European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 2, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 18 the stars and stripes business news sunday october 2,1938 Japan attempts to eclipse . At if meeting Berlin Japan moved this week 10 the Center or the world financial Mage supping into a leadership role once exclusively played by the United stoles. Never before have i seen so Many people saying. Japan Japan " Satoshi Sumita Japan s Central Hank governor told japanese reporters at the annual meeting of the International Mone tary fund and world Hank. Jii Pun captured the intention of thousands of top financial officials and Bankers meeting in Wisl Berlin with an offer to help Case one of the w Ofle s most serious problems the s1,2 tril Linn foreign debt of poor nations. A High ranking official of the japanese finance by Salty Jacobsen a writer ministry speaking on condition of anonymity confessed to japanese reporters Japan s presence was so powerful that i almost Felt under the plan Sumita fleshed out some of the countries foreign debts would be converted into Bonds inc Rusf on the Bonds would be backed by Money the debtors deposited in escrow accounts with the if. But lop finance leaders chose this week not to change course agreeing to Mainini n stable financial nine Kyls and support the current debt strategy. Jap in also suggested thai the . Dollar the world s leading currency be used less As a world Reserve currency an instrument for financial suit Lemuels among nations and Banks and for intervention in foreign Exchange markets. The implication was thai Japan would like to sects own currency inc yen take on greater importance in International financial transactions. The . Roje at the meeting was diminished by an Uncertain Dollar High Trade and budget deficits and preoccupation with the november presidential election. Analysts said it was about time Japan the world s no. 2 economic Power after the unite states exerted More influence adding that Japan s More visible performance Likely stems from its Abil Ity to successfully manage its Economy and reduce ils heavy dependence on sales of Export goods it s 3 sign of self Confidence. They feel icy pc been Moil successful said Tim o Dell an International economist at the London brokerage Phillips and Drew. Japan had Long relied on sales of goods to foreign countries to drive its Economy. But analysts say in the last year it has been Able to promote growth based on Domestic or Consumers demand for goods. At the same time the United states has been criticized for failing to Correct its Federal budget and Trade deficits which foreign officials fear will derail the world economic expansion. The Dollar too has lost some of its Luster. It has been gaining strength in recent months hut Only after plunging sharply in 1985. . Officials Felt a weak Dollar would fight protectionist moves in a Congress alarmed by the soar ing Trade deficit. A weaker Dollar makes american products More competitive on overseas markets while making imports More expensive in the United states the japanese chose this week s meeting the largest annual gathering of financial brass to make their move five weeks before the presidential election when the . Focus is at Home o Dell said the japanese used the hiatus of the presidential Campaign to Lake the Opportunity to increase their newly installed . Treasury Secretary Nich Olas Brady kept a Low profile at the meeting. Matchmaker sparking .-German business by Randy Mcclain staff writer according to american Salesman Bob Vanstry the first Rule of doing business in West Germany is be prepared. When a German businessman comes to visit you he expects you to be unbelievably Well prepared with facts and figures to Back up everything you say Sai Vanstry vice president of International marketing for the .-based Industrial training corp. The Ger mans do a lot of research about your company before they visit and they ask intelligent Vanstry along with representatives from 17 other Small to medium size . Companies got their first taste of business German style last week at a Trade show sponsored by the . Department of Commerce at a suburban Frankfurt hotel. The goal of the two Day Trade show dubbed matchmaker was to put . Companies with i talc or no experience in overseas marketing in touch with potential investors joint venture partners and customers on this Side of the Atlantic. Several . Companies including some that do business Back Home with the defense Community and . Space program walked away with what they consider valuable leads. Matchmaker is a 4-year-old department of Commerce program making its first appearance in Wisl forays have been made into France England and Spain As Well As Belgium Luxembourg and the nether lands said Ann Ramsey an International Trade expert wit the . Government who helped arrange the Frankfurt Shew. She said the German version of matchmaker which made stops in Stuttgart and Munich after its stint i Frankfurt was Kepi rather spartan compared with some of the department of Commerce s past efforts. Wilh Germany it s a very Basic cont Cal Oriente business culture she said. The program was kept less splashy Here than in some other countries. For example when we go to Spain there arc a lot More parties. But that s not the Way they do business in Frankfurt representatives from participating .companies had one Brief cocktail reception to attend and two full Days of meetings with German businessmen Ven t ure capitalists and International Trade consultants. The department of Commerce supplied translators and helped arrange appointments. Officials from such heavyweights of German Industry As Krupp Thyssen and Siemens made appearances at matchmaker along with numerous other smaller manufacturers and consulting firms. Matchmaker is really the Only Way a smallish com Pany Ike ours is j million in sales last year could get to see a Well constructed group of people in such a Short time. We be been Here two Days and we be had two healthy contacts already. As far As i m concerned that justifies the trip said Denis brain International marketing director for the system works inc., an at Lanta based computer software outfit looking for its first sales in a non English speaking country. We re leaning on the department of Commerce in the Early stages to make sure we Don t make any colossal mistakes he of the . Companies participating in the Trade show had no experience with exporting their products and the other half were new to the German Market ram sey said. Patrick Briehu manager of International operations for Adra systems inc. Of Lowell mass., said match maker was a Low Cost Way to become educated on male ing deals in West Germany. Brochu s company already is Well educated on Deal making within the defense Community numbering Boeing s aerospace and Mili tary divisions among ils clients. Adra a 5-year-old company Willi computer aided de sign and computer aided manufacturing divisions at tended matchmaker to search for a West German dist rib Ulo to Market the company s latest software in Europe. Vanstry of the Industrial training corp. Had n similar goal. H is company produces videotaped training packages for Blue Collar workers in a variety of manufacturing jobs. The weakness of the . Dollar makes it a Nice time for exporting right now Vanstry said. But Indus trial training corp. First needs a joint venture partner willing to translate the company s tape Library int German. The Frankfurt Trade show produced some Good leads he said. "1 did t expect to walk away from matchmaker with immediate sales he did t but it proved to be an easy Way to get a thumbnail sketch of what s possible for us Over Here Vanstry said "1 did a month s Worth of work in just a few Pentagon sees no change soon in overseas commissary prices by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington a lop Pentagon manpower offi Cial says efforts Are under Way to reduce the higher prices of items at overseas commissaries but he gave no Hope of Relief any time soon. The overseas commissaries pay higher prices. Because they Don l have the daily dealings with the suppliers that the stateside stores have which gels them belter bulk rates it. Gen. Anthony Lukeman said thursday following congressional testimony. We arc trying to look fora Way to work something Lukeman Deputy assistant Secretary of defense for military manpower and personnel policy said the Dif Ferent distribution and stocking methods result in prices about 5 percent higher in the overseas stores. Members of inc House armed services committee s morale welfare and recreation panel estimated inc Dif Ference at 7 percent. Congress allocates Over $200 million a year to pay for distribution of commissary goods overseas panel chairman Marvin Leath Date As told Lukeman and the Heads of inc individual services commissary sys tems. Vet we find food costing 7 percent higher thanin the ." the overseas outlets always seem to be paying the suggested retail Price regardless of the Price in the .," Lukeman responded. We re Goin to try to find the guilty panics who arc not offering discounts but that s a Long Lukeman said that by Early next summer the commissaries executive Board will have reviewed and approved a plan to implement Central distribution in Europe that will increase in Stock efficiency reduce the shipment limes for commissary resupply. And most Likely reduce prices to military members who serve the commissary Heads also acknowledged continuing delays in food delivery to the overseas outlets. It still takes 120 Days or so to get products to Europe. Because of erratic Van Deli ones to he present sys tem said Brig. Gen. James Hayes commander of
