The Kitsap International Trade Development Steering Committee in conjunction with the Department of Commerce, U.S. Export Assistance Center Of Seattle is holding an international trade development workshop on Oct. 23.

The event, which is sponsored by the Port of Bremerton and The Kitsap Business Journal, will take place at the WestCoast Silverdale Hotel, which is located at 3073 NW Bucklin Hill Road in Silverdale.

The workshop will benefit companies who are currently trading internationally but are interested in learning about new trading developments and information, as well as those manufacturers who would like to evaluate their business ability to export internationally and those who would like information on getting started.

The keynote speaker will be David Spann, Director of the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Seattle, whose presentation is entitled, “Assessing Your Company’s Readiness to Export.”

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 8:30. The event will run to 1:45 p.m.

The workshops will include:

• Legal Aspects of International Business — including export regulations, contracts, arbitration, international trademarks and patents.

• How the Business Gets Paid — options for payment and government programs

• Paperwork Documentation — shipping documents and the role of the freight forwarder

• Importing — information on the World Trade Center in Tacoma

There will also be a panel discussion with three successful regional traders and a special session on “Trading on the Internet.”

If you are thinking of entering the international trade arena, this workshop is a must to attend. For more information, contact Tim Thompson at the Port of Bremerton, (360) 674-2381.