Brevet de Technicien Supérieur Commerce International - Session 2004

Epreuve d'Anglais

Durée 3 heures

L'usage du dictionnaire bilingue est autorisé. Les calculatrices sont interdites.

ARGENTINA WHETS CHINESE APPETITE FOR FOOD AND WINE

Argentina bas a new friend: China. The world's most populous country became the biggest destination for Argentine products for the first time this year, in June and July. In dollar terms, exports have risen almost 150 % since last year. China's emergence as a trade superpower has potentially worrying consequences for countries such as Mexico and many Central American nations, whose manufacturing sectors have been hit hard. But it is a godsend for Argentina. Economists agree that Argentina has to start exporting more if it is to recover fully from the financial meltdown of December 2001 and find a sustainable growth path. China could be the ideal partner.

"China is very important for us," says Martin Redrado, Argentina's chief trade negotiator. "We are mainly producers of food and that is exactly what China needs." Indeed, 75 % of the almost $1.8bn in Argentine exports to China during the first eight months of this year was agriculture! products and, in particular, Soya beans. China imports about 21m tons of Soya beans and Argentina provides roughly 30 % of that. Moreover, exports are expected to rise in coming years to meet the country's seemingly insatiable appetite for the grain.

Soya dominates exports to China but the possibilities extend far beyond grain. Already, China has
become the 10 most important destination for Argentine wine, for example. It is now the seventh
principal buyer of Argentine fish, the biggest purchaser of Argentine wool, buying about 30 % of the
country's production and an increasingly important destination for Argentine leather.

Of course, there are problems. Exporters complain that China's import rules are extremely complex, bureaucratic and unpredictable. "Today, you have to deal with municipal, provincial and private agents, compared with just the central government a few years ago." The lack of predictability is a particular problem, the consequences of which became clear a few years ago when Chinese authorities decided to encourage local production of Soya oil. At the time, China was the most important buyer of Argentine Soya oil and the market virtually disappeared overnight.

In the shorter term, some worry mat China's ambiguous attitude towards genetically modified
products - a temporary government authorisation to import such products expired in July but has
since been extended to March next year - could cause problems for Argentina's Soya, 95 % of which
is genetically modified.

Still, the Argentine government and private sectors agree that China's membership of the World Trade Organisation since December 2001 will eventually eliminate a lot of the risk factor as the country increasingly adopts internationally accepted trade rules. For Argentina, therefore, things can only get better.

The Financial Times, 22 October 2003

I - COMPTE RENDU EN FRANÇAIS (20 points)

Après avoir lu ce texte attentivement, vous en ferez un compte rendu, en français, en faisant apparaître les idées essentielles (220 mots + ou -10 %).

II - ÉLABORATION D'UNE LETTRE COMMERCIALE EN ANGLAIS (20 points)

Lettre à élaborer et à rédiger en anglais selon l'usage commercial courant.

Expéditeur : Sue Brent, directrice des ventes de Leather Goods Ltd 12 Salisbury Road, Liverpool LP14 6SG, U.K.

Destinataire : André Lodz, directeur des achats de Bagages en Cuir 42 rue Pontaut, 84002 Avignon, France.

Objet : Réponse à la lettre de réclamation.

Date : 15 avril 2004

Corps de la lettre :Vous accusez réception de la lettre du 10 courant.

Première commande AL/SB 742 pour 100 sacs à main et 50 sacs à dos en cuir parvenue dans les délais.

Commande non conforme : erreur sur la couleur (sacs à dos bleu marine au lieu de gris).

Frais de réexpédition pris en charge par Leather Goods Ltd.

Envoi ce jour de 50 sacs gris en colis express.

Réduction de 25 %. Nouvelle facture jointe.

Vous rassurez le client sur l'avenir de vos relations commerciales.

Présentation et formules d'usage.

III - REDACTION EN ANGLAIS (20 points)

Répondre en anglais aux deux questions suivantes :

1.     Using the text as a starting point, explain why and how China is emerging as a "trade superpower" and what consequences this will have on the world market. (150 - 200 mots + ou - 10 %) (10 points)

2.     Why, do you think, GMOs (genetically modified organisms) have so many defendants (supporters) ?
Do you agree with them ? Give examples. (150 - 200 mots + ou -10 %)       (10 points)