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SAN JOSE - 12/16/03 - With a new governor in office and economic indicators pointing toward recovery, California's trade community is keen to remind shippers that the Golden State is back, writes Patrick Burnson in the latest issue of the San Francisco-based Western Trans: Voice of the Pacific Transportation Association newsletter.

"Global California: Economy in Transition," was a day-long conference staged at the Cisco Conference Center here recently [December 5]. Featured speakers were selected from a broad cross-section of trade services, but all seemed to agree on the need for heightened awareness and public outreach, he writes.

"Arnold Schwarzenegger is an action guy who wants to have 'action items' on his desk. He's not interested in white papers or long, involved studies," said trade consultant, Jerry Levine, president, Mentor International. "We have to unite to provide him and our legislators with plans they can implement without delay."

The conference - organized by TradePort, The Monterey International Trade Association, and the CalTrade Report - drew from a number of other San Francisco Bay Area trade experts.
Chief among them was Jerry Bridges, the maritime director of the nation's fourth largest port. He noted that Oakland is making a concerted effort to educate local lawmakers on the ability of the gateway to drive regional prosperity.

"We are the engine of economic growth," he said. "But for that to be sustained, we need support for the steady expansion of our infrastructure."

That includes dredging, he said, and the port hopes to attract even more ocean carriers once the harbor has been deepened to 50 feet.

Jose Duenas, president and CEO of the Bay Area World Trade Center echoed this sentiment, noting that a united front comprising ports, carriers, and trade service providers is essential for overcoming local barriers raised by special interest groups.

"When it comes to generating employment, international trade is key," he said. "Trade related activities alone account for thousands of jobs in our region."

As one might expect from a conference held in Silicon Valley, discussion often centered on how high-tech firms would position themselves for the economic rebound. "Epicenter of the eLogistics Revolution" provided the platform for Open Harbor and GT Nexus to expand on their newly-formed partnership.

"According to analysts, 80 percent of US GDP will be traded internationally by 2007," said Greg Johnson, vice president of marketing and products for GT Nexus. "That's shocking when you realize that it is only 20 percent today."

Further complicating this prospect are the many government initiatives associated with Homeland Security.

"It's raised the stakes for every importer and exporter," he said. "no matter what their size."

He pointed to the 24-hour rule expanded to US exports, and how its complexity could put supply chains at risk.

"New security mandates mean global businesses must show strict process and procedure compliance - or get shut down," he stated.

Beth Peterson, vice president, product solutions for Open Harbor Inc., said that the convergence of logistics with this compliance element would make the process more transparent.

"An integrated infrastructure provides applications for central management," she said. "That's why we were attracted to the idea of collaborative technology to begin with."

Collaboration was the theme carried throughout the day as trade analysts and practitioners worked on ways to re-ignite promotion of California's global economy.
 
Many of the same players are planning to reconvene in Monterey early next year, with the hope that "Governor Arnold" will have by then realized that these pros mean business.

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