Downeast and Far East

I'm working my way back to Denver after 10 days of hiking and kayaking on the coast of Maine - a bit remote for high speed internet access and hence the lack of posts.  While I was there, however, I was looking for signs of global trade amid the coastal cliffs and lobster pots.  There were of course the ubiquitous large scale signs that are everywhere - we rented a Kia from Korea at the Hertz counter and used water shoes made in China.  I'm sure that there are small businesses using the internet to export Downeast items to the Far East as well, although one couldn't detect it.

Then hiking on a steep trail in Acadia National Park I realized that I was surrounded by one of the U.S.’s most robust and profitable exports, and its one that doesn’t leave the country to reach its foreign customers – namely tourism.  On the trail we shared a topo map with a couple from Italy, we shared a laugh with a family from Japan, waited to pass over a narrow ledge with a couple of young women from China, the parking lot was filled with cars with plates from Canada.  These international customers were consuming food, lodging, souvenirs, car, boat and bike rentals, and the products of countless other businesses on these sleepy Downeast islands.

 

Whether they thought about it or not, these merchants were intensely involved in global trade, and while they don’t need to worry about outbound shipping logistics, certainly the success that they meet with their customers can depend on their willingness and ability to adapt to the tastes, preferences and language of foreign consumers.  Going global without even leaving Downeast.