The EU and USA agreed this Wednesday, February 15 2012, to open their organic product markets to each other. European and American organic standards and certifications have been recognized as equal, which will considerably facilitate bilateral trade of organic products. The US is the European Union’s top commercial partner and the largest producer of organic-certified products in the world. This arrangement comes into force on June 1 2012 for both parties. The combined turnover of the organic market in the EU and the US is estimated at $50 billion (38 billion euros), and represents 90% of the global turnover for this segment. For more information and some facts , go to prnewswire.com F ollow us on twitter @UBIfoodbev or @UBIwinespirit and join the French / North-American  Food & Beverage or Wine & Spirits  groups on Linkedin

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Built with the joint input of growers, vintners and allied industry members, the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium is held annually in Sacramento, California and is the largest event of its kind in the United States. Serving as a clearinghouse for practical information important to wine and grape industry professionals, the Unified Symposium also hosts a trade show with over 650 suppliers displaying their products and services. Attendance broke a record with 12,400 guests from around the world, who gathered at the Sacramento Convention Center on January 24-26. The key driver for greater attendance this year was an improved economy. The wine and grape industry is fast changing, complex and highly competitive, and people want the latest information, research and analysis as a way to stay competitive in 2012. This year, the show has seen a regain of optimism. Indeed, for the first time in a decade, wine demande is exceeding production. New opportunities arrive for people from all over the globe on the American market. Visitors from every corner of the globe, including Australia, South Africa, China and of course France, attended the three-day industry event to view presentations and displays while enjoying the insights and information currently shaping the wine industry. UBIFRANCE, the French Embassy Trade Office, was accompanying three French equipment manufacturers who have major opportunities in this fast changing market. Having selected manufacturers focused on innovation, this year, UBIFRANCE   was presenting a straddle-tractor manufacturer (Bobard Jeune - http://www.bobard.com/ ), a compostable young vine protector (CFCL - http://www.cfcl.fr/ ) and high quality oak staves (Laglasse - http://www.laglasse.com/ ). Feel free to contact us for more information!

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  It is with great excitement to announce that UBIFRANCE North America has twitter accounts dedicated to each of its sectors. With over 90 events between the United States and Canada, you may now follow our Trade Advisors as they keep you up-to-date to the latest event news, as well as tweeting on their expertise and industry knowledge. Drop in and say Bonjour as we invite and encourage you to follow us, ask questions, and be part of our online community! Main UBIFRANCE Twitter Account:  UBIFRANCE N. America ITI: Aerospace , Automotive , Infrastructure , Energy , Environment , Manufacturing NTIS: New Technologies, Innovations, & Services AGROTECH: Food & Beverage , Wine & Spirit , Agro Food Equipment MHS: Health Care , Beauty , Fashion , Décor , Leisure

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Levy—who has held leadership roles with prominent brands in the industry, including L’Oréal’s Lancôme, Wella/Procter & Gamble and The Estée Lauder Companies —noted the Hispanic customer is very important at Macy’s, and discussed the changes that have taken in place in Macy’s retail strategies. “Now we know who this consumer is and it’s been an evolution. When it comes to the skin care category, for example, Clinique, Lauder and Lancome, these commercials break into the Hispanic consumer market, both with a literal representation of Hispanics in their message and marketing, as well as with spokesmodels, and on behalf of Macy’s we’ve always been in this space. But, with the beauty consumer, we’re really there now,” she said. “In the areas where Spanish is spoken more predominantly, we make sure our beauty representatives speak Spanish. We’re also selecting the appropriate color ranges. If it’s not the right color for the consumer, you see that consumer only once, so we make sure we have the colors and products to reach the community. Throughout the store we convey this understanding of the consumer, and for fragrance, which is off the charts, it’s about how we make it happen in the store.” read the full article on GCI

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Target has announced plans to launch a new type of design partnership this spring, named The Shops At Target , that will place products from select small boutiques and specialty shops around the country in Target stores for six-week runs beginning May 6. The department store is well known for its design partnerships with big-name designers and luxury clothing houses such as Jason Wu and Missoni, creating affordable, designer-inspired clothing and home collections. For The Shops At Target, the store teamed up with small-business owners to create a hand-selected line of goods for Target, while recreating each business’s unique aesthetic with personalized displays. Read the full article on the Huffington Post website.

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Les Champagnes de Vignerons is a collective brand that brings together about 5,000 independent winegrowers and winemaking organizations. It was founded in 2001 by the Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne (SGVC) with the aim of ensuring that the Champagnes produced by the vineyards would express their specific terroir and differentiate themselves in the wine world. This collective brand reflects strong values: the diversity of the Champagne vineyards, the quality of the wines produced, and each winegrower’s specific know-how, passed down from generation to generation. It also reflects the passion of the winegrowers for their craft and their wines and their pride in growing, producing and commercializing Champagnes of character. With the SGVC, UBIFRANCE is organizing trade-only tastings showcasing 10 exceptional Champagne producers, in New York (Feb 20, 2012) and Chicago (Feb 22, 2012);  it’s the best way to bring quality Champagnes to the trade in one convenient afternoon tasting. To attend the New York trade-only tasting, please contact Magdalena Rahn, by phone - (212) 400-2180 - or e-mail : magdalena.rahn@ubifrance.fr To attend the Chicago trade-only tasting , please contact Sue Whalen, by phone - (312) 327-5244 - or e-mail : sue.whalen@ubifrance.fr Tasting reserved for wine-professionals only. RSVP required. Follow us on twitter or join the French / North-American Wine and Spirit business group on LinkedIn  

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UBIFRANCE’s 1st edition of the French Pavilion at the New York International Gift Fair (Winter 2012) was a grand success, featuring 18 quality exhibitors of gifts, decorative accessories, textiles and tableware from France.     We had the opportunity to welcome many American industry professionals, notably journalists, buyers and sales reps to our pavilion in its prime placement at the show.    Several new exhibitors from France joined the usual favorites, nothing that the New York International Gift Fair is a key industry event…not to be missed! For more information about our french exhibitors, please consult our press release (download right below) Come visit us at the Summer 2012 edition of the New York International Gift Fair (August 19th-23rd 2012), and follow us across the web on twitter and LinkedIn group French / North-American Home Decor business

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