Vision Bordeaux Export 2016, destination USA!

After a successful first edition last year with Germany, Vision Bordeaux Export is re-editing its initiative this year with the USA as a target! Bordeaux Business attended last night (Thursday, December 15) the closing night at the Hotel Mercure Bordeaux Airport in Mérignac, live and via video conference with the United States (Houston, Texas).

In the service of Franco-American trade relations

The objective of this initiative? Valuing and supporting companies in the Bordeaux region in their trade with the United States. In the presence of Mr. Le Consul of the United States in Bordeaux, and, from a distance, with the French American Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Consul of France in Houston, this closing evening was an opportunity to revisit the companies accompanied in recent weeks by eight Bordeaux experts in international business.

At the origin of this event, under the aegis of the CICEA – International Commission of Economic Clubs of Aquitaine, composed in particular of the Bordeaux Business Club, CEBA and CEBA Entrepreneurs Club The Mérignac Business Club,the VBE USA 2016 team was on a volunteer mission, to support entrepreneurs and companies exporting to the United States in order to connect and initiate potential trade relationships:

Elizaveta VASINA-DUGUINE (Lex-Port),associate lawyer in international affairs law

Laurence DAGREOU (NATIXIS Savings Bank) Expert in International Affairs and Export Financing, financial partner of the VBE 2015 and 2016

Jean BARRAILLEY (Prospactive)International Business Development

Catherine TARMO (Mind the Gap) Trainer, Translator and interpreter in English business – link between France and the USA during contacts between companies

Muriel BLONDY (ADV Export)training consultant in international trade techniques and administrative management for export

Nicolas BABIN (Business Development)

Jean-Yves MOUGEOLLE, Vice President(LIWEO),Video live streaming

– Dominique SAUBOT CHEVET(Cape Oz Ideas),manager and commercial developer in event communication.

A real business opportunity between Bordeaux and American companies

Houston, and more broadly Texas, are in love with France… and especially Bordeaux wines! According to the French Consul in Houston, this is a good starting point for successful implementation on American soil. Texans are very sensitive to French companies that are establishing themselves in their state at the moment, while oil is not at its highest level. Especially since the Super Bowl at the NRG Stadium in Houston on February 5th already augurs certain economic benefits, in addition to a high visibility.

According to Mr. Bonte, president of the Franco-American Chamber of Commerce in Houston, Texas wants to be able to “build relationships on both sides of the Atlantic” through experience sharing, skills exchange, and know-how. On these concepts are based a good management of import/export. A mode of operation to which France is not aware, but which allows to consolidate the opportunities between the companies of the two countries.

To date, it should be noted that transactions between France and the United States amount to one billion dollars, and trade in goods and services respectively $48 billion and $18 billion. In order to take stock of the current investment opportunities, the Consul of the United States in Bordeaux invites all Bordeaux companies to visit the seminar “Select USA” on January 24, in Bordeaux, to be held at INSEEC. Admission is by invitation only, so please contact the U.S. Consulate in Bordeaux in advance of usabordeaux@state.gov.

 

Seven laureates boosted in their development in the United States

For the VBE USA 2016 event, seven companies were selected: Buzziness, FPBOIS Group, Beyond Escape, Malle Castle, Yooji, TISSOT Industry,Degorce. They were able to initiate an initial contact with Houston companies and now hold the keys to establish themselves on American soil. Five winners are the results of this first accompaniment:

For Stéphane GRAVELLE, Associate Director of Beyond Event and Beyond Escape,Vision Bordeaux Export “USA” has seemed obvious. Its structure supports everything type of event related to the internal or external communication of companies (Seminars, Conventions, Business Travel, Travel Incentives, General Assembly, Kick Off…). Overseas through these meetings, “we allow companies to bring together their employees across a wide range of territory.”.

For Damien AUDEMA, Commercial Manager at Tissot Industries, Vision Bordeaux Export is a first step towards exporting to the United States. The group, which studies, manufactures, transports and assembles industrial equipment for the storage, handling and processing of liquids, solids or gases, is already exporting Mexico and other countries around the world, and is now considering whether to enter the U.S. market. The flexibility of its organization allows it to meet any need for innovation in the oil, chemical, gas, food, paper sectors …

For Mathieu LALANNE, buzziness’s chief executive, the United States is a no-brainer. His company is dedicated to the opinions of professionals, a social network B to B. If Buzziness expands in France, the network wants to expand its reach in the USA, “where everything happens, where the disruptive exists.” Moreover, in the United States, social networks are really “unfiltered” for a factual approach. As a result, companies are better informed about the customer’s implicit and explicit expectations and are able to do everything possible to meet them.

For Frédéric VENTRE, head of Yooji,a food tech company specializing in organic infant food with pebbles or pods of frozen natural food, the babyfood market, especially on American soil, represents a potential of tens of billions of dollars. Today, the brand is marketed in France in the mass market. The aim is to allow the creation of meals “on measures” according to the tastes and needs of the child, with what is in the freezer. Potential to go to the USA.

For Paul-Henry de BOURNAZEL, owner of Château de Malle, a second vintage classified from Sauternes, Vision Bordeaux Export USA 2016 was an opportunity to organize a wine tasting remotely, via videoconference with Houston. The property closes delicious nectars… Appellations Sauternes, Graves rouge and Graves blanc (respectively Château de Cardaillan and M de Malle), all reasons to introduce our Texan friends to “yellow gold” across the Atlantic.

 

Natixis’ view of the U.S. market

In the second part of the evening, a video conference with Sylvain BROYER of Natixis for a macro-economic analysis of the American system and possible projections for the “Donald Trump era”. The US is currently “a country that is doing well”, close to full employment. While the subprime crisis has left its mark, the American economic landscape seems to be slowly recovering. The growth of the world’s leading power is thus in the range of 10 to 15% in terms of GDP, while the very low unemployment rate really facilitates the growth of the country. At the same time, the dollar U.S. is in full appreciation, which bodes well for international trade and trade in the country.

The first evaluation of tax policy in the aftermath of Obama’s term will take place between January and February, at the inauguration of the new president, Donald Trump. It is still too early to form a clear opinion, however, on the “candidate Trump” agenda. Thus, D. Trump could compare him to President Reagan, former president of the United States and who has served under very important growth conditions.

But today, unlike in the Reagan era, public debt is already at its highest level, and the country as a whole has a significant need for infrastructure. To carry out this work without increasing the debt, public spending is combined with private financing. The fiscal stimulus is uncertain, however, with economists estimating it rising from 2% to 2.4%.

Trump’s core agenda was scary. He wanted to separate himself from NAFTA (Canada, USA, Mexico) to build a wall, a barrier with Mexico, and to tighten his policy towards China by taxing imports more. But shutting down from the international market would be impossible for such a great power, since leaving the WTO would be difficult. In addition, 55% of THE US debt is held by foreign countries (Central Banks, Europe, Japan, NAFTA, China…).

The time is therefore ripe for the arrival of French companies highly valued for their know-how in the USA, and in Houston, Texas, which is a very large state where there is enough room and dynamism to establish itself without difficulty.

A closing night high in symbol

Vision Bordeaux Export USA 2016 thus concludes an evening high in positivism for the Franco-American business, high in exciting professional meetings, high in synergies between VBE experts and the winning companies, high finally as a symbol, since December 15 was the anniversary of Gustave Eiffel, originally the Statue of Liberty, symbol of the union between France and the USA in heritage. Let’s bet that this happy coincidence will bode well for a successful reciprocal business.

 

AZ – AK – Bordeaux Business

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