Do's and Taboos Around the World
Roger E. Axtell
The Benjamin Company
One Westchester Plaza
Elmsford, NY 10523
ISBN: 0-471-85356-9
Phone: 914/592-8088
Describes worldwide protocol, customs and etiquette. Especially of use to the business traveler.

Department of Commerce Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB)
U.S. Department of Commerce 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230
Phone: 202/482-1986
FAX: 202/482-2164 or try EBB as a guest user by dialing 202/482-3870 with PC and modem (2400 baud, 8 bit words, no parity, 1 stop bit)
EBB is a personal computer-based electronic bulletin board providing trade leads and up-to-date statistical releases from the Bureau of Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Board and other federal agencies.

National Trade Data Base (NTDB)
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230
Phone: 202/482-1986
FAX: 202/482-2164
Price: $35.00 per disk or $360.00 for one year
The NTDB is an international trade data bank compiled by 15 U.S. government agencies. It contains the latest census data on U.S. imports and exports by commodity and country, the complete CIA World Factbook, current market research, the Foreign Traders Index and many other data series. The NTDB is available at over 900 federal depository libraries, or can be purchased on CD-ROM for personal PC use. Offices of Africa, Near East and South Asia 202/482-1064. Categories include general and country information (Nigeria and South Africa). For the Office of the Near East, categories include general and country information (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen). Categories for the Office of South Asia include general and country information (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).

Hotline Numbers

The Export Opportunity Hotline
The Small Business Foundation of America
1155 15th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 1-800-USA-XPORT, 1-800-243-7232
In Washington, DC: 202/223-1104

Answers questions about getting started in exporting. Advice on product distribution; documentation; licensing and insurance; export financing; analyzing distribution options; export management firms; customs; currency exchange systems and travel requirements.

Presented by AT&T and the Hotline Referral Network in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Export Hotline, a corporate-sponsored nationwide fax retrieval system provides international trade information for U.S. businesses. Its purpose is to help find new markets for U.S. products and services.

SBA Online
Electronic Bulletin Board
From Washington, D.C. -- 202/205-7265
Toll free -- 1-800-859-4636 for a 2400 baud modem; 1-800-697-4636 for a 9600 baud modem. Set communications software protocol for N (no parity), 8 (data bits), and 1 (stop bit). This is a 24-hour-a-day service with information on SBA export and financial assistance, speakers, SBA's women's mentor program, minority programs and a mail box for electronic conversations.

U.S. Agency for International Development
Center for Trade and Investment Services (CTIS). Tailored country-specific information. 9:00-5:30 EST Monday through Friday 202/663-2660; 1-800-USAID-4-U FAX 202/663-2670

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Trade Information: 202/720-7420

U.S. Cusomers
Customs will help you identify your product's code under the Harmonized System (HS). Call 202/927-0370 for the phone number of the Customs office nearest you. U.S. Customs has a NAFTA hotline, too. Call 202/927-0066.

U.S. Department of Commerce
Trade Information Center
1-800-872-8723
TDD 1-800-833-8723

U.S. Center for Standards and Certification Information on Product Standards, Testing and Certification: 301/975-4040

Export-Import Bank of the United States: 1-800-424-5201

Overseas Private Investment Corporation: 1-800-336-8799.

For several areas of the world, the information is at your fingertips from the U.S. Department of Commerce, if you have a touch-tone telephone and a fax. Dial the number, follow instructions and the requested information will automatically be faxed to you. The Automated Fax Delivery System Flash Facts are available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week, free of charge.

Flash Facts are available for the following regions:

• Eastern Europe Business Information Center (EEBIC) 202/482-5745. Information is available on specific Eastern European countries including Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithunia, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
• Doing Business in Mexico 202/482-4464. Current trade-related documents concerning Mexico are available. Information is also available on the North American Free Trade Agreement; tariffs, permits and customs regulations; marketing, distribution and finance; investment; statistics and demographics. The same type of information is available for Canada by calling 202/482-3101.
• Office of the Pacific Basin 202/482-3875 or 202/482-3646. Categories include general export information, regional and country information (Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam).
• Business Information Service for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS) 202/482-3145. Categories include U.S.-Newly Independent States trade statistics, current export and investment opportunities and upcoming trade events, general investment and defense conversion opportunities, World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) opportunities, export and trade opportunities and BISNIS publications.