Country Facts

Area: The total area is over 9.8 million sq km Population: 307 million (July 2009 est) Capital City: Washington, District of Columbia People: The United States is a multicultural country with people from all over the world who have now made the USA their home. The Ethnic Groups are: White 79.96%, Black 12.85%, Asian 4.43% American Indian and Alaska native 0.97%, Native Hawaiian and Other 0.18%. Language: The main language is English although Spanish is spoken by a sizeable minority. Religion(s): Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, Jewish 1.7%, Muslim 0.6%, Others 2.5%, no religious affiliation 12.1% Currency: Dollar: 1 US Dollar is made up of 100 cents. Major Political Parties: There are two main political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, both organised at State and Federal level. Government: Constitution-based Federal Republic with a strong democratic tradition. Head of State: President Barack Obama (January 2009); Vice President Joe Biden (January 2009). Foreign Minister: Hillary Rodham Clinton (January 2009). Membership of international groups/organisations: UN, NATO, NAFTA.
ECONOMY Basic Economic Facts GDP Growth: 5.9% (January 2010) Inflation: 0.2% (January 2010) Labour force: 154.5 million (includes unemployed 2009 estimate) Unemployment: 9.7% (January 2010) Budget: Revenues $1.914 trillion, expenditures $3.615 trillion (2009 estimate) Major Industries: Leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining, defence Major Trading Partners: The US is a global trader with global markets. Its main trading partners are Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, UK and Germany. Exports: $994.7 bllion (2009 estimate) Exports - commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products Imports: $1.445 trillion (2009 estimate) Imports - commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages Debt - national: $13.45 trillion (June 2009 estimate) Exchange rate: 1 = approx US Dollar 1.49 (March 2010) Current Economic Situation

The global economic downturn, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, investment bank failures, falling home prices, and tight credit pushed the United States into a recession by mid-2008. To help stabilize financial markets, the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and other industrial corporations.The US Congress has also passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. President Obama signed the Act into law on 17 February 2009. The economic stimulus contained in the Act totals an historic $787bn, or around 5.5% of GDP. Through one-third in tax cuts and two-thirds in increased spending, it is designed to provide support to the economy over several years, to help ease what economists expect to be one of the longest and deepest recessions in the post-war period. Most forecasters expect the package to add around one percentage point to growth in 2009 and 2010. But it will also push the budget deficit over 9.5% in 2009 and 8% in 2010. This year has got off to a strong start, with data showing a substantial increase in GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2009. The President set out his economic policy plans for the year in his State of the Union Address on 27 January - emphasising jobs, financial regulation, and the deficit. He emphasised that increased support for jobs would be a priority ahead of the mid-term elections in November.

Economic climate
The US economy is market-oriented, and businesses and large corporate bodies have a strong voice in the development of economic policy. Strong traditions in competition and enterprise have made the USA the worlds leader in software, electronics, and communications technology. For the latest key economic indicators and statistics, please see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade country economic fact sheet
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Political climate
The USA is a federal republic with a strong democratic tradition, based on the US Constitution. The Constitution reserves certain powers to the states, which are presided over by a Governor, state legislature, and State Supreme Court. The US Federal Government has three branches that monitor one another through a system of checks and balances:
1. The Executive, headed by the President. 2. The Legislative, headed by a bicameral Congress and comprises the Senate 100 members for a six-year term, and the House of Representatives 435 members for a two-year term 3. The Judicial, of which the Supreme Court carries supreme interpretive powers of the Constitution.

The President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives are democratically elected by citizens aged 18 or over. The US consists of 50 States headed by an elected Governor.
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Population
313,232,044 (July 2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 32,107,900/female 30,781,823) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 104,411,352/female 104,808,064) 65 years and over: 13.1% (male 17,745,363/female 23,377,542) (2011 est.)

Median age
total: 36.9 years male: 35.6 years female: 38.2 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

Birth rate
13.83 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Death rate
8.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

Net migration rate

Urbanization
urban population: 82% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.047 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - deaths
17,000 (2009 est.)

Nationality
noun: American(s) adjective: American

Ethnic groups
white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate) note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic

Religions
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)

Languages
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Education expenditures
5.5% of GDP (2007)
Customer Guideline USA Import Requirements

General import requirements: All imports into the US are subject to customs duty unless specifically exempted by law. Licenses or permits may be required for imports of certain restricted merchandise, including alcoholic beverages, animal and animal products, certain drugs, firearms and ammunition, vegetables, fruits & nuts, meat and meat products, milk, dairy and cheese products, plants & plant products, petroleum products, etc. There are no foreign exchange controls over payment for imports. For details on import requirements of the US, please refer to the US Customs Services website via the following path: http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/ (Main page > Importing & Exporting > Information for the infrequent importer/traveler > US Import Requirements). Tariffs, duties and GSP 1) Import duties: All goods imported into the US are subject to duty or duty-free entry in accordance with their classification under the applicable items in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the US. Import duties may be ad valorem and/or specific. Rates of duty may vary depending upon the country of origin. General rates Column 1 in the schedule) are applied on imports from locations enjoying NTR status (formerly most-favoured-nation status), including Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. For details of import duties on specific products, please refer to the online version of the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States via the website of the United States International Trade Commission at: http://dataweb.usitc.gov/ Readers may also access an interactive database on US import statistics at the above site via the path: http://www.usitc.gov/ (Main > USITC General Trade Resources > DataWeb >Prepared Trade Data Reports > US Trade by Partner Country). Apart from import duties, sales tax applies to most goods, ranging from 2-10%, varies among cities and states.

2) Generalised System of Preference (GSP): The US system provides for the duty-free importation of a wide range of products from beneficiary developing countries. On August 6, 2002, President Bush signed legislation renewing the GSP programme and extending it through December 2006. Approximately 140 countries and territories are beneficiaries of the GSP scheme. Details of eligible products and list of beneficiary countries may be browsed from the online publication, Importing into the United States at: http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/. Hong Kong has graduated from the GSP scheme in 1989. Labelling & marking regulations : Imported goods are usually required to be marked with the country of origin in English. The marking has to be permanent, legible and conspicuous. Additional labeling is required on food, cosmetics, textiles and apparel, selected household products and flammable fabrics. Details are available from the website of the Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov (Main page > Business Guidance > Rules and Acts). Product standards: Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, a wide range of consumer products (including bicycles, beds, cooking stoves and toys) is subject to a uniform safety standard. For more information on consumer product safety, contact the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway Bethesda, MD. Tel: (301) 504-0580, Fax: (301) 504-0281, Internet: http://www.cpsc.gov Users in Hong Kong may also contact the Product Standards Information Bureau, Innovation and Technology Commission for references and publications on overseas product standards and requirements. Tel: (852) 2829-4820. Website: http://www.info.gov.hk/itc Anti-dumping actions : The US rigorously enforces laws on dumping. When the Department of Commerce determines that a class of foreign goods is being, or is likely to be, sold to purchasers in the US at less than its fair value, an antidumping duty investigation may be conducted. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is responsible for conducting the final injury investigation. If all the determinations are affirmative, the DOC will issue a duty order. Readers may refer to TDC newsletter Business Alert-US: http://www.tdctrade.com (Main page > International Markets > Business Alert-US > AD Notices) for a summary of anti-dumping duty actions taken by the Department of Commerce. For further references on anti-dumping actions, please visit the Import Administration website at: http://ia.ita.doc.gov/ Documentation requirements on Solid Wood Packing Materials (SWPM)

Effective 17 December 1998, shipments to the US from the Chinese, mainland and Hong Kong containing solid wood packing material (SWPM) must be heat treated, fumigated or treated with preservatives prior to departure. Each shipment that contains SWPM must be accompanied by a certificate signed by the authorised government agency that the SWPM has been treated. Shipments that do not contain SWPM must be accompanied by an exporter statement specifying the shipment contains no such material. In Hong Kong, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is the authorized department for the endorsement. Full details on this control requirements may be browsed from the website: http://www.afcd.gov.hk/quarantine/pprd/plant/swpm/swpm-us.htm Specific import requirements on selected products: a) Textiles As agreed in the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ACT), certain categories of textile and clothing products of Hong Kong origin are currently subject to import quotas by the US. Effective from January 1, 2002, the US removed 37 categories of Hong Kong textile and clothing products fully/partially from quota restrictions. For a list of the restrained clothing and textiles products into the US, please refer to the section on Quota Category List (USA) under the website of Hong Kongs Trade & Industry Department at: http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/import_export/textiles/ts_maincontent.html (Main page > Textiles Exports Restrained Markets> Quota Category List > Quota Category List USA) Please refer to the US Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection for labeling requirements on textile, wool and fur materials. Website: http://www.ftc.gov/ (Main page > Business Guidance > Rules and Acts > Textile, Wool, Fur and Apparel Matters). b) Toys Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, all toys must comply with a uniform safety standard. Imports are also required to be covered by an import licence. For details, please refer to the website of the Consumer Product Safety Commission at: www.cpsc.gov The US Toy Industry Association (TIA) also advocates members' compliance to the safety standards set by the International Council of Toy Industries. c) Electrical products Certain electrical appliances sold to the US have to comply with the mandatory requirements of UL/ETL listing or equivalent, in order to meet the federal safety standards. Certain products including radios, tape recorders, stereos are required to meet the FCC standards. Contacts for further information include the Food & Drug Administration, the US Department of Energy, Consumer Products Efficiency at:http://www.energy.gov/, the Underwriters Laboratory (UL): http://www.ul.com.hk; or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) http://www.fcc.gov/. d) Food All imported foods, beverages, drugs devices and cosmetics are governed by the provisions of the Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetic Act, and administered by the Food and Drug Administration. New nutritional requirements for food products came into effect under the Nutrition labeling Act of 1990. For details on specific requirements, contact the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), US Department of Agriculture at: 4700 Rive Road, Riverdale, MD 20737. Tel: (301) 734-5786; Website: www.aphis.usda.gov/; or the Food and Drug Administration at: www.fda.gov/.

Sources for additional reference As import regulations and controls are subject to changes and amendments from time to time, readers are advised to check with the relevant organizations/references for up-to-date information. Some of these reference sources are: -- US Customs Service an online publication of the US Customs Service: Importing into the US accessible from the website: http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/ (Main page > Importing & Exporting > Communications to trade > Importing into the US); -- US International Trade Commission online trade data and tariff database at: http://dataweb.usitc.gov/ Hong Kong Trade & Industry Department Commercial Information Circulars: http://www.tid.gov.hk (Main page > About us > Trade Circulars > Commercial Information Circulars > Americas); -- TDC website newsletter Business Alert-US for the recent developments in US trade policy at: http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/usabout.htm. Readers may choose to subscribe to free email alerts for regular updates. Just click on Free Subscription on the newsletters main page. profile on the US market for recent developments in US economy and trade performance: http://www.tdctrade.com/mktprof/ profiles on various major industries/products for import regulations by major markets. The pages can be accessed via: www.tdctrade.com (Main page > HK Economy, Trade & Business > Manufacturing). Readers in Hong Kong are invited to visit the TDC Business InfoCentre located at Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wanchai, Hong Kong for further references on overseas markets import regulations and market intelligence. Contact information of selected Government Offices in the US