The U.S Imports 280 Million Pounds of Coffee...

And thats every month of the year!! Here's a chart showing the monthly coffee imports of the world's largest markets, according to the International Cofee Organization. That's an enormous market. And with the direct marketing capabilities provided by today's desktop publishing software and e-commerce applications (build yourself a Web site, sell on eBay, post to Craigslist...it starts online!), customers have never been so easy to reach. If I were starting a coffee brand right now, I'd start by sending out mailings to every (independent) coffee shop in the U.S. (or as many as you can afford). [If you are interested in purchasing a list of coffee shops (or any other business for that matter), contact Faculty Imports today. I can get you lists of any business category for a reasonable fee.]

What's more, the backlash against big corportate coffee should make it easier for smaller players to see nice returns. Partially as a result of this backlash, the Fair Trade Coffee Movement has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. It's a pretty cool marketing concept, though I can't testify as to how far the good intentions actually go to helping poor people in underdeveloped nations. Standards are required to ensure that the fair trade is truly that. But if it means you earn a higher return for your stuff, while gaining access to a more "compassionate" segment of the market and simultaneously doing some good, then I'm all for it. If you're looking for a supplier of the fair stuff, start by contacting Global Exchange. They import and sell fair trade coffee themselves, so you won't get the price you need to turn a real profit, but if you can work with them long enough to find yourself a reliable supplier who will sell to you direct, then you're golden.

As far as Asian coffee is concerned, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Phillipines are all big producers, but I'm certainly not going to advocate Asian imports over all others. Latin America and Africa produce some of the best coffee in the world, so shop around for the right supplier and try to build your niche. Here's a directory of coffee exporters around the world.

Now the labor unions are in on it.

Bashing Chinese currency policy is growing in popularity, especially with the election drawing near. Candidates are eager to prove that they will crack down on "outsourcing" and overseas competition. Now the labor unions are putting their two cents in, calling on the White House to take action. Luckily nobody's really listening at the White House (surprise?), and the National Association of Manufacturers called the move a "counterproductive step."

Bug Me Not

Just a quick reminder, if you have trouble accessing any news article we link to here, just visit Bug Me Not and type the URL of the news source. They should give you a password. As a general rule I won't link to anything I can't access through there: I hate registering for these no-name sites... I mean seriously, if you're the New York Times, okay, you can ask a user for some information, but the Kansas City Star and the National Post of Canada just have no business demanding my information when their (often superior) competitors are just a click away. Someday these sites will get it. In the mean time, turn to BugMeNot.com.

Let a Thousand Reactors Bloom

Think China's inability to meet growing energy demands will keep it from becoming the world's dominant economy. Perhaps air pollution will prevent the country from reaching its potential. Well, China seems to have found a solution in a new form of nuclear power that is meltdown proof and can be mass-produced. Oh, and it will produce hydrogen. The West better be watching closely, or it will be watching from way behind...

China To Surpass NAFTA

According to the National Post of Canada, China is set to become No. 1 U.S. trade partner. The government is forecasting China could surpass Canada as its largest trading partner within half a decade, a concern to both the Canadian government and industry.

Aside: If the National Post would allow open access to their site, I would post a link here so you could visit and be subjected to their advertisers, possibly generating revenue for them by clicking on one of these banner ads. Instead, they will languish in Internet obscuirity until their manager of online affairs gets a clue (or a pink slip).

Chinese Growth Driving World Economy

It's just been ticking me off recently listening to the finance ministers in all these wealthy nations with lackluster economic growth complain about China's fixed currency rate. The global economic boom (albeit less impressive at home in the United States) is driven in large part by the explosive growth in East Asia. Nearly every transnational consumer goods firm runs manufacturing plants on the Chinese mainland. The outstanding profits from these firms' exports are the primary reason that the economic outlook around the globe are as rosy as they appear at present. And those profits are due in part to the fixed exchange rate. The stockholders of these firms primarily reside in the wealthy nations. Yes, the same wealth nations whose finance ministers keep complaining about the exchange rates. My advice to the finance ministers of ASEAN: Focus on your own country for once. The Chinese have shown far more competence in managing their economies than most of their detractors.