Israel-America Chamber of Commerce

Sponsored by

In this Issue:

Feb. 2                                      Lecture: Getting Info-Lean – 
                                              Avoiding the Trap of Over-Information

Feb. 15                                    Seminar: Real Estate

Feb. 28                                    Meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon

March 1-2                                IsraMedTech 2011

March 9                                   2011 Innovation Summit

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Dec. 30                                    Seminar: Increase your Odds of Going Viral

Jan. 26-May 22                        Upcoming Events by our Sister Chambers in the U.S.

The Israeli Economy – Special Developments

Chamber Committees

Business Opportunities

New Members

Benefits for Members

Future Events

Feb. 2: Lecture: Avoiding the Trap of Over-Information

The Chamber, together with The Manufacturers Association, invites its Members to a lecture on Avoiding the Trap of Over-Information, on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at 8:30 a.m., at the Association, 29 Ha'Mered St. in Tel Aviv. The lecturer will be Brad Boyer of Boyer Communications Group. Participation is at no cost but requires registration, at 03-6952341 or amcham@amcham.co.il.

Feb. 7: Seminar: What Security Problems Keep Healthcare IT Executives Up at Night

The Chamber, together with Signal Business Development, a Member of the Chamber, will hold a breakfast seminar titled "What Security Problems Keep Healthcare IT Executives Up at Night" on Monday, Feb. 7, 2011, 8:30a.m.-11:00a.m., at the Chamber Conference Room, 35 Shaul Hamelech Blvd, 8^th floor, Tel Aviv. The presenter will be Dr. Aviel D. Rubin, Professor of Computer Science and Technical Director of the Information Security Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

Participation is at no cost but requires registration. For further information, click here

Feb. 15: Real Estate Seminar

The Chamber will hold a real estate seminar on Planning for U.S. Taxation for Israeli Investors in U.S. Real Estate, on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011, at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv. Further details – to follow.

Feb. 22: Seminar on the U.S. Health Insurance System

The Chamber, together with Signal Business Development, a Member of the Chamber, will hold a seminar titled The U.S. Health Insurance System from the Insurer's Standpoint, on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, at the Chamber Conference Room, 35 Shaul Hamelech Blvd, 8^th floor, Tel Aviv. For further information, or for registration, contact the Chamber, 03-6952341 or amcham@amcham.co.il.

March 1: Meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister

The Chamber will hold a breakfast meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv. MK Ayalon will discuss Challenges and Successes in the International Arena. The event will be in Hebrew.

March 1-2, 2011: IsraMedTech 2011

The Chamber is co-sponsoring IsraMedTech 2011, organized by MedEvents, on March 1-2, 2011, in Haifa. This event is of particular interest to innovative companies developing and marketing products within the following areas: Medical Devices; Imaging; MedTech; Coatings and Polymers; Medical IT; Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals; Medical Equipment; Venture Capital/Finance and Delivery Platforms. For further information, click here.        

 March 29-30: 2011 U.S./Israel Venture Summit

The Chamber is co-sponsoring the 2011 U.S./Israel Venture Summit, to take place on March 29-30 in New York City. This event, by the youngStartup Ventures Association, is geared towrd Venture entrepreneurs and will include presentations by more than 50 Israeli companies. Chamber Members will receive a 20-percent registration discount. For registration and further information, click here.

May 22: Chamber Annual Awards Dinner

The Chamber will hold its Annual Awards Dinner on Sunday, May 22, at the Herzliya home of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The deadline to submit nominations for the awards is on Feb. 24. Details were mailed to Members of the Chamber.

Past Event

Seminar: Increase your Odds of Going Viral

The Chamber, in cooperation with Signal Business Development, DLA Piper and Never Stop Marketing, held a seminar titled "Be Remarkable, on Dandelion Marketing: How to Increase Your Odds of Going Viral" on Dec. 30, 2010.

Upcoming Events by our Sister Chambers in the U.S.

January 26, Austin Texas                      Lecture: Stem cells. For information, click here

Jan. 27, Dallas, Texas                           Lecture: Stem cells. For information, click here.

Feb. 1-2, College Station, TX               Forum: Energy Security and Sustainability.
                                                      To register, click here. 

Feb. 2, Philadelphia, PA                      Presentation: Game-Changing Software 
                                                      & Internet Solutions. For further information, click here.

Feb. 2, Atlanta, GA                           Lecture: Israeli Entrepreneurship & Technological
                                                     Innovation. For further information, click here.

Feb. 12, Oak Park, MI                       Lecture: Showcasing Successful Michigan-Israel
                                                    Partnerships. For further information, click here.

Feb. 24, Baltimore, MD                    Partnership between Teva Pharmaceuticals and the    
                                                    University of Maryland. For further information, click here.

March 8, Chicago. IL                       Seminar: Israeli IT. For further information, click here. 

May 22-23, Chicago, IL                    Israeli Wines and Tasting. For information, click here.

June 6, Atlanta, GA                        The Award Gala of the American-Israel Chamber of
                                                   Commerce, SE Region, with TASE CEO Ester Levanon

Business Opportunities

Members interested in distributing and/or seeking business opportunities in the U.S. are invited to contact Amos Fabian at the Chamber, amos@amcham.co.il.

Business Opportunities from Israel 

1. Turnkey company specializing in electro optics, micro electronics and software design is seeking clients (230).
2. Marketer of industrial grease and chemicals is seeking industrial oil dealers on the East Coast (233).
3. Manufacturer of jewelry is seeking sales representatives (232).
4. Developer, marketer and supporter of software solutions is seeking to market, implement and support the products of U.S. companies (234)

Business Opportunities from the U.S. 

1. Rhode Island manufacturer of agricultural commodities is seeking clients (823).
2. Illinois producer of BBQ sauces is seeking new ideas for products and marketing (827).
3. Pennsylvania manufacturer of energy-efficient products is seeking representatives (831).
4. Delaware Consultant Company, specializing in environmental issues, is seeking representatives. (WTCDE 01-17-2011-1)
5. Pennsylvania manufacturer of merchandise custom-designed for holidays and other special occasions is seeking representation (830).
6. New York pharmaceutical company, which specializes in care and pharmaceutical products, is seeking clients (821).
7. Delaware manufacturer of items for public restrooms is seeking representatives (826).
8. New York designer and manufacturer of women's swimsuits is seeking distributors and buyers (822).
9. Georgia manufacturer of decorative wood products for cabinetry and furniture is seeking clients and distributors (817).

Benefits for Members

Member to Member Services

* Chamber members will enjoy initial consulting for free, and other special reductions, from Corporate Resources Group (Israel) Ltd. (CRG), a member of the Chamber. CRG provides global HR consulting and Relocation of employees all over the world, including the U.S., or to Israel. The company also assists in recruiting employees for relocation to the U.S. or in recruiting Israeli talents in the U.S. CRG, an approved supplier of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, also provides inter-cultural training together with its U.S. partners, Dean Foster Associates of New York. For further information, please call Amos at 03-695 2341 or e-mail: amos@amcham.co.il

* Chamber Members will enjoy a free initial consultation from Tech Pubs, a Member of the Chamber. The company provides technical writing and training programs, as well as translation services for government projects and general issues. The company is a vendor approved by the U.S. Department of Defense and Israeli Ministry of Defense, and meets U.S. Foreign Military Financing requirements. The company has 25 years of relevant experience. Chamber Members may receive a free initial consultation. For further information, contact Amos Tel: 03-6952341 or email: amos@amcham.co.il.

Fast-Track Visa to the U.S.

The Chamber assists its Members with a fast-track service for interviews for visas to the U.S. The service is designated only for business trips. The service includes a fee. For information, contact the Chamber. Make sure your employers hold valid visas and renew them well before the expiration deadline.
For your information: The Visa Section will be closed for two weeks, from mid-February until the beginning of March. Please plan accordingly.

Membership Renewal

 Membership renewal invoices for 2011 have been sent to our members two months ago We would appreciate you taking care of this matter shortly, to enable us to continue our services and activities.

Israel-U.S. Commerce, 2010

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics

In 2010:

1.  
   • the trade balance between Israel and the U.S. was in favor of Israel, as was the case in the past few years.
   • Exports to the U.S. amounted to $11.6 billion;
   • Imports from the U.S. amounted to $5.9 billion. Import state of origin is defined as the location of purchase.
   • Overal trade with the U.S. reached 31.7 percent of overall exports (35 percent in 2009) and 11.3 percent of overall import (12.3).
   • Exports increased by 10.5 percent ($1.8 billion), Imports increased by 14.5 percent ($0.8 billion) abd the surplus rose by 8.3 percent (up $0.9 billion compared to 2009)

In 1985, Israel and the U.S. signed a Free Trade Agreement. The following describes trade between the two countries between 1985-2010 (including diamonds), in millions of $.

The Chamber expresses its condolences
to its Chairman, Chemi Peres, on the passing of his mother,
the late Sonya Peres.