For more information visit http:// and MarketsLaura Wood Senior Fax USA: 646-607-1907Fax International:

For more information visit http:// and MarketsLaura Wood, Senior Fax (USA): 646-607-1907Fax (International): +353-1-481-1716 Copyright Business Wire 2009. Webcast Examines Sustainability 2.0 Strategies that Deliver Measurable Resultsand Immediate Cost Savings with Water and Energy EfficiencyPETALUMA, Calif.–(Business Wire)–HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc., provider of the WeatherTRAK Smart WaterManagement solution, today announced that representatives from Doubletree HotelSan Jose and Ecos Consulting will present strategies for achieving a greenmultiplier effect as part of HydroPoint`s ongoing Sustainability 2.0 EducationalSeries. And US representatives hope that a recent decision by theUS government to file a WTO dispute settlement case against Chinese clothingsubsidies will bring relief to the USA’s ailing manufacturing sector. In the Americas, Mexican officials have established “transition tariffs” tocomply with World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations regarding imports ofclothing from China. Vietnamese clothing exporters enjoyed a sense of relief as US customs officialslifted their Import Monitoring Program on imports from Vietnam-which allowed theVietnamese industry to move a step closer to achieving its ambitious targets forexport growth to 2010 and 2020. And Indonesia’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan, which willencourage trade in clothing between the two countries, has taken effect. Elsewhere in Asia, Bangladeshi officials haveunveiled a new strategy to increase clothing exports to US$25 bn by 2013.

But they are still being used by Hong Kongproducers to keep costs down. Meanwhile, outward processing agreements (OPAs) with Hong Kong manufacturershave lost importance since the elimination of safeguard quotas on US importsfrom China at the end of 2008. The move represented areversal of a policy to restrain exports during 2007, which was an attempt toassuage potential concerns in the USA and the EU. However, Panama’s benefits have been rescinded because the country didnot submit the required application before the EU’s deadline of October 31,2008.

In 2009 China has attempted to reinvigorate foreign demand for its clothingproducts by increasing the tax rebate on exports. As a result, there is pressure on policy makers tocreate growth opportunities in 2009. The EU has renewed its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme and addedthree new beneficiaries to the GSP+ arrangement-Armenia, Azerbaijan andParaguay. However, there were sharp falls in exports from Mexico and the USA, andin domestic exports from Hong Kong. Moreover, it is likely that the globaleconomic downturn will have negatively affected the prospects of theseindustries further in 2008. The EU maintained its position as the second largest exporter, followed by HongKong, Turkey, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, the USA, Thailand,Pakistan, Morocco, Tunisia and Sri Lanka. Double digit growth in exports wasenjoyed by the industries in China, the EU, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey andVietnam.