EVENT: Jan. 22, Tues. - American Australian Assn's "Annual G'Day USA Wine & Food Event", 6:30pm, Boston
The Australian-American Assn. of New England presents this event celebrating Australian wines and gourmet trends. Maria Stephanos, Fox25 news anchor, will serve as emcee. Evening includes a wine reception and dinner at Great Bay at the Hotel Commonwealth, 500 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. Cost is $130 members; $150 non-members. All proceeds benefit the Association's Education Fund. To register, contact Helen.steelgeiss@americanaustralian.org,
call 617-491-0708, or visit the website below.
Visit www.americanaustralian.org/calendar/

SEMINAR: Jan. 23 & 24, Wed. & Thurs.--"Basics of Importing," 9am, Saugus
EXIM Associates presents this one and a half-day seminar on "everything you need to know about importing," including the roles of the freight forwarder, the customs broker, and the importing company itself. The session is ideal for those new to importing as well as for more experienced importers who can benefit from a refresher course. Location is Eastern Bank, Saugus, MA. Time is 9am-3pm on Jan. 23, and 9am-Noon on Jan. 24. Cost is $200. For further information and to enroll, contact Barb Secor at EXIM Associates, bsecor@eximassociates.com or 781-784-0296. Visit the website below for details.
Visit www.eximassociates.com.

EVENT: Jan. 24, Thurs.--Luncheon with The Honourable Perrin Beatty, President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, 11:30am, Boston
The New England-Canada Business Council (NECBC) presents Mr. Perrin Beatty, former President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and, as of August 2007, President & CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Previously a House of Commons member and a cabinet officer, Mr. Beatty was also president of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Lunch location is The Colonnade Hotel, 120 Huntington Ave., Boston. Registration is at 11:30am, lunch at 12:15pm and program at 1pm. Cost is $55 for members, $65 for non-members. To register and for further information, contact necbc@comcast.net or call 508-923-0365.
Visit www.necbc.org.

EVENT: Jan. 24, Thurs. - "French & American Biotech - Differences & Opportunities," 6:30pm, Cambridge
The French-American Chamber of Commerce New England presents this roundtable discussion about French biotech companies establishing activities in the U.S., and American companies or entrepreneurs interested in having a presence in France or an alliance with a French biotech company. Speakers are Eric Halioua, Sr. Manager, A.D. Little Inc.; Frederic Chereau, Vice President, Genzyme; Bernard Malfroy-Camine, Exec. VP, Proteome Systems; Ronald Renaud, CFO, Idenix Pharmaceuticals; and Al Sokol, partner, Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge. Event is at 6:30pm at Genzyme Center, 500 Kendall St., Cambridge. Cost is $35 members, $45 non-members. To register and for further information, contact Valerie.ferret@faccne.org, call 617-520-2121, or visit the website below.
Visit www.faccne.org.

EVENT: Jan. 29, Tues. - "MeetChinaBiz," 4pm, Boston
MeetChinaBiz continues its networking Roundtables with this late January event at Burns & Levinson, 125 Summer St., Boston. Program includes networking time, a feature presentation on "Latest Sourcing Trends & Challenges in China," and a roundtable discussion. Cost is free for members, $30 in advance, and $40 at the door. For further information and to register, visit the website below or contact Shawn He at shawn@meetchinabiz.org.
Visit www.meetchinabiz.org.

EVENT: Jan. 31, Thurs. - "NAFTA Workshop: Nuts & Bolts of NAFTA Documentation & Canadian Customs Procedures," 9am, Boston
Please join us for an interactive NAFTA Roundtable program organized by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce's U.S. Commercial Service, the Mass. Export Center, UPS, and the Mass. Alliance for International Business/A.I.M. Learn how your company can take advantage of preferential tariff treatment under NAFTA, and how to expedite shipments into Canada. Speakers include JoAnn Queen, NAFTA Documentation Specialist, US Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service, Washington DC, and Barry Snider, Certified Customs Specialist, UPS Canada. Time will be set aside at the end of the program for one-on-one meetings with these specialists. Roundtable venue is State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Conf. Room 1, Boston, MA. Cost is $40 and includes continental breakfast and course materials. To register or for additional information, visit the website below or contact the Dept. of Commerce U.S. Commercial Services Mass. Office
at 617-565-4309, email Dorothy.zurmuhlen@mail.doc.gov.
Visit www.buyusa.gov/massachusetts/nafta.html

MASSDEVELOPMENT'S NEW EXPORT FINANCE PROGRAM
MassDevelopment recently introduced the "100% Export Loan" for companies that need financing for exports. This new loan, available at a fixed or variable rate, allows the borrower to finance an entire project's cost at a low interest rate. Several Massachusetts manufacturers are already employing this type of loan financing to expand their business and make operations more efficient. For details on how the loans are structured, how specific companies are using MassDevelopment's Export Loan, or how you might benefit from the program, contact Eric Hunter at MassDevelopment at 1-800-445-8030 or visit the link below. Visit www.massdevelopment.com

Your notices of events and suggestions for topics are always welcome.

Massachusetts Alliance for International Business (MAIB) is grateful to the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP) for their financial support.

Visit the MassMEP