THE INTERNET IS NOT GOING TO REPLACE TRADITIONAL FACE-TO-FACE INTERNATIONAL TRADING OF GOODS AND SERVICES, PETER J. ROBINSON, JR., CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER OF NEW YORK-BASED ASSIST INTERNATIONAL, TOLD ATTENDEES AT A CONFERENCE HELD AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, ATLANTA NOV. 19.
BUT MR. ROBINSON, WHO ALSO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXPORT COMPANIES (NEXCO) AND HAS MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF IMPORT/EXPORT EXPERIENCE, HAS NO DOUBT ABOUT THE NET’S ENORMOUS IMPACT ON IMPORTING AND EXPORTING IN THE FUTURE.
CITING A STUDY BY ACTIVMEDIA INC., HE SAID THAT EXPORTS CURRENTLY ACCOUNT FOR 43% OF SALES DOLLARS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB. THE STUDY, HE ADDED, PREDICTS THAT THESE SALES WILL GROW FROM $436 MILLION IN 1995 TO NEARLY $46 BILLION BY 1998.
WHILE THE U.S. PRESENTLY DOMINATES WEB COMMERCE, HE TOLD GLOBALFAX THAT IN COMING YEARS HE THINKS THE U.S. SHARE WILL FALL TO SOME 70% WHILE CANADA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES WILL EXPERIENCE CONSIDERABLE INCREASES.
OTHERS SPEAKING AT THE CONFERENCE INCLUDED WAYNE MCFADDEN, HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE COMPASS, AN ONLINE INFORMATION SERVICE FOR BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE;
DENNIS STILLWELL, FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF IMEX EXCHANGE, INC., AN INTERNATIONAL IMPORT/EXPORT BUSINESS EXCHANGE ON THE INTERNET AND CHERYL THOMAE, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING STRATEGIES OF INTERNET TRADELINE, INC., AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS NETWORK OF BUYERS, SELLERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WHICH OFFERS INTERACTIVE PRODUCT CATALOGS, PRO FORMA OFFERS AND ONLINE PURCHASING AND ORDER PROCESSING TOOLS.
MR. ROBINSON MAY BE REACHED AT (212) 725-3311; FAX, (212) 725-3312, OR E-MAIL: INFO@ASSIST-INT.COM HIS WEB PAGE MAY BE ACCESSED AT HTTP://WWW.ASSIST-INTL.COM/ASSIST.HTML