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Business Environment Report for Potential Us-Based Superior Modern Garments Investment in Ghana

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Business Environment Report for Potential Us-Based Superior Modern Garments Investment in Ghana
Module name: International Business Environment

Assignment Title: Business Environment Report for Potential US-based Superior Modern Garments Investment in Ghana

Module Leader: Dr. Gerald Munyoro

UB number: 09029053

Word count: 3,175

Submission date: March 28, 2011

A statement of authenticity

I, Nene Ahuah Akwetey-Kodjoe, certify that this assignment is the result of my own work and does not exceed the stated word count.

Nene Ahuah Akwetey-Kodjoe

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary 3

2. Introduction 3

3. Overcoming the Asian Advantage 4

4. Business System 4

4.1 Socio-cultural Analysis 5

5. US-Ghana Trade Relations 6

5.1 Incentives for Apparel Exports from Ghana to the US 6

5.2 Investment Incentives in Ghana 7

5.3 Exchange Rate Regime 7

6. Investment Strategy 7

6.1 Corporate Social Responsibility 8

7. Conclusion 9

8. References 10

Appendix 1: List of Acronyms 10

Executive Summary

Superior Modern Garments (SMG) is fast losing out to the competition and will soon lose hard-won market and clients for its uniforms to lower cost producers if the company does not take steps to remedy the situation. Increasing labour costs in the US as in all other developing countries coupled with the increasing market orientation of the Chinese economy have rendered manufacturers in many countries uncompetitive. In the last few years however, concern about human rights and labour standards and the increase in the overall standard of living resulting from export-led economic growth have led to rising labour costs in China and other Asian countries are prompting manufacturers to look for alternatives. This report explores the possibility of Superior Modern Garments investment in uniform manufacturing with particular emphasis on scrubs in Ghana.

The report looked at the reasons why Ghana provides significant and cost



References: Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. 2002. Apparel Industry Profile [Online] Available at: http://www.gipc.org.gh/UserFiles/File/sector_profiles/Apparel.pdf [Accessed March 15, 2011] Hill, C Stephanie Luce, 2009. Working Paper Series No.-1 [Online] Asia Floor Wage. Available at: http://www.asiafloorwage.org/documents/Resources-onwages/Working%20Papers/Asia%20Floor%20Wage%20Working%20Paper%20Series%20No1.pdf [Accessed March 15, 2011] Merk, J., 2009. Stitching a Decent Wage across Borders: the Asia Floor Wage Proposal, Asia Floor Wage Alliance, p.35 [Online] Clean Clothes Campaign [Accessed March 15,2011] US Census Bureau US Trade Compliance. Center. 2001. [Online] Available at: http://tcc.export.gov/Country_Market_Research/All_Research_Reports/exp_005740.asp [Accessed March 15, 2011] Appendix 1: List of Acronyms

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