VZCZCXRO3042
RR RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAG #0070/01 3252113
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 212113Z NOV 07
FM AMCONSUL HAMBURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0194
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0178
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAG/AMCONSUL HAMBURG 0214

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HAMBURG 000070 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD ECON BEXP BTIO GM
SUBJECT: HIGHLIGHTS OF 2007 GERMAN FOREIGN TRADE CONGRESS IN BREMEN 
 
 
HAMBURG 00000070  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Over 800 participants and several guests of honor, 
including German Federal Economics and Technology Minister 
Michael Glos and King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, 
attended the 7th German Foreign Trade Congress 2007 on November 
13-14 in Bremen.  Glos stated that Chancellor Merkel remained 
convinced that it was still possible to reach a WTO agreement 
before the presidential elections in the U.S.  King Al-Hussein 
stressed the commitment to political, economic and social 
reforms in many of the countries in the Middle East and called 
on the gathered business representatives to grasp the economic 
opportunities in the region.  While the overall atmosphere at 
the congress was very upbeat, the plenary sessions featured 
several issues of concern to the German export community: 
stalled WTO negotiations, Germany's restrictive visa and 
immigration policy, and the lack of German personnel willing to 
work abroad for longer periods of time.  One German high-level 
export representative heavily criticized the new 100 percent 
container scanning requirement mandated by U.S. law.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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Free Trade Praised, Compartmentalization Feared 
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¶2.  In his keynote speech, President of the National Association 
of German Wholesale and Foreign Trade (BGA) Anton F. Boerner 
passionately praised the free trade system as a concept that 
brought prosperity to Germany and the world.  Boerner stated 
that every fifth job in Germany is dependent on export and that 
with a prospective export volume of EURO 985 billion (about USD 
1.45 trillion) in 2007, Germany is likely to once again become 
the world's export champion.  Boerner pointed out that Germany 
was also the second largest importer, trailing only the U.S. 
While Boerner saw no alternative to free trade, with the 
stagnant WTO negotiations and an increased tendency to negotiate 
bilateral trade agreements that exclude third countries, he 
lamented that there was a turning away from the multilateral 
free trade system.  Boerner stated that the WTO is the best 
guarantor of free trade.  However, in his view the chances for a 
WTO agreement are low, particularly due to the upcoming 
difficult negotiations on agricultural subsidies.  He also saw a 
real danger of market regionalization and compartmentalization. 
Boerner lamented that the German discourse on globalization is 
mostly dominated by fear (e.g. wage cuts, loss of jobs) and, by 
contrast, presented globalization as the only chance to maintain 
and develop German living and working standards.  He criticized 
the German and European farmer's presidents for their stance on 
free trade, arguing that the fences must not come up but down. 
 
 
¶3.  Federal Economics and Technology Minister Michael Glos 
stated that Chancellor Merkel remained convinced that it was 
still possible to reach a WTO agreement before the presidential 
elections in the U.S.  He underscored that the German government 
was determined to facilitate a successful completion of WTO 
talks.  Glos noted that foreign companies provide 2.2 million 
jobs in Germany, whereas Germany secured 5.5 million jobs 
abroad.  He also said that foreign countries invested USD 43 
billion in Germany, whereas Germany invested USD 80 billion 
abroad. 
 
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Royal Perspectives on Trade:  Speech by Jordanian King 
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¶4.  In his speech, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan 
declared that trade opportunities in the Middle East had never 
been greater.  He stressed that there has been a commitment to 
political, economic and social reforms and progress in many of 
the countries in the Near East, and presented Jordan as an 
attractive regional gateway to 300 million Arabs.  He praised 
Chancellor Merkel's leadership role during the German G-8 
presidency and stated that he is looking forward to the joint 
summit of the G-11 and G-8 on December 14. 
 
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Export Opportunities are Infinite:  Case of Skilled Crafts Sector 
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¶5.  President of the Central German Skilled Trades Association 
(ZDH) Otto Kenzler said that 70,000 to 80,000 German skilled 
craft enterprises are engaged in foreign trade, most of them in 
Great Britain and other EU countries.  Kenzler noted that 
because many specialized Polish craftspeople have left for 
 
HAMBURG 00000070  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Ireland, business opportunities are opening up for German 
skilled crafts enterprises along the German/Polish border (e.g. 
construction of wellness baths).  Further, Boerner pointed out 
that German skilled crafts enterprises had only exploited 50 
percent of their export potential. 
 
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Trade Hampering Factors:  Lack of (Flexible) Personnel, Visa and 
Immigration Policy 
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¶6.  Boerner stressed the importance of training and improving 
professional skills in Germany, and underscored that this 
necessity applies to Germans as well as locally hired personnel. 
 In this context he criticized Germany's visa and immigration 
policy as a hindrance to training activities.  Boerner stated 
that foreign business partners needed to be able to quickly 
immigrate into Germany and implied that this has become more 
difficult due to undifferentiated security considerations. 
Boerner further accentuated his criticism of German immigration 
policies by stating that personnel shortages at German exporting 
companies could be overcome, if German politicians would not be 
so narrow minded (Note:  Glos concurred, stating that this issue 
was subject to party coordination.  End Note.).  Boerner stated 
that Germany's restrictive visa and immigration policy was put 
on the agenda of Germany's State Economics Minister Conference 
on November 19/20, and expressed hope that state economics 
ministers will eventually appeal to state interior ministers on 
behalf of the export sector.  Head of the Department of Foreign 
Trade Policies in the Ministry of the Economy and Technology Dr. 
Karl-Ernst Brauner referred to successful efforts by the German 
federal government to motivate foreign students to study in 
Germany. 
 
¶7.  Boerner as well as other business representatives alluded to 
the fact that a lack of will on the part of Germans to work 
abroad for longer periods of time represents the most important 
obstacle to increased foreign trade.  Several speakers 
emphasized the importance to defend and lobby for the protection 
of intellectual property rights (IPR).  Boerner concurred, 
stating though that this issue will be settled with respect to 
China within the next one to three years, as China was likely to 
follow Japan's path and increasingly be interested in IPR 
protection of its own goods. 
 
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100 Percent Container Scanning Requirement Under Heavy Fire 
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¶8.  Chairman of the National Association for the German Export 
Trade (BDEx) Wolfhart Putzier stressed that there were various 
new measures that could constrain trade.  He stated that the 
latest example of such constraints was the 100 container 
scanning requirement "which will burden exports."  Putzier 
complained that even transshipments to Latin and South America 
would be affected by the scanning requirement, since "the U.S. 
would treat them as imports."  Putzier claimed that the stresses 
and strains imposed by the 100 scanning requirement would be 
excessive and said that documentation and random inspections of 
containers should suffice to guarantee security.  He continued 
by calling the policy regrettable and an example of U.S. 
protectionism.  Putzier said he hoped that Germany will not 
yield to U.S. pressure and called on politicians to defend 
German interests. 
 
¶9.  COMMENT:  The number of statements and level of applause was 
an indication that Germany's exporters are seriously concerned 
about Germany's immigration and visa policy, which is 
increasingly viewed as an obstacle to external trade.  The fact 
that this issues is on the agenda of the State Economics 
Ministers Conference on November 19/20 is testament to the 
urgency of the issue and an increased assertiveness of German 
business associations.  The way Glos remarked that the issue of 
filling vacancies in Germany with foreigners was subject to 
party coordination was a forthright signal that the SPD is 
resisting opening the German labor market to foreign experts. 
The harsh criticism of the 100 container scanning requirement 
mandated by U.S. law as a protectionist measure may stem more 
from a lack of accurate information than deeply ingrained 
negative convictions toward USG policy.  However, although the 
remark did not receive much (audible) resonance among the podium 
discussants and audience, it is a vivid reminder of the urgency 
to counter such misperceptions before they develop into broader 
misperceptions or serious trade disputes.  In that context, 
 
HAMBURG 00000070  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
successful outreach strategies applied with respect to the 
Container Security Initiative (CSI) offer valuable experiences. 
END COMMENT. 
 
¶10.  This message has been coordinated with Embassy Berlin. 
BLUNT