearly a year-and-a-half. An attempt earlier this year to attach the bill to President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan failed, but the industry players feel the time is ripe to move the legislation this year. More

Academic Advisement                                                   Posted: April 10. 2009

ITM INTRODUCES 'ADVISEMENT TRACKS"
The department of International Trade has introduced a new advisement diagram to assist ITM majors in selecting their elective courses according to career goals. The ITM degree, a Bachelor of Science in International Trade and Marketing, consists of 67 credits, that is, 12 liberal arts courses (37 credits) and 10 ITM courses (30 credits). The new “tracks” do not change the major in any way; the tracks only suggest what elective courses are more helpful for specific types of jobs. These informal tracks were designed by observing the jobs obtained by ITM graduates in the last ten years and they were grouped in four categories: “international business management”, “international trade & policy management”, “international marketing management”, and “international trade law & fashion law”. The first track, “international business management”, is broad and tailored to students who pursue a general international business education; the other three tracks are more focused on specific professional paths. ITM majors are invited to discuss their career plans with their academic advisors. Diagram

Poll Confirms that                                             Posted: April 10. 2009

SUPPORT FOR FREE TRADE ON THE RISE
Sixty-six percent of Americans now think that, on balance, trade with other countries is good for the U.S. economy, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll. That's up eight points from a poll in March of 2008.

In the poll, twenty-three percent say that trade is bad for the economy, and four percent say it has no effect.  The poll also finds that fewer Americans now think that trade restrictions are necessary to protect domestic industries, though 60 percent still think they are. Sixty-eight percent said the same thing in the poll last year. Meanwhile, twenty-eight percent said that free trade must be allowed even if domestic industries are hurt by foreign competition. That’s up from 24 percent last year.  Read complete REPORT

Show Your talents                                                                      Posted: April 9. 2009

ITSA's 2009 TALENT SHOW

ITSA is hosting its 2009 fundraiser talent show on Friday, April 17th, 2009 in the FIT Amphitheater at 6:30p.m. It is a MUST-SEE show, consisting of dancers, singers, musicians, comedians and a performance by our own President of ITSA! There will also be a raffle. Tickets are $10 and the show is open to FIT students, faculty and also the public! Spread the word, bring your friends and come support ITSA by attending the show. Tickets are available through Nicole in the ITM office (B429). If you have any questions or would like to email your request for tickets, please email Afsana_Quayum@fitnyc.edu or Angellina_Correa@fitnyc.edu 
ITSA members will receive 10 points for every talent act and donation they contribute, 5 points for every 10 tickets sold (1 point for every 2 tickets), 15 points for purchasing a ticket and attending, and 15 points for volunteering. Join us on Friday, April 17!

NAFTA impasse                                                                            Posted: April 9. 2009

US TRUCK DECISION HURTS 26,000 JOBS

As the United States is suffering from its worst economic crisis in recent times, a decision by U.S. lawmakers to stop a pilot program allowing Mexican trucks restricted entry into the United States is putting at risk 26,000 jobs, according to an open letter to President Barack Obama from 141 companies and organizations. Since the move by the U.S. lawmakers violated the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico slapped tariffs on 90 U.S. goods. "Over $1.5 billion in U.S. manufactured products and $900 million in U.S. agriculture products are impacted by the retaliatory tariffs," the letter says. "The retaliation puts over 12,000 agricultural and 14,000 manufacturing jobs at risk."  Article

Job Opportunities                                                      Posted: April 2. 2009

CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
ITM students interested in exploring careers at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) are invited to attend a briefing by Mitchel Landau, Chief for Trade Operations, and outstanding ITM graduate, Yaniri DeLeon, Import Specialist, both of based in Newark. This talk will take place on Wednesday, April 15, from 2pm to 3pm in room D211  Mr. Landau and Yaniri will talk about the agency, types of jobs available, how to apply, and what to expect from a job at CBP.

American fashion revival                                                     Posted: March 29. 2009  

MICHELLE OBAMA IN EUROPE

Ever since Michelle Obama departed for Europe with her husband, taking along a wardrobe of designer clothes and revealing a new hairdo, her meeting with Carla Sarkozy, the wife of the French president, had been anticipated as a fashion face-off between two stylish first ladies.  Their meeting on Friday, at the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France, was not quite that. Indeed, Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Sarkozy looked remarkably similar, suggesting that both women know fashion — and themselves — pretty well. Each wore a coat with a soft bow at the neck and low-heeled shoes. Mrs. Sarkozy’s gray lambskin coat was a Dior, while Mrs. Obama’s Jacquard silk coat was by the American designer Thakoon Panichgul, as was her short-sleeved fuchsia dress. Considering that both women have been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy, and that Mrs. Sarkozy is a pop singer and former model, people might have been surprised by the dull sobriety of Mrs. Sarkozy’s outfit. But in the year since her marriage to President Nicolas Sarkozy, the French first lady has proved to be far more refined in her look than trendy. Article

U.S. Association of Textiles and Apparel                            Posted: March 24. 2009  

FOX TAKES HELM OF USA-ITA

Janet Fox, the newly elected chairwoman of the U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles & Apparel, aims to keep the organization relevant in a quota-free world and a global economic downturn.   Fox, vice president and director of strategic sourcing at J.C. Penney Private Brands Inc., is taking the helm of the importing trade and lobbying association at a critical time for retailers and importers.  USA-ITA has 200 members, including J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Kohl’s Corp., Target Corp., Pacific Sunwear of California Inc., AnnTaylor Stores Corp., Quiksilver Inc. and Macy’s Inc.

 “In the old days, the big reason everyone joined trade associations was because of the fear of quotas and what quotas could do to their business,” said Fox. “With the elimination of quotas, people talk about the relevancy of trade associations.”  Fox began her career at Penney’s as a merchandise trainee in a store and has worked her way up to head of the company’s strategic sourcing division. She has navigated the complex waters of global sourcing for the company for 17 years and is responsible for the development of the sourcing plans and managing the assets to support global merchandise procurement.  “It really is one of those things that once you get in it, it kind of becomes your passion — you either love it or you don’t,” said Fox. “And it’s something I love because it is so intertwined with history and politics. I used to say I would wake up in the morning and see what the Clinton administration had done to mess up my shipments. It is all government related.”

Global quotas were eliminated in 2005 as part of the World Trade Organization’s Uruguay Round, but the U.S. imposed quotas on 34 categories of Chinese apparel and textile imports for three years because of big import surges and an outcry from the domestic textile industry. Those quotas expired on Jan. 1.

With bankruptcies, store closures and layoffs mounting every day as the global recession deepens, Fox said her biggest challenge will be educating Capitol Hill lawmakers and the Obama administration about the importance of maintaining retail jobs and warning them about the devastating impact of punitive trade measures.   “I think one of the things that gets lost, especially in Washington, is the impact of the retail industry on the U.S. economy,” said Fox. “The retail industry as a whole lost 589,000 jobs last year, and when you look at the landscape it’s littered with bodies — Mervyns, Circuit City, Gottschalks and Goody’s are all out of business.”

Fox plans to highlight the job losses as importers’ outline their opposition to the government taking any action to impose punitive duties on imports through antidumping or countervailing duty cases or legislation.  “Anything that brings uncertainty or potentially could raise our prices is something that is damaging to our industry,” said Fox. “U.S. consumers have enjoyed deflationary pricing on apparel for the last 10 years and this is not the time to raise prices.”

One of the association’s top priorities this year will be building a case for legislation to eliminate tariffs on apparel imports, which can run as high as 33 percent, as in the case of nylon blouses, Fox said.  “One of the main things we would like to talk about is taking away tariffs on apparel and textiles,” she said. “That’s a tax that costs U.S. consumers, the average family, $800 a year or so. If [Congress] is looking for a tax rebate, there it is.”

The footwear industry has built a coalition around legislation that would eliminate $800 million in duties across several categories. The legislation was recently reintroduced in Congress, but has not yet moved. Fox said many retailers, including Penney’s, are part of that coalition and monitoring the legislation as they craft a case for eliminating duties on apparel.  On the defensive side, USA-ITA and other importing groups also plan to continue pressing their case against a Vietnam and China apparel-import monitoring program included in the recently enacted $410 billion spending bill. The Obama administration has the discretion to decide whether to implement the program.
                                                                                                                                       source: www.WWD.com

Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk sworn in                    Posted: March 20. 2009  

NEW U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Ron Kirk formally took the oath of office Friday from Vice President Joe Biden, cementing the former Dallas mayor's spot as the Obama Cabinet's trade ambassador.  The ceremony was held in an auditorium at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. Kirk's wife, Matrice Ellis-Kirk, held the Bible as their daughters, Alex and Catherine, stood nearby. Among the dozens of friends on hand: state Sens. Royce West of Dallas and Rodney Ellis of Houston; U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas; Dallas civic leaders David Biegler and Rick Douglas; former City Council member Craig Holcomb; political strategist Kathy Nealy; and attorney DeMetris Sampson.

Kirk's 88-year-old mother, Willie Mae Kirk, a longtime Austin civil-rights activist, was in the front row. Kirk choked up slightly as he acknowledged her, and the struggles that paved the way for President Barack Obama's election and his own national service. "I'm so honored that you and all those of your generation could live to see the day our country would have the kind of leadership that it has, and that I get a chance to play a role in it," Kirk said. Kirk's father is deceased.

The Senate confirmed Kirk on Wednesday on a 92-5 vote, opposing were Sens. Robert Byrd (D-WV), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Kit Bond (R-MO), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). He was sworn into office that afternoon privately at the trade office. His first full day on the job, Thursday, he met with the European Union's trade commissioner, Catherine Ashton, discussing an impasse over beef and other issues. A flare-up with Mexico is expected to absorb much of his attention at the outset, though neither Kirk nor Biden mentioned it Friday. Mexico, the third-biggest U.S. trading partner, slapped tariffs Wednesday on $2.4 billion worth of U.S. imports in retaliation for Congress' decision to block its trucks from U.S. roads, in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Biden outlined Kirk's assignment as he described the administration's trade philosophy. "He's got to be an enforcer. He's got to be a collaborator. He's got to be a negotiator," the vice president said.  Details   USTR
                                                                        source: http://www.dallasnews.com

Promote Your Products Worldwide for Just $399                                                          Posted: March 19. 2009  
Advertise in the USA Product Showcase section of Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This catalog-style magazine reaches an estimated 400,000 readers in 176 countries worldwide. For the special low price of $399, you will get a 35 word write-up, a color photo or logo, and worldwide visibility. The deadline for the next issue is May 8th. For more information, contact your U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist, call 1-800-581-8533, x 822 or sign-up online at http://www.thinkglobal.us/399.

The U.S. Commercial Service - Your Global Business Partner. With offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration uses its global Network and international resources to connect U.S companies with international buyers worldwide. If you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist. To find the trade specialist nearest you please visit http://www.buyusa.gov/home/us.html.

Free to ITM majors                                                       Posted: March 15. 2009

FRANCISCO COSTA IN CONVERSATION WITH VALERIE STEELE

Monday, March 30 - 7 pm  -  Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Born in Brazil and educated at FIT, Francisco Costa is creative director of the women's Calvin Klein Collection. He was named CFDA's Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2006 and again in 2008. Costa is the second youngest of five children. He grew up in Brazil, where his mother, Maria-Francisca, owned a children's wear factory. She began her business producing dresses commissioned by a traveling salesman. Costa's father, Jacy Neves da Costa, ran a small ranch. In his hometown of 4,000 people, Costa put on fashion shows for charities. His size is compact and he has brown eyes. Being civic minded by nature, his mother was like the mayor of the town. She presided over her family. Costa remembers there being fifteen people at his family's lunch table. When his mother died in 1981 he left with a friend for New York City. He was twenty and spoke no English at the time. He enrolled in a language class at Hunter College and took courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology at night. He obtained employment with Herbert Rounick, whose Seventh Avenue (Manhattan) company made dresses for Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass. Costa went to work for de la Renta after Rounick's death, designing for the firm's Japanese licenses. Costa credits de la Renta with teaching him the most about both designing clothes and life. He remained with the company for five years. RSVP required at MuseumInfo@FITnyc.edu

ITM Students:                                                           

SUMMER 2009 WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP

Take a look at the instructions for how to apply for a White House internship, download the application, and learn more about the White House departments you could work in. PLEASE READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT FULLY PRIOR TO APPLYING AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships  REQUIREMENTS: US Citizenship; Eighteen years of age on or before the first day of the internship; Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college, or university (2-4 year institution) or must have graduated in the past two years from undergraduate or graduate school. Applications are due March 22, 2009. A couple of important things to keep in mind: in addition to normal office duties, interns will supplement their learning experience by attending a weekly lecture series hosted by senior White House staff, help at White House social events, and volunteer in community service projects. White House Internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing for the duration of the program. Download application

Chinese Government Scholarships for SUNY students                          Posted: March 9. 2009

ONE-YEAR SCHOLARSHIP IN CHINA

We are pleased to announce the Chinese Government Scholarship Program to SUNY students. In May 2008, a devastating earthquake struck the area around Chengdu in Sichuan Province, China, causing enormous loss of life, injuries and damage. SUNY made an extraordinary gesture of welcoming 150 university undergraduate students from Sichuan Province, to study as full-time students at 22 campuses of the University with full scholarship for a year. Now, the Ministry of Education of China has offered 10 full scholarships per year between 2009 and 2012 for selected SUNY undergraduate students who wish to study the Chinese language or related disciplines in China. The scholarship is for undergraduate students who have completed 2 years of full-time studies at a SUNY campus. The duration of the scholarship is for a year but the option to study for one semester is possible. The host institutions are Sichuan University and Nanjing University. The scholarship will include tuition fees and accommodations, living allowance and medical insurance. International air travel to China is not included. Deadline is March 15. Details and application

Researching an Emerging Market                         Posted: March 9. 2009

LILLY PULITZER IN BRAZIL

Wednesday, March 18, 1-2, A building, 8th floor alcove

FIT's Master's Program in  Global Fashion Management, School of Graduate Studies, invites you to join Claudia Tredinick and Saul Lopez, recent graduates of the  program, when they present their capstone project strategizing Lilly Pulitzer’s brand entry into Brazil. After describing the proposal, Claudia and Saul deconstruct the presentation by describing where, within FIT’s library, they located the sources for their research. This fast-paced and entertaining treatment of the research process won rave reviews during “Love Your Library Week” and provides a great way for students to better understand how to utilize FIT’s research resources in the context of a graduate level assignment with real-world application. Claudia and Saul interned at Lilly Pulitzer as they worked on the project which, at its completion, was reviewed by executive management. Please join us!

Thursday, March 5

ITSA Elections

of 2009-2010

Officers

Leadership Positions                                                        Posted: March 3. 2009

ITSA ELECTIONS: POSITIONS AVAILABLE

A message from ITSA's President, Lissette Rosario: ITSA Elections are March 5, 2009, in Room A644, at 1pm. Attached are the three essays written by the candidates running for the following positions, President, Vice President, and Treasurer including their backgrounds, and plans for the club. Anyone still interested in running for office the following positions are STILL AVAILABLE, Secretary, Personal Relations and Student Council Representative. No essay is necessary to fill these positions. However, if you are interested in running for the position of Secretary, Personal Relations and Student Council Representative please email, (LissetteRosario212@gmail.com, Angellina_Correa@fitnyc.edu KirstenChilstrom@gmail.com, Marie_Inui@fitnyc.edu) expressing your interest.  Major Issue to be discussed at our next meeting: Senior Recognition Day --Getting the ball rolling, which includes obtaining alist of ITM majors Graduating in May, sending out E-VITES, Buying a Cake, Decorating the Amphitheater. Obtaining as many pictures possible to put together a mini video about International Trade and what it means to you (the students). Volunteers: Brighid Cunningham, Dani Dohrer, Bin Shen, Lina Jaramillo, Donna Kleszczewski, Jinju Kim, Afsana Quayum, Blessing Odunayo, Adeoye, Gabrielle Seo, Melissa Ortiz, Dyne Kim, Cynthia Cheung.

Read complete announcement (pdf)

International Branding                                      Posted: Feb. 26. 2009

U.S. BRANDS' MANY ROUTES TO EUROPE

The all-American brand Tommy Hilfiger produces two distinct collections - one for the United States, one for the rest of the world. "It could save us a lot of expense producing just one collection - and the way the economy is now, that has appeal," said Fred Gehring, the company's chief executive. "But it would cost us a lot in terms of sales. There are too many differences between Europe and America. We would end up with a compromise that isn't good for either territory."  The brand is a European success story. Revenues from the company, headquartered in Amsterdam, outpace those of the U.S. business. For the year that ended March 31, European sales were €707 million, or about $940 million; U.S. sales, €454 million.  "And it's not just product. There are differences mentally, culturally and business-wise," Gehring added. "In the U.S., everything is concentrated and consolidated. In Europe, you need 25 showrooms and your order book will be filled with thousands of small customers. It takes six weeks to sell the fall season in Europe, instead of five days in America."  Article.

Distinguished ITM Alumnus                       Posted: Feb. 24. 2009

MARGARITA YAKOVLEVA '04 SPEAKS AT FIT

Margarita Yakovleva came back to FIT to speak to Professor Yanez Global Marketing class on February 27. She graduated from FIT with a BS in International Trade and Marketing in 2004 and begun her marketing career as a Project Analyst at WebSurvey Research, a subsidiary of WPP, one of the world's largest communications services groups. She has developed and managed online data collection projects for healthcare industry giants Pfizer and Merck. She also worked at The Nielsen Company, the world's leading provider of marketing information where she managed global marketing research projects for Yahoo, Coke, Samsung, Unilever, Craft Foods, etc. In 2008, she received a MS in Integrated Marketing from New York University. She also worked as an Online Marketing Manager at Spire Vision, an online marketing boutique and media company where she was responsible for online product development, implementation, optimization, and marketing. See album

"ITM 3.0"                                                                 Posted: Feb. 20. 2009      

CHRISTINE POMERANZ RECEIVES TENURE
It is with great pleasure we announce that FIT’s Board of Trustees, voted on February 19, to unanimously grant tenure to Professor Christine Pomeranz. With an impressive background in international finance, she was a Senior Vice President at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, and also worked at The Honk Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and Citibank, she joined FIT in 2003 to teach the newly approved course International Finance. She earned a MBA from NYU and a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Assumption College. Since day one, Christine has shown a remarkable commitment to support students and improve academic services. She volunteered to become the faculty liaison to our Advisory Board, raise funds for scholarships, create the Talking Trade @ FIT guest speaker series, and organize field trips to industry sites. Hundreds of ITM majors have benefited from her initiatives, either by getting tuition and practicum scholarships, or having unique opportunities to visit companies and talk to trade executives. In 2007, her colleagues unanimously elected her as department chair and she is now taking the program to new highs, "ITM 3.0": an established department, with larger enrollment, more opportunities to students, more courses on line, and stronger connections to industry. Let’s applaud Christine for her well deserved tenure and thank her for everything she is doing for our department. Congratulations!

Armani in New York City                                                Posted: Feb. 19. 2009      

FOR ARMANI, NEVER ENOUGH TROPPO
Too much. When encountering Mr. Armani, who, at 74, is one of the wealthiest and most successful fashion designers in the world, it is always advisable to take into account that he is also a man who is very particular about things like image, control, display, the amount of sauce that is poured over his pasta. One might be inclined to describe him as difficult, as when, while being photographed in his new store on Fifth Avenue on Monday, he complained that the bright lights were too much, that he does not like to be photographed from certain angles and never, never against a white wall. But, as Mr. Armani can attest, one does not get ahead in fashion by being easy. Last July, before the seriousness of the global recession was being fully realized, his company reported annual sales of $2.1 billion and profits of nearly $300 million. He had already taken over the retail space, a former Hugo Boss store at the corner of 56th Street, and, despite the gray clouds on the horizon, went ahead anyway with plans for a 43,000-square-foot megastore, encompassing three collections, a restaurant and a chocolate shop. So when Mr. Armani came to town this week for the opening, it was an Italian designer who became the biggest news of New York Fashion Week.   ARTICLE

ITM TUTORS AVAILABLE NOW

FIT's Academic Skills Tutoring Center offers free tutoring to students taking ITM courses. A tutor is assigned to work with you for one hour every week; you must attend all scheduled sessions that you agreed to attend when you requested the service. If you miss a session, the tutor still has to be paid and that is waste of the Center's resources. Tutors are ITM seniors who have completed ITM courses with an A grade. Most requests for tutorial assistance are for IN312, IN313, and IN322 but there are tutors for all ITM courses. For more effective support, apply early in the semester, don't wait until the week before a quiz or midterm to request a tutor because it might take two week to set up the first session. The Center is located in room A-608b.

New Trade War                                                               Posted: Feb. 15, 2009  

INDIA BANS CHINESE TOYS

India is being accused of raising trade tensions between the world's two largest emerging economies by imposing a temporary ban on imports of Chinese-made toys. The six-month ban was announced Jan. 23 by India, which issued a two-sentence notification saying the restriction was being made "in public interest." Today, two weeks after the announcement, Nath finally spoke up on the matter, saying that India's step is WTO-compatible, and has been taken to ensure public safety. "The decision to ban was taken on the grounds of public health and safety," he said. "This is just a one-off issue, otherwise India-China trade is booming. Public health and safety should get priority over commerce."     TIME      BusinessWeek     ChinaView     Times/India

Testing her Strong Suit                                     Posted: Feb. 13, 2009                   

ANNA SUI: FASHION DESIGNERS V/S RECESSION

Born in Detroit and educated at Parsons School of Design, Anna Sui made all the journeyman stations of the cross before achieving overnight success when she was close to 40. Her company is privately held and remains profitable, she says. (estimated annual sales:$20 million.) Her clothing label is substantially underwritten by earnings from the 14 global fragrance and cosmetics licenses she operates in partnership with Procter & Gamble and her 42 store franchises in China, Japan, Taiwan and Kuwait.  Unlike many designers faced with imminent catastrophe, Ms. Sui is able to ride out a bad season and perhaps a bad year. Yet, like everyone in the trade, she feels the chill that recession has cast on businesses. “It’s never a sure thing,” she said. “I have a big responsibility to my licenses. All my licenses draw from and take ideas from the runway.” Thus, a show that will spotlight cardigans and dresses will also provide the pattern for a handkerchief sold in Tokyo.  Article

Learn from a Pro                                                              Posted: Feb. 10, 2009           

MARKETING YOURSELF IN A RECESSION

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, March 5^th at 5pm in FIT's Katie Murphy Amphitheatre. Liz Paley, the Senior Vice President for Advertising & Wholesale Marketing for Polo Ralph Lauren, will share tips for success, offer advice about taking advantage of opportunities while you are in school at FIT and about her perspective as an employer. In these hard economic times, special strategies are needed for being noted when you are about to start looking for a job. Prepare in advance any questions you might have about best positioning yourself to get the right job, women in the workplace, being well prepared for an interview, and anything you would like to know  Polo Ralph Lauren as a company. This presentation is part of the First Year Experience (FYE) and sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs.

What the U.S. could gain and lose                       Posted: Feb. 4, 2009         
WHAT A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA WOULD LOOK LIKE

The Obama administration will have its first opportunity to name China as a "currency manipulator" under U.S. law when it submits a required report to Congress April 15. Secretary Geithner has stopped short of saying the new administration will do so.

But if it does, what next? Designating China as a "currency manipulator" would, under current U.S. law, trigger a requirement for negotiations. Nothing more. What if those negotiations failed?

During his presidential campaign, Obama endorsed a bill that would change the current law to define currency manipulation by a trading partner as a subsidy subject to the imposition of countervailing duties. ARTICLE

INDUSTRY LEADERS TALK TO ITM MAJORS

Once again, the ITM Advisory Board has planed an outstanding speakers program for ITM majors to learn about trends and career opportunities. This guest-speakers program runs in the fall and spring semesters. The Spring 2009 "Talking Trade @ FIT" is organized by members of the ITM Advisory Board, who generously contribute their time, efforts, and resources to educate the next generation of international trade professionals. ITM majors are highly encouraged to attend these events, talk to alumni and professionals, and improve their networking skills. See this semester's program.

Spring 2009 ITM Field Trip                                            Posted: Jan.. 27, 2009

TRADE CARD, Inc
ITM majors are invited to ITM's Spring 2009 Field Trip to Trade Card, Inc. on Tuesday, March 3. Tour starts at 12:15pm and ends at 1:45pm. TradeCard, Inc. is the leading provider of on-demand supply chain management solutions. The TradeCard Platform synchronizes financial transactions with physical events in the global supply chain to help customers automate trade transactions from purchase order to payment and chargebacks. Buyers, suppliers and their trading partners manage transactions through a web-based platform with online financial services integrated into the workflow. This turnkey transaction management enables customers to improve margins and enhance growth, with extra-organizational supply chain visibility. There is limited space for this tour; please sign up by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 6, through Ms. Nicole Martin-Lewis, ITM Secretary, Room B429.

Obama's USTR: Ron Kirk                                                                           Posted: Jan.. 27, 2009

TRADE NOMINEE TO GIVE UP LUCRATIVE POSTS

Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk will forfeit a lucrative legal partnership and positions on several corporate boards if he is confirmed as the next U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), according to financial disclosure forms released Tuesday. Kirk made more than $1 million last year from his law firm partnership and corporate board positions, the disclosure forms show. He has been a partner at Houston-based law firm Vinson & Elkins since February 2005. Vinson & Elkins will pay him a bonus of $150,000 and other benefits, when he resigns, the disclosure form said.

President Barack Obama last month named Kirk to be the nation's next lead trade negotiator. As U.S. trade representative, he also would uphold U.S. laws barring unfair trade practices by overseas governments and companies. Kirk also reported assets valued between $1.9 million and $4.6 million, including blocks of common stock and stock options worth $500,000 to $1 million from Dean Foods Inc., where he serves as a director. He joined Dallas-based Dean Foods' board in September 2003.

Ron Kirk also owns shares and restricted stock worth $200,000 to $500,000 in Phoenix-based PetSmart Inc., where he has served as a director since June 2003, and between $50,000 and $100,000 in Brinker International Inc., where he has been a director since 1996. Dallas-based Brinker owns Chili's Grill & Bar, Maggiano's Little Italy and other restaurant chains.

Kirk's appointment is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Carol Guthrie, a spokeswoman for the Senate Finance Committee, on Tuesday said the panel will schedule a hearing on Kirk's nomination soon.  Kirk was elected the first black mayor of Dallas in 1995 and re-elected easily in 1999. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2001, but lost to Republican John Cornyn.                                                                                                                       Source: Forbes.com

TUTORS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY

FIT's Academic Skills Tutoring Center is searching for ITM juniors and seniors who have completed ITM courses with good grades to tutor new students. Tutors are needed for IN312, IN313, IN322, and other elective courses. Tutors meet with students on a one-to-one basis and develop studying strategies to complete a semester successfully. For more information, see Professor Debby Levine in room A608b , or call (212) 217-4080.

ITSA

International Trade Student Association (ITSA)           Posted: Jan.. 27, 2009

PRACTICE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN ITSA

All ITM majors are invited to become actively involved in the International Trade Student Association (ITSA), the student organization that represents all ITM majors. ITSA organizes field trips, and annual dinner to honor our alumni, and a graduation ceremony to individually recognize each ITM senior in their last day at FIT. ITSA meets every Tuesday, during the clubs hour, in room A644.  For more information, visit ITSA's website and contact Lissette Rosario, ITSA President.