As an aside, many years ago someone asked me to contact HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) in Australia to check the viability of importing some of their cars into Japan. The (then) Head of HSV told me on the phone that GM subsidiary companies could not export vehicles containing Headquarter components into any other country with a direct GM presence. That ruled Japan out of the equation, despite HSV exporting to 6-7 other countries around the globe. It's a rule designed to stop little children biting directly into Big Brother's pie.

I wonder (with GM 'liberating' the US Isuzu diesel division from Isuzu) whether Isuzu will be 'allowed' to sell D-Max technology in the States. At present, the Thailand made pick-up is popping up in some places, but not all the markets where Isuzu once had a direct presence.

Just wondering out loud.

--Bighorn--

Keep wondering! While my individual intelligence isn't much, the collective intelligence of the board is great as we weasle out facts and information on the where's and why's of Isuzu.

More on the Thailand free trade agreement:
http://www.billingsgazette.com/inde...5/02/16/build/state/45-us-thai-trade.inc

GREAT FALLS -- The third round of U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement negotiations will take place in Great Falls in July, at the suggestion of Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

The free trade agreement talks will take place under the 2002 "trade promotion authority" law that allows the United States to negotiate trade agreements and then present them to Congress for a vote. Since 2002, the United States has entered into free trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, Australia and Morocco.

Baucus said the U.S.-Thailand free trade agreement probably won't be presented to Congress until 2006.

The first trade talks with Thailand took place in Hawaii, and the second round is slated for Bangkok, Thailand, in April.

"It will give us a chance to show off the quality of ag production we have in Montana," he said. Thailand buys 800,000 metric tons of wheat, about 26 million bushels, a year. Depending on the year, about 60 percent comes from the United States.

"The key reason to get excited about this is that Thailand already had a free trade agreement with Australia, so there are no tariffs on wheat from that country," said Cheryl Tuck of the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. "Whereas tariffs on U.S. wheat going into Thailand do exist. With a trade agreement, we'll have a better capacity to compete in that market."

U.S. grain also is sold to several of Thailand's neighbors, so expanding markets in that area makes sense, Owen said.