Leigh-Anne Sa Joe AGAINST THE background of South Africa’s expanding vehicle export market, the Automotive Industry Export Council (AIEC) will focus more research on new and existing automotive export markets. These include the USA, Australia, the expanded European Union and Middle East. This is one of several initiatives launched by the Council, which is keen to develop closer ties with international procurement and Aid agencies like the United Nations, World Bank and other similar institutions. It will also step up participation in international automotive trade exhibitions like Automechanika Frankfurt, Germany in September 2006 and APEX, Las Vegas, USA in November 2006. More trade missions to Australia, the USA and Europe, including Germany and Switzerland, are also on the cards.