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Global Connections
Interns Supporting the Decision-Making Needs of Area Businesses
Sixteen MU and Trulaske College of Business students interning with the MU International Trade Center shared findings from the semester-long global market research projects on December 1, 2023, with four Missouri companies each seeking to expand their sales internationally.
What in the World? Company Spotlight: Endovac Animal Health
Endovac Animal Health (Columbia, MO) initially partnered with the MU International Trade Center in 2019 to complete an in-depth International market sector research report. In catching up with Endovac President Steve Knorr recently, he shared that: “The final report shared has served as a road map for our international growth plans. The resources, access to databases and statistics on international trade have been invaluable. I initially thought that our engagement with the MU ITC would be limited to the completion of this project but it was really just the beginning. We have hired two Interns out of the MU ITC to help in all aspects of our company. Our relationship with MU ITC and the Trulaske College of Business is also developing a talent pipeline and providing Endovac with access to a ready supply of great student interns and potential future employees. MU ITC has also provided a level of connectivity with state and federal agencies and industry involved with international trade that has been vital to our growth.”
Congratulations to Endovac Animal Health for celebrating 40 years of successful business operations (1983-2023)!
Graduate Spotlight: Mirieli Santos
Learning, Growing and Thriving Globally
Mirieli Estaili da Silva Santos earned her BS BA in international business management from the Trulaske College of Business in December 2023. Santos was an MU International Trade Center intern during Fall 2022 where she strengthened her skills in teamwork, critical thinking, data analysis, report building and communication.
Where in the World? Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Welker
Aaron served as an MU ITC student intern in Prague, Czech Republic, during the Summer 2016 and then worked as the Prague project manager the following year. He graduated from the Trulaske College of Business in May 2017 with a BS in economics and a minor in political science and multicultural studies. In February 2018, Aaron packed everything he could fit into a suitcase and boarded a one-way flight from “small town USA” to Berlin, Germany. He left behind his family and friends behind to move to a place where he knew no one and no one knew him. And, over the last 5+ years he’s seen and done more than he ever thought was possible.
Global Development
Connecting Exporters
Each fall, the MU International Trade Center, along with trade assistance partners from across the region, hosts the Mid-America Trade Summit. The summit provides a unique opportunity to bring together top exporters, global trade leaders and trade assistance providers from across Mid-America.
Building Competencies
Seeking to enhance the import and export skills of employees and better position Missouri and U.S. companies to be successful in today’s global market, the MU International Trade Center annually hosts a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) Training session annually targeted at company representatives, trade community members and students seeking to secure the CGBP credential.
Global Insights
Market Spotlight: The Dynamic Export Market of Singapore
Singapore’s transparency and lack of corruption, business-friendly laws and regulations, strong intellectual protection, and English-speaking population make it an ideal export market for U.S. companies. Singapore is an important trade partner to the U.S. with a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in place since 2004. U.S. exports totaled USD 46.2 billion to Singapore in 2022. Singapore is a major distribution, logistics and financial hub, and many consider it to be the gateway to the Southeast Asian region. In fact, Singapore’s Logistics Performance Index is ranked number one out of 160 countries. Singapore has a strong economy with one of the highest levels of GDP per head in Asia at USD 67,000. Singapore is known for its friendly business environment, ranking second out of 190 countries for ease of doing business and known as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
Trade Resource Spotlight: Market Diversification Tool
The International Trade Administration’s Industry and Analysis Unit’s Market Diversification Tool offers U.S. exporters a research resource to help identify potential export markets by using their current trade patterns. The tool is an interactive dashboard that brings together 11 indicator datasets to help exporters identify and compare future export markets. It allows users to quickly identify trends within the market and explore data that would otherwise be difficult to access and interpret.
Trade Indicator Spotlight: International Logistics Performance Index Releases 2023 Edition
The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is a benchmarking tool to help identify the opportunities and challenges in trade logistics across 139 countries. The LPI ranks countries on six dimensions – customs, infrastructure, international shipments, logistics competence, tracking & tracing, and timeliness of shipments. Data is collected from a worldwide survey of international logistics operators providing feedback on the logistics “friendliness” of each of the country. The LPI 2023 edition was recently released with Singapore outperforming all other countries.