Grand Jury seeks to improve county’s China trade mission

SAN BERNARDINO — Two recurring complaints in China trade missions have cost taxpayers more than $160,000 since 2006, according to the San Bernardino County Grand Jury Report.

The San Bernardino County Economic Development Agency has held two trade missions to China comprising of elected officials and several businesses representatives in an effort to integrate San Bernardino County into the global market place.

The grand jury found that more time needed to be taken to learn what the participating companies manufacture or promote, so that appropriate matches could be made with their Chinese counterparts. The second complaint noted in the report is that the interpreters be more qualified to facilitate better communication.

During the 2007 trade mission, the Economic Development Agency commissioned California State University of San Bernardino Professor Catherine Levitt to serve as the principal observer of the mission and produce a report on how to improve it.

“The grand jury caught on to the same things that we were looking at and that we’re trying to improve,” said Paul Herrera, spokesman for the Economic Development Agency.

Herrera said that there is always room for improvement in matching local businesses to counterparts in China, but that all the participating businesses that he’s followed up with have had positive feedback about the trips.

Businesses interested in going on a trade mission must fill out an extensive questionnaire and describe what they are looking for. That information is then translated so it can be understood by businesses in China.

“As it turned out, some of those interpretations weren’t very good,” Herrera said. “There were things that weren’t done well.”

Herrera said that there is now in-house staff capable of looking over the proposals to make sure things are done right.

In terms of the cost of the trips versus the benefit to the county, Herrera said that it is a long-term expenditure with a long-term return.

“The long-term benefits are going to far outweigh the cost of these trips,” Herrera said.  “Just drawing one major company that employs 50 people would probably pay for the program for years.”

China accounts for slightly more than half of the county’s $16.5 billion in international trade, according to a 2006 report by the Claremont Graduate University.

More than 45,000 jobs in San Bernardino County exist as a result of international trade, according to the report.

Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt’s Chief of Staff Mark Kirk went on both trade missions and said that he has had conversations with business representatives who have found the missions invaluable.

One such company was able to cut out the middle man and go straight to its manufacturer, saving 10 to 15 percent that they then spent on personnel creating more county jobs, Kirk said.

Herrera said another China trade mission is planned for later this year or early 2009.

Barstow’s dealings with China pending

By AARON AUPPERLEE
City Editor

BARSTOW — Difficulties in obtaining visas have held up plans to have vendors from China move into the Barstow Outlets.

Mayor Lawrence Dale said that there is still an agreement between Barstow and Yiwu, China, to bring retailers and wholesalers from the Chinese city to shops in vacant space at outlet center off of Lenwood Road. The project has been delayed due to difficulties in obtaining visas for the Chinese shop owners, Dale said.

In April 2006, Dale and Economic Development Director Ron Rector visited Yiwu at the request of developers in the city, said John Rader, a spokesman for the city. The developers paid for the entire trip, Rader said. Rector made a previous trip to China in April 2004. Rader said that trip, also paid for by a Chinese developer, resulted in United Plastics coming to Barstow.