McWong InternationalPower supply solutionsFor the Lighting Industry
International Business NewsSeptember 2020
Also in this issueExplore Croatia International News Tips ndash Croatia
McGowan LED drivers
Margaret Wong President amp CEO
McWong International
Mongolian Yert
McWong large indoor lighting solution for Detroits Historic Trinity Church
Savino Del Bene ndash Your Global SolutionSavino Del Bene is an international freight forwarding company providing customers with integrated efficient cost-effective solutions and multi-modal transportation ser-vices to meet your business goals worldwide
With Fast Tracking across all modes and industries with offices throughout the world
bull Customs Brokeragebull Air Freightbull Ocean Freightbull Overlandbull Logistics Solutionsbull Information Technologybull Insurance
In Kansas City contact Matt Hearer Branch Manager at 8168426701 ext 701
MattHearerSavinodelbenecom 1201 Erie Street North Kansas City MO 64116
Visit our website for our international certificationsand more information - wwwsavinodelbenecom
Pg 2 Savino Del Bene
Pg 3 ToC Letter
Pg 4 ndash 5 McWong International Pg 6 McWong continued
Pg 7 Croatia travel
Pg 8 Croatia travel contrsquod Express News
Pg 9 Express News continued
Pg 10 Croatia Profile
Pg 11 Croatia Profile contrsquod Transimpex
Pg 12-13 Croatia Profile continued
McWong InternationalExplore Croatia
IBNewsmag TM cover image
IBNewsmagTel 8166167779 Fax 8164720959fbaehnerintermark3com
6655 Troost Ave Kansas City MO 64131 USA
In God we trustPUBLISHEREDITORFrederick Baehner
DESIGN amp PRODUCTION Tom GillandwwwGillandGraphxcom
SENIOR EDITOR Doris Ganser
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Paul Mastilak
TRAVEL WRITER Lisa Osborne Blalock
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tom Renich
Based on Augustrsquos encouraging news it appears we are moving in the right direction regarding exports imports and manufacturing
According to the Institute of Supply Managementrsquos (ISM) August Report On Business economic activity in the US manufacturing sector grew in August with both exports and imports moving up
This jump in trade suggests that our small to medium-sized enterprise exporters (SMEEs) are beginning to see some daylight following the devastating pandemic that swept the nation beginning in March
Many of you are getting leads from your website and social media endeavors and are beginning to make shipments to confirmed sales responses
One of the challenges remaining on the table are the tariffs imposed by the White House on steel and aluminum Many of you have switched your supply chain sourcing away from China or have been reshoring your manufacturing here at home
So aside from adjusting your supply chain to avoid tariffs and dealing with Covid-19 how do you regain your competitive export edge
One way is by sharpening your pencil on pricing and shipping to optimize your operations Air cargo is more expensive since commercial flights have dropped off They typically account for nearly half of all air cargo
Another way is that of rehiring those experienced people who are crucial to your manufacturing I know many of you have been able to retain your critical workers through this crisis and to that I applaud youIt takes sincere leadership to move forward and you are in the driverrsquos seat
Frederick Baehner
page 3September 2020
East meets West as McWong continues to field its many power supply solutions for the lighting industry in the USWhen you think of international trade and main-taining sales during this pandemic you must consider they may relate to both importing and exporting
McWongrsquos International Headquarters in Sacra-mento California is a good example With multiple US warehouse facilities and two factories in China this company continues to import power solutions LED drivers and many other products for US light-ing companies and exports some of its products to Canada and Mexico
Margaret Wong originally hails from Hong Kong and runs this far-flung company that has successfully bridged the two continents for 35 years Back then
she saw the opportunity to manufacture electrical products ndash primarily power supply extension and other cords ndash and to sell them to US companies
ldquoMy Journey is all about perseverance hardwork-ing and willingness to take risk One of the key success elements is execution and move fast to make things happen regardless Delay[s] and not making decisions normally generate negative energy and reduce [your] chance of successrdquo she said in a recent interview
Ms Wong says that they were the very first Chinese manufacturer to obtain a UL listing Their first UL-listed products began with electrical ballasts for fluorescent lighting
One of McWongrsquos manufacturing facilities in China
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 4
McWong now maintains close to 300 SKUs of its power supplies for lighting
Her product line includes IOT lighting products Power Protection LED Wall Legacy and several other product lines It has been this expanding line of multi-product power supplies that has kept McWong ahead of the increasing wave of competi-tion emanating from China
Senior Project manager Jesse Huang at the Sacramento warehouse inspecting product
ldquoWe began seeing rising labor costs an unfavor-able currency exchange and tariff increases from a former 5-7 to a current 15-20 as storms were heading our wayrdquo said Ms Wong ldquofollowed by the tsunami of the Covid-19 pandemic All this has been cutting into our sales these past two yearsrdquo
ldquoHaving said thatrdquo she pointed out ldquoitrsquos been our product efficacies just in time deliveries and superior customer service that has supported and maintained our salesrdquo
McWong recently teamed with project partners Contemporary Energy Solutions Pentalux and Silvair to deploy a large McWong TruBlu control network at Yamaha Motorsrsquo midwestern distribu-tion center located in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin The SIG-qualified TruBlu mesh control network con-sists of 320 nodes and 40 control zones encompass-ing the 175000 sq ft facility the resulting estimat-ed energy savings exceed 250000 kWh annually
At this point McWong is doing well with its expand-ing lines including lighting ballasts LED drivers LED displays IOT sensors amp controls blue tooth mesh lighting solutions plus a new in-demand UV-C light-
McWong employees working on lighting power supplies
McWong continued on page 6
page 5September 2020
ing product in the battle against the Corona virus UV-C lighting which has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy and can act as a Corona virus disinfectant means
The company primarily sells directly to its OEM customers and employs sales reps for additional sales ldquoFor the most part our customers come to us because of our superior productsrdquo she concluded
McWong employs a total of about 1000 people in both its China and US facilities Find out more about McWong and its products at wwwmcwonginccom
Senior Electronics Engineer Darren Musgrave working on a LED driver
McWong continued from page 5
Ms Wong with California Governor Gavin Newsom at a California China Trade function
July 2017page 6 September 2020page 6
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
Savino Del Bene ndash Your Global SolutionSavino Del Bene is an international freight forwarding company providing customers with integrated efficient cost-effective solutions and multi-modal transportation ser-vices to meet your business goals worldwide
With Fast Tracking across all modes and industries with offices throughout the world
bull Customs Brokeragebull Air Freightbull Ocean Freightbull Overlandbull Logistics Solutionsbull Information Technologybull Insurance
In Kansas City contact Matt Hearer Branch Manager at 8168426701 ext 701
MattHearerSavinodelbenecom 1201 Erie Street North Kansas City MO 64116
Visit our website for our international certificationsand more information - wwwsavinodelbenecom
Pg 2 Savino Del Bene
Pg 3 ToC Letter
Pg 4 ndash 5 McWong International Pg 6 McWong continued
Pg 7 Croatia travel
Pg 8 Croatia travel contrsquod Express News
Pg 9 Express News continued
Pg 10 Croatia Profile
Pg 11 Croatia Profile contrsquod Transimpex
Pg 12-13 Croatia Profile continued
McWong InternationalExplore Croatia
IBNewsmag TM cover image
IBNewsmagTel 8166167779 Fax 8164720959fbaehnerintermark3com
6655 Troost Ave Kansas City MO 64131 USA
In God we trustPUBLISHEREDITORFrederick Baehner
DESIGN amp PRODUCTION Tom GillandwwwGillandGraphxcom
SENIOR EDITOR Doris Ganser
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Paul Mastilak
TRAVEL WRITER Lisa Osborne Blalock
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tom Renich
Based on Augustrsquos encouraging news it appears we are moving in the right direction regarding exports imports and manufacturing
According to the Institute of Supply Managementrsquos (ISM) August Report On Business economic activity in the US manufacturing sector grew in August with both exports and imports moving up
This jump in trade suggests that our small to medium-sized enterprise exporters (SMEEs) are beginning to see some daylight following the devastating pandemic that swept the nation beginning in March
Many of you are getting leads from your website and social media endeavors and are beginning to make shipments to confirmed sales responses
One of the challenges remaining on the table are the tariffs imposed by the White House on steel and aluminum Many of you have switched your supply chain sourcing away from China or have been reshoring your manufacturing here at home
So aside from adjusting your supply chain to avoid tariffs and dealing with Covid-19 how do you regain your competitive export edge
One way is by sharpening your pencil on pricing and shipping to optimize your operations Air cargo is more expensive since commercial flights have dropped off They typically account for nearly half of all air cargo
Another way is that of rehiring those experienced people who are crucial to your manufacturing I know many of you have been able to retain your critical workers through this crisis and to that I applaud youIt takes sincere leadership to move forward and you are in the driverrsquos seat
Frederick Baehner
page 3September 2020
East meets West as McWong continues to field its many power supply solutions for the lighting industry in the USWhen you think of international trade and main-taining sales during this pandemic you must consider they may relate to both importing and exporting
McWongrsquos International Headquarters in Sacra-mento California is a good example With multiple US warehouse facilities and two factories in China this company continues to import power solutions LED drivers and many other products for US light-ing companies and exports some of its products to Canada and Mexico
Margaret Wong originally hails from Hong Kong and runs this far-flung company that has successfully bridged the two continents for 35 years Back then
she saw the opportunity to manufacture electrical products ndash primarily power supply extension and other cords ndash and to sell them to US companies
ldquoMy Journey is all about perseverance hardwork-ing and willingness to take risk One of the key success elements is execution and move fast to make things happen regardless Delay[s] and not making decisions normally generate negative energy and reduce [your] chance of successrdquo she said in a recent interview
Ms Wong says that they were the very first Chinese manufacturer to obtain a UL listing Their first UL-listed products began with electrical ballasts for fluorescent lighting
One of McWongrsquos manufacturing facilities in China
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 4
McWong now maintains close to 300 SKUs of its power supplies for lighting
Her product line includes IOT lighting products Power Protection LED Wall Legacy and several other product lines It has been this expanding line of multi-product power supplies that has kept McWong ahead of the increasing wave of competi-tion emanating from China
Senior Project manager Jesse Huang at the Sacramento warehouse inspecting product
ldquoWe began seeing rising labor costs an unfavor-able currency exchange and tariff increases from a former 5-7 to a current 15-20 as storms were heading our wayrdquo said Ms Wong ldquofollowed by the tsunami of the Covid-19 pandemic All this has been cutting into our sales these past two yearsrdquo
ldquoHaving said thatrdquo she pointed out ldquoitrsquos been our product efficacies just in time deliveries and superior customer service that has supported and maintained our salesrdquo
McWong recently teamed with project partners Contemporary Energy Solutions Pentalux and Silvair to deploy a large McWong TruBlu control network at Yamaha Motorsrsquo midwestern distribu-tion center located in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin The SIG-qualified TruBlu mesh control network con-sists of 320 nodes and 40 control zones encompass-ing the 175000 sq ft facility the resulting estimat-ed energy savings exceed 250000 kWh annually
At this point McWong is doing well with its expand-ing lines including lighting ballasts LED drivers LED displays IOT sensors amp controls blue tooth mesh lighting solutions plus a new in-demand UV-C light-
McWong employees working on lighting power supplies
McWong continued on page 6
page 5September 2020
ing product in the battle against the Corona virus UV-C lighting which has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy and can act as a Corona virus disinfectant means
The company primarily sells directly to its OEM customers and employs sales reps for additional sales ldquoFor the most part our customers come to us because of our superior productsrdquo she concluded
McWong employs a total of about 1000 people in both its China and US facilities Find out more about McWong and its products at wwwmcwonginccom
Senior Electronics Engineer Darren Musgrave working on a LED driver
McWong continued from page 5
Ms Wong with California Governor Gavin Newsom at a California China Trade function
July 2017page 6 September 2020page 6
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
Pg 2 Savino Del Bene
Pg 3 ToC Letter
Pg 4 ndash 5 McWong International Pg 6 McWong continued
Pg 7 Croatia travel
Pg 8 Croatia travel contrsquod Express News
Pg 9 Express News continued
Pg 10 Croatia Profile
Pg 11 Croatia Profile contrsquod Transimpex
Pg 12-13 Croatia Profile continued
McWong InternationalExplore Croatia
IBNewsmag TM cover image
IBNewsmagTel 8166167779 Fax 8164720959fbaehnerintermark3com
6655 Troost Ave Kansas City MO 64131 USA
In God we trustPUBLISHEREDITORFrederick Baehner
DESIGN amp PRODUCTION Tom GillandwwwGillandGraphxcom
SENIOR EDITOR Doris Ganser
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Paul Mastilak
TRAVEL WRITER Lisa Osborne Blalock
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tom Renich
Based on Augustrsquos encouraging news it appears we are moving in the right direction regarding exports imports and manufacturing
According to the Institute of Supply Managementrsquos (ISM) August Report On Business economic activity in the US manufacturing sector grew in August with both exports and imports moving up
This jump in trade suggests that our small to medium-sized enterprise exporters (SMEEs) are beginning to see some daylight following the devastating pandemic that swept the nation beginning in March
Many of you are getting leads from your website and social media endeavors and are beginning to make shipments to confirmed sales responses
One of the challenges remaining on the table are the tariffs imposed by the White House on steel and aluminum Many of you have switched your supply chain sourcing away from China or have been reshoring your manufacturing here at home
So aside from adjusting your supply chain to avoid tariffs and dealing with Covid-19 how do you regain your competitive export edge
One way is by sharpening your pencil on pricing and shipping to optimize your operations Air cargo is more expensive since commercial flights have dropped off They typically account for nearly half of all air cargo
Another way is that of rehiring those experienced people who are crucial to your manufacturing I know many of you have been able to retain your critical workers through this crisis and to that I applaud youIt takes sincere leadership to move forward and you are in the driverrsquos seat
Frederick Baehner
page 3September 2020
East meets West as McWong continues to field its many power supply solutions for the lighting industry in the USWhen you think of international trade and main-taining sales during this pandemic you must consider they may relate to both importing and exporting
McWongrsquos International Headquarters in Sacra-mento California is a good example With multiple US warehouse facilities and two factories in China this company continues to import power solutions LED drivers and many other products for US light-ing companies and exports some of its products to Canada and Mexico
Margaret Wong originally hails from Hong Kong and runs this far-flung company that has successfully bridged the two continents for 35 years Back then
she saw the opportunity to manufacture electrical products ndash primarily power supply extension and other cords ndash and to sell them to US companies
ldquoMy Journey is all about perseverance hardwork-ing and willingness to take risk One of the key success elements is execution and move fast to make things happen regardless Delay[s] and not making decisions normally generate negative energy and reduce [your] chance of successrdquo she said in a recent interview
Ms Wong says that they were the very first Chinese manufacturer to obtain a UL listing Their first UL-listed products began with electrical ballasts for fluorescent lighting
One of McWongrsquos manufacturing facilities in China
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 4
McWong now maintains close to 300 SKUs of its power supplies for lighting
Her product line includes IOT lighting products Power Protection LED Wall Legacy and several other product lines It has been this expanding line of multi-product power supplies that has kept McWong ahead of the increasing wave of competi-tion emanating from China
Senior Project manager Jesse Huang at the Sacramento warehouse inspecting product
ldquoWe began seeing rising labor costs an unfavor-able currency exchange and tariff increases from a former 5-7 to a current 15-20 as storms were heading our wayrdquo said Ms Wong ldquofollowed by the tsunami of the Covid-19 pandemic All this has been cutting into our sales these past two yearsrdquo
ldquoHaving said thatrdquo she pointed out ldquoitrsquos been our product efficacies just in time deliveries and superior customer service that has supported and maintained our salesrdquo
McWong recently teamed with project partners Contemporary Energy Solutions Pentalux and Silvair to deploy a large McWong TruBlu control network at Yamaha Motorsrsquo midwestern distribu-tion center located in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin The SIG-qualified TruBlu mesh control network con-sists of 320 nodes and 40 control zones encompass-ing the 175000 sq ft facility the resulting estimat-ed energy savings exceed 250000 kWh annually
At this point McWong is doing well with its expand-ing lines including lighting ballasts LED drivers LED displays IOT sensors amp controls blue tooth mesh lighting solutions plus a new in-demand UV-C light-
McWong employees working on lighting power supplies
McWong continued on page 6
page 5September 2020
ing product in the battle against the Corona virus UV-C lighting which has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy and can act as a Corona virus disinfectant means
The company primarily sells directly to its OEM customers and employs sales reps for additional sales ldquoFor the most part our customers come to us because of our superior productsrdquo she concluded
McWong employs a total of about 1000 people in both its China and US facilities Find out more about McWong and its products at wwwmcwonginccom
Senior Electronics Engineer Darren Musgrave working on a LED driver
McWong continued from page 5
Ms Wong with California Governor Gavin Newsom at a California China Trade function
July 2017page 6 September 2020page 6
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
East meets West as McWong continues to field its many power supply solutions for the lighting industry in the USWhen you think of international trade and main-taining sales during this pandemic you must consider they may relate to both importing and exporting
McWongrsquos International Headquarters in Sacra-mento California is a good example With multiple US warehouse facilities and two factories in China this company continues to import power solutions LED drivers and many other products for US light-ing companies and exports some of its products to Canada and Mexico
Margaret Wong originally hails from Hong Kong and runs this far-flung company that has successfully bridged the two continents for 35 years Back then
she saw the opportunity to manufacture electrical products ndash primarily power supply extension and other cords ndash and to sell them to US companies
ldquoMy Journey is all about perseverance hardwork-ing and willingness to take risk One of the key success elements is execution and move fast to make things happen regardless Delay[s] and not making decisions normally generate negative energy and reduce [your] chance of successrdquo she said in a recent interview
Ms Wong says that they were the very first Chinese manufacturer to obtain a UL listing Their first UL-listed products began with electrical ballasts for fluorescent lighting
One of McWongrsquos manufacturing facilities in China
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 4
McWong now maintains close to 300 SKUs of its power supplies for lighting
Her product line includes IOT lighting products Power Protection LED Wall Legacy and several other product lines It has been this expanding line of multi-product power supplies that has kept McWong ahead of the increasing wave of competi-tion emanating from China
Senior Project manager Jesse Huang at the Sacramento warehouse inspecting product
ldquoWe began seeing rising labor costs an unfavor-able currency exchange and tariff increases from a former 5-7 to a current 15-20 as storms were heading our wayrdquo said Ms Wong ldquofollowed by the tsunami of the Covid-19 pandemic All this has been cutting into our sales these past two yearsrdquo
ldquoHaving said thatrdquo she pointed out ldquoitrsquos been our product efficacies just in time deliveries and superior customer service that has supported and maintained our salesrdquo
McWong recently teamed with project partners Contemporary Energy Solutions Pentalux and Silvair to deploy a large McWong TruBlu control network at Yamaha Motorsrsquo midwestern distribu-tion center located in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin The SIG-qualified TruBlu mesh control network con-sists of 320 nodes and 40 control zones encompass-ing the 175000 sq ft facility the resulting estimat-ed energy savings exceed 250000 kWh annually
At this point McWong is doing well with its expand-ing lines including lighting ballasts LED drivers LED displays IOT sensors amp controls blue tooth mesh lighting solutions plus a new in-demand UV-C light-
McWong employees working on lighting power supplies
McWong continued on page 6
page 5September 2020
ing product in the battle against the Corona virus UV-C lighting which has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy and can act as a Corona virus disinfectant means
The company primarily sells directly to its OEM customers and employs sales reps for additional sales ldquoFor the most part our customers come to us because of our superior productsrdquo she concluded
McWong employs a total of about 1000 people in both its China and US facilities Find out more about McWong and its products at wwwmcwonginccom
Senior Electronics Engineer Darren Musgrave working on a LED driver
McWong continued from page 5
Ms Wong with California Governor Gavin Newsom at a California China Trade function
July 2017page 6 September 2020page 6
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
McWong now maintains close to 300 SKUs of its power supplies for lighting
Her product line includes IOT lighting products Power Protection LED Wall Legacy and several other product lines It has been this expanding line of multi-product power supplies that has kept McWong ahead of the increasing wave of competi-tion emanating from China
Senior Project manager Jesse Huang at the Sacramento warehouse inspecting product
ldquoWe began seeing rising labor costs an unfavor-able currency exchange and tariff increases from a former 5-7 to a current 15-20 as storms were heading our wayrdquo said Ms Wong ldquofollowed by the tsunami of the Covid-19 pandemic All this has been cutting into our sales these past two yearsrdquo
ldquoHaving said thatrdquo she pointed out ldquoitrsquos been our product efficacies just in time deliveries and superior customer service that has supported and maintained our salesrdquo
McWong recently teamed with project partners Contemporary Energy Solutions Pentalux and Silvair to deploy a large McWong TruBlu control network at Yamaha Motorsrsquo midwestern distribu-tion center located in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin The SIG-qualified TruBlu mesh control network con-sists of 320 nodes and 40 control zones encompass-ing the 175000 sq ft facility the resulting estimat-ed energy savings exceed 250000 kWh annually
At this point McWong is doing well with its expand-ing lines including lighting ballasts LED drivers LED displays IOT sensors amp controls blue tooth mesh lighting solutions plus a new in-demand UV-C light-
McWong employees working on lighting power supplies
McWong continued on page 6
page 5September 2020
ing product in the battle against the Corona virus UV-C lighting which has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy and can act as a Corona virus disinfectant means
The company primarily sells directly to its OEM customers and employs sales reps for additional sales ldquoFor the most part our customers come to us because of our superior productsrdquo she concluded
McWong employs a total of about 1000 people in both its China and US facilities Find out more about McWong and its products at wwwmcwonginccom
Senior Electronics Engineer Darren Musgrave working on a LED driver
McWong continued from page 5
Ms Wong with California Governor Gavin Newsom at a California China Trade function
July 2017page 6 September 2020page 6
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
ing product in the battle against the Corona virus UV-C lighting which has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy and can act as a Corona virus disinfectant means
The company primarily sells directly to its OEM customers and employs sales reps for additional sales ldquoFor the most part our customers come to us because of our superior productsrdquo she concluded
McWong employs a total of about 1000 people in both its China and US facilities Find out more about McWong and its products at wwwmcwonginccom
Senior Electronics Engineer Darren Musgrave working on a LED driver
McWong continued from page 5
Ms Wong with California Governor Gavin Newsom at a California China Trade function
July 2017page 6 September 2020page 6
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
Museum of Broken Relationships the Stone Gate Lotrscak Tower and St Marcrsquos church are not to be missed Itrsquos also important to explore the areas farmers markets and cafes and to take a peek at the gracious government buildings within this capital city
Cavtat - This lesser known city is only a short boat ride away from Dubrovnik and lies along Croatiarsquos southern coast Palm trees and cobble-stone paths line the shore and perfectly frame the deep blue water of the Adriatic Sea Foodies can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea while pamper-ing their taste buds with a fantastic meal at one of several splendid restaurants Bugenvila is one of the most famous for both its view and its deli-cious steak with truffle foam One of the countryrsquos eeriest attractions is located near this city Visit an abandoned military resort with dilapidated hotel buildings and remnants of their war ending in the early 90rsquos These abandoned hotels of Kupari are a must-see
Pula - This city strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic coast is a perfect stopping point for lovers of Roman history In 177 BC the Romans conquered the Istria peninsula and made it a capital city The highlight for tourists here is vis-iting one of the six largest and best preserved Roman stadiums The Pula Amphitheatre was built between 27 BC and 68 AD and is still used today seating up to 20000 spectators While visiting Pula stop by the Temple of Augustus and the Arch of the Sergii
For many the closed borders between countries due to COVID-19 mean canceled vacations and a loss of optimism for travel in the near future Though foreign vacation options are limited Croatia reopened for American tourists earlier this summer (with certain restrictions) and is proud to showcase its many sites to all who choose to visit In terms of safety Forbes listed Zagreb Cavtat and Rijeka among the 20 safest European destinations for travel during this pandemic
ldquoCroatia has been glorious - itrsquos so beautiful and I want to go back as often as I canrdquo - Emilia Clarke (actress)
Most flights into Croatia from the USA will arrive in Dubrovnik or Zagreb the capital Once there the best way to see Croatia is by car Rental cars are generally inexpensive and road conditions are good Since the country is somewhat smaller than the state of Florida domestic travel is quick and simple The following sites and activities scattered throughout Croatia are highly recommended
Dubrovnik - A trip to Croatia wouldnrsquot be complete without a visit to its most glamorous city The cityrsquos Old Town district located within mighty medieval defensive walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site A 15 mile walk around the perim-eter will provide for viewing of fortresses canons and towers The Pile Gate built in 1537 provides sweeping views of Old Town and the magnificent Adriatic Another adrenaline-pumping option for aerial views would be a ride on the popular Du-brovnik cable car Fort Lovrijenac Dubrovnik Cathedral and the interesting monuments and old buildings located within the Square of the Loggia are among other good choices to round out the day
Zagreb - The cityrsquos main sightseeing area is Gornji Grad (Medieval Upper Town) While the city is easily walkable it still offers visitors great options of things to see and do For some photos of Zagreb make way to the 360-degree observation deck This aerial adventure along with the quirky
Explore Croatia ndash available to American travelers
Explore Croatia continued on page 8
Pula Amphitheatre
page 7September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
Tech Pfizer and Novavax if their vaccines prove viable
bull Japan forecasts that its economy will contract by 45 in fiscal 2020
The Korea TimesThe US is conducting anti-dumpingcountervailing duties probe of imported steel pipes Vallourec a Texas based steelmaker requested a review of products im-ported from South Korea Russia Ukraine and the Czech Republic Pipes are used in chemical plants nuclear power plants airplanes and vehicles
Straits TimesSix Singapore companies are featured in Forbes Magazine`s listing of top 200 small and medium-sized companiesbull SGX- investment holding company
bull AEM Holdings - designer and manufacturer of semi-conductor test handlers
bull Eggriculture Foods - eggs and egg products
Manila Timesbull The value of the money sent home by overseas Fili- pino workers (OFWS) bounced back in June rising to its highest level in 5 months
bull A terrorist bomb-maker from Pakistan was arrested in Palawan Province Authorities are investigating his possible involvement with local terrorists
Asahi Shimbunbull Japan`s jobless rate was 28 in June However a rising number of people are dropping out of the jobs race In addition 24 million furloughed workers are kept on payrolls backed by state subsidies which the government is seeking to extend beyond its end of September expiration
bull Paper companies in Japan are developing paper substitutes for plastic containers like shampoo bottles body soap containers etc
bull The Japanese government made arrangements with the Covid-19 vaccine producers- Astra-Zeneca BioN
Express News from Around the World
Brac - Home to the world famous Zlatni Rat beach this island is also known for its food and wine A relaxing day on this fine pebble beach can include a variety of watersports
Hvar - Those looking for exciting nightlife should head to this island fortress town As one of the oldest settlements in Croatia (384 BC) learn about their history in the Stari Grad Museum and visit the St Franciscan Monastery to bring that history
Explore Croatia continued from page 7
By Lisa Osborne BlalockFootloose Travel amp Tourslisafootloosetravelandtourscom
to life in your head In season the lavender fields of Velo Grablje are a stunning site and Hula Hula Beach Club is always the place to be for exciting nightlife
Split - Diocletianrsquos Palace takes up nearly half of the old city While it was built as a palace in the 4th century BC the monstrosity more closely re-sembles a fortress due to its size Roman ruins can be found around the city and the local bank even showcases an original Roman column For views of the city and nearby islands the top of the Cathe-dral of St Domnius is the place to be
In addition to this list of Croatiarsquos important sites the National Parks of Plitvice Lakes Krka Mljet and Risnjak are all worth a visit
Diocletianrsquos Palace
IBNewsmagTM
September 2020page 8
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
ReutersMexico would like to revoke a 100-year-old concession to a unit of Hong Kong`s CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd to run the port of Veracruz
Gulf Newsbull Dubai to relaunch cruise ship services before year end
bull Norway`s Sovereign Wealth Fund the world`s largest lost $21B in first half of the year
Jerusalem PostThe Sudanese Foreign Ministry states they are looking forward to a peace agreement with Israel
Santiago Timesbull Chile and Ecuador signed a free trade agreement bull The Latin America death toll from Covid-19 now exceeds that of North America
CentralAmericaDataIn Central America more than 800000 people are looking online to buy items to decorate a house or apartment and of this group of consumers approxi-mately 12 explore options to purchase lamps and their accessories
Material Handling amp LogisticsThis global business disruption looks set to continue for some time with 46 of businesses stating that it will take 12 months or more before supply chains return to pre-Covid levels of productivity
bull Khoon Group - engineering
bull Union Gas - petroleum products
bull Snack Empire - food and beverages
Bangkok Postbull The Thai government forecast is that the economy will contract by 73-78 this year Previous estimate predicted a contraction of 5-6
bull The Thai government and energy officials are promot- ing a plan to make Thailand a hub of electrical vehicle manufacturing This program if successful would negatively affect 850000 workers currently employed in combustion engine automobile factories
Buenos Aires Timesbull Anti-government demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Argentina to protest the Covid-19 lock- down extension and proposed judicial reform bill
bull After 146 days in lockdown Argentina`s virus prob- lems only worsened
bull Bond traders are already betting on Argentina`s next default
bull Mauricio Claver-Carone President Trump`s candi- date to head the Inter-American Development Bank claims he has the backing of majority of Latin Ameri- can countries and accuses Argentina of trying to lsquoob- structrsquo his election
page 9September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
bull Letters should be addressed to the company rather than a specific personbull Language amp Culture Croatia is a multilingual multiethnicmulticultural country The prevalent language is Croatian a Slavic language written in the Latin alphabet 78 (2011) speak at least one foreign language the majority of those with a higher education speak English (2011)bull Punctuality is very important bull Do not schedule meetings on Friday afternoons since many Croatians head to their country cot- tages after lunch that day bull Dress code is suit and tie for men and a conser- vative dress or blouse and skirt for women bull Greetings should be with firm handshake and direct eye contact (Pre-Covid-19)bull Always maintain eye contact when speaking bull Remain standing until you are invited to sit down as there might be a seat reserved espe- cially for youbull Small talk before getting down to business bull Decision-making is generally done by the chief executive bull Small gifts like a book or souvenir representing your country is acceptablebull Bribery is common
LocationSoutheastern Europe on the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia It borders Slo-venia to the northwest Hungary to the north-east Serbia to the east Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast sharing a mari-time border with Italy
Historybull 1867 - Part of newly formed Austro-Hungarian Empirebull 1918 - The Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known as Yugoslaviabull 1945- Yugoslavia became a federal independent communist state under the leadership of Marshal Josip Broz (aka Tito)bull 1991 - Croats declared their independence from Yugoslaviabull 1998 - After several years of fighting Croatia became independentbull 2009 - Joined NATObull 2013 - Joined the EU
Size bull Slightly smaller than West Virginiabull Population Distribution Most of the population lives in the northbull Quarter of population resides in and around Zagreb Many of its islands are sparsely popu- lated
PROFILE CroatiaA Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Croatia
July 2017page 10 September 2020page 10
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
bull Population 42M (July 2020 est)bull Population Growth Rate 05 (2020 est) bull Literacy Rate 993 bull Government Type Parliamentary republic bull Capital City Zagreb
EconomyCroatia is a small and complex market but plays an important role in the economic and political stability of Southeast Europe After the collapse of socialism Croatia went through a process of tran-sition to a market-based economy in the 1990s but its economy suffered badly during the Croatia War of Independence The economy is fragile The government is accelerating the privatization of non-strategic assets
Tourism is a very important part of the economy (20 of GDP) It is also working to become a re-gional energy hub In that regard the country is building a floating LNG regasification terminal to import LNG for re-distribution in SE Europe Croatia is projected to adopt the EURO in 2024
bull GDP $6097B (2018)bull GDP Growth Rate 29 (2019)bull Unemployment Rate 695 (2019)bull Exchange Rate 1US Dollar = 659 Croatian Kuna (71820) bull Labor Force 1790 M (2019) Labor Force Makeup 19 - Agriculture 273 - Industry 708 - Services (2019) Major Industries tourism chemicals plastics machine tools fab- ricated metals electronics iron and steel prod- ucts aluminum paper wood products con- struction materials textiles agriculture (vegeta- bles fruits and livestock) shipbuilding petro- leum refining food and beverages
International TradeTotal Exports $174B (2019)Major Exports (2019)
bull Fuels including oil - 95bull Machinery including computers - 83bull Electrical machineryequipment - 83
and our highly trained professional translators and interpreters as we try to reach even greater
heights while assisting you with your patents contracts manuals ads and more
We also provide interpreting equipment for your conferences
Take off into Fall with
wwwtransimpexcom translationstransimpexcom
Tel (816) 561 - 3777 bull Fax (816) 561 - 5515 2300 Main St 9th Floor Kansas City MO 64108
Translators bull Interpreters bull Editors bull Consultants Inc
Croatia continued on page 12
page 11September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
bull Pharmaceuticals - 78bull Vehicles - 56bull Wood - 53bull Clothing - 33bull Articles of iron and steel - 33bull Aluminum - 31bull Plastics plastic articles - 3
Major Export Partners (2019)bull Italy - 138bull Germany - 129bull Slovenia - 105bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 101bull Austria - 58bull Serbia - 53
Total Imports $282B (2019)Major Imports (2019)
bull Mineral fuels mineral oils etc - 121bull Nuclear reactors boilers machinery and mechanical appliances parts thereof - 98bull Vehicles - 867bull Electrical machineryequipment - 75bull Pharmaceuticals - 503bull Iron amp steel products - 28bull Apparel amp clothing - 272bull Iron amp steel - 232bull Furniture bedding etc - 216
Major Import Partners (2019)bull Germany - 154bull Italy - 138bull Slovenia - 115bull Hungary - 844bull Austria - 645bull Netherlands - 399bull Poland - 38bull China - 287bull Bosnia amp Herzegovina - 279bull France - 272
English Language News Sitesbull Total Croatia News - general news - wwwtotal-croatia-newscom bull Croatia Business Report - business news ndash wwwcroatiabusinessreportwordpresscom bull The Dubrovnik Times - general news - wwwthedubrovniktimescom
bull Nacional- general news - wwwnacionalhr (Croatian and English)
Sampling of Croatian Companiesbull Adris grupa - conglomerate (tourism hotels food etc - wwwadrishr - Rovinjbull Atlantic Grupa dd - food products amp dietary supplements - wwwatlantichren - Zagrebbull Zagreb Brewery- beer - wwwuzujskocom - Zagrebbull Badel 1862 - liquor amp wine - wwwbadel1862hr - Zagrebbull Viro - sugar refinery - httpwwwseceranahr - Viroviticabull BioGnost ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwbiognostcom - Zagrebbull Vindija - dairy products and beverages - wwwvindijahr - Varazdinbull Brodosplit - ships engines diesel engines - wwwbrodosplithr - Splitbull Viadukt - civil engineering (bridges tunnels roads) - wwwviadukthr - Zagrebbull Cakovecki mlinovi - wheat flour pumpkin seed oil baked goods - wwwcak-mlinovihr - Cakovecbull TOZ Penkala - writing implements art materials office supplies - wwwtoz-penkalahr - Zagrebbull Cedevita - soft drinks and mixes - wwwcedevitahr - Zagrebbull Sljeme - trunks fine leather products pet acc- essories - wwwsljemeautokoffercom - Zagrebbull Croteam - video games - wwwcroteamcom - Zagrebbull Tehnika - civil engineering - wwwtehnikahr - Zagrebbull Dalekovod - electric amp civil engineering - wwwdalekovodhr - Zagrebbull RIZ- transmitters antennas meters - wwwrizhr - Zagrebbull Digitron ndash electronics - wwwdigitronhr ndash Bujebull Rimac - electric sports cars drivetrains and battery systems etc - wwwrimac-autobilicomen - Sveta Nedejabull DOK-ING - electric vehicles unmanned multi- purpose vehicles and robotic systems - wwwdok-inghr - Zagrebbull Podravka - very large foodstuffs producer - wwwpodravkahr - Koprivnicabull Duro Dakovic - boilers railway vehicles bridges cranes industrial structures armored vehicles - wwwduro-dakoviccom - Slavonski Brodbull Pliva ndash pharmaceuticals - wwwplivacom - Zagreb
Croatia continued from page 11
July 2017page 12 September 2020page 12
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
bull Fortenova Group - large conglomerate-mineral water ice cream edible oils margarine mayon- naise etc - wwwfortenovagrouphr - Zagrebbull Pivovara Licanka - beer- wwwpivovara-licankahr - Gospicbull Geofoto - photogrammetry geographic inform- ation systems - wwwgeofotohr - Zagrebbull Petrokemija - fertilizers - wwwpetrokemijahr - Kutinabull HS Product - pistols assault rifles grenade launchers - wwwhs-produkthr - Ozaljbull Kras - confectionery products - wwwkrashr - Zagrebbull Dalmont - shipyard (Kraljevica Shipyard) - wwwdalmonthren - Kraljevica Note oldest continuously operating shipyard in the world - est 1729bull IN2 ndash software - wwwin2eu - Zagrebbull Institut IGH - civil engineering - wwwighhr - Zagrebbull INA dd - oil amp gas exploration amp production - wwwinahr ndash Zagrebbull Iskon Internet - internet provider fixed line tele- phone and IPTV access - wwwiskonhr - Zagreb
Public Holidaysbull January 1 - New Yearrsquos Daybull January 6 - Epiphanybull April 12 - Easter Sundaybull April 13 - Easter Mondaybull May 1 - Labor Daybull May 30 - Statehood Daybull June 11 - Corpus Christibull June 22 - Anti-Fascist Daybull August 5 - Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day bull August 15 ndash Thanksgiving Day bull November 1 - Assumption Day bull November 18 - All Saints Day Remembrance Day bull December 25 - Christmas bull December 26 - St Stephen`s Day By Paul Mastilak InterMark3 Inc
View of main square in Zagreb Croatia
International Business News
page 13September 2020
