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The car has nothing to do with your status legal or pending H-1B ..your future.If it is a Mercedes it is 99% conform to import. The speedometer in Kilometers in not legal in the USA , but they may give you a break….If you think it’s going to be easier to cross the border and do paperwork after the fact, think again. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidelines make it clear that you need to present all your documentation at the border upon entry. That means the bill of sale and any ownership documents need to be sorted (presumably with payment) before driving or towing the car stateside. For you Canadians looking to sell a car, make sure the buyer knows this. Penalties for non-compliance with import laws can get your car seized, and you do not want that.In order to import a car in the USA from Canada the procedure is simpleThe Canadian car must be Conform to the USA/ EPA pollution standard on the date / year of fabrication, EX: Manufactured 2018 conform to US EPA 2018 production model . If the Canadian car does not conform to US/EPA & DOT certification 2018 model you will never be capable to legally import that Canadian car into the USA. period.Get a affidavit from the car manufacturer in order to import the car in the USA,Cars under one year from fabrication date as per the nameplate date if made under NAFTA is exempt of any taxes, Over one year maybe 2,5% taxes DEPENDING OF THE MANUFACTURER. EPA Conform & DOT ConformThe car must comply with EPA 2018 pollution standards.If you move to California the Car must be conform to US EPA 2018 California standard.German or imported cars; Most are conform to CAlifornia EPA standards,They require a affidavit that on that day of manufacturing the car complied with USA EPA POLLUTION STANDARDS FOR 2018. They also require a DOT conform certificate,Your serial number will determine if the car can be imported as conform in the USA. Many Canadian cars arte not conform to be imported in the USA foe EPA certificate or a DOT certificate,Do not cross the border if the car is not conform to the EPA Standards it will be seized and in a padlock parking forever,TIP #6: Have all your forms completed to the best of your knowledge, and print them on letter-size paper.I drove up to the first available gate, provided my passport, and informed the officer that I am a U.S. citizen who just purchased this car in Canada and am importing it to the U.S. for personal use. He asked if the car was registered; I pointed to the temporary transit permit in the rear window. He told me to drive forward and turn to the left, and another officer would direct me to a parking space and then inside the building. Once inside the building, I provided the officer at the front desk with my paperwork (Canadian registration for the car, bill of sale, DOT form HS-7, EPA form 3520).Be sure to get the DOT and EPA forms stamped before you leave the customs office. One member of the Hagerty editorial team, upon importing a car, was told the forms don’t need to be stamped because the car is exempt, which is incorrect. This came back when he tried to register the car, as most states require the forms to issue a title, even though the import was approved by Customs and Border Protection. This resulted in an extra trip to the nearest CBP office and much unneeded stress.Although it’s not necessary to have the DOT and EPA forms filled out before you arrive, it can speed up the process. I had the DOT and EPA forms mostly completed except for the customs info at the top. I had printed the DOT form on legal paper, as it appeared to be sized for that; the officer said that although the form was much more legible on legal paper, he had never seen it printed that way, so he had me fill out the form again on letter-size paper.I was then instructed to take a seat while they reviewed my documents. About 15 minutes later, the officer called me to the desk and instructed me to follow him upstairs and pay the duty owed. The duty was calculated as 3 percent of the first $1,000 of purchase price, then 2.5 percent of the remainder: ($1000 x 3%) + ($3500 x 2.5%) = $117.50.I read on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website that “as a returning U.S. resident, you may apply your $800 CBP exemption and those of accompanying family members toward the value of the vehicle if it: accompanies your return, is imported for personal use, and was acquired during the journey from which you are returning. For CBP purposes, a returning U.S. resident is one who is returning from travel, work, or study abroad. After the exemption has been applied, a flat duty rate of 3 percent is applied toward the next $1,000 of the vehicle’s value. The remaining amount is dutiable at the regular duty rate.”The regular duty rate for automobiles is listed on the same page of the website as 2.5 percent but a whopping 25 percent for imported trucks. Based on this formula, I should have been charged $97.50: (1000 x 3%) + (2700 x 2.5%) = $97.50. I asked the officer about the $800 exemption, and he told me that applies only toward personal items, not vehicles. Even though I believe he was clearly wrong, I decided not to push it since it was only a $20 difference. And he had a gun.After payment of the $117.50 duty (they accept cash and credit cards), he returned my paperwork, having stamped the DOT and EPA forms and added form CBP 7501 and said I was free to go. Total time: 40 minutes.I tried to get a photo of the car with Niagara Falls in the background, but I couldn’t get close enough, so I continued on. After a stop in Akron, Ohio, to visit a private car collection and have dinner at Luigi’s, I continued on to my mom’s house in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I spent Friday with Mom, found her lost dog (Randy apparently likes to ride in the back seat of the Benz), got a new set of Michelins (the previous set of tires had good tread, but they were 13 years old), and went to visit my brother in Lake Pleasant. On Saturday morning I drove to Noblesville, Indiana, to visit my sister and family before arriving at a friend’s house in Memphis late Saturday night.Getting startedBefore you decide to import your car to the U.S. from Canada, we suggest you read these import requirements and this overview on importing a vehicle to the U.S.from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Depending on your situation, exporting your car can be a confusing, time consuming and sometimes impossible process, so it’s not for everyone.At the borderIf you intend to keep your car in the U.S. beyond a year and convert it to a U.S. registration, be sure to declare this to the customs officer at the border when you cross into the United States.You’ll need to provide the officer with your vehicle registration as well as completed DOT Form H7 and EPA Form 3520-1 and any supplemental documentation to prove that your car meets safety and emissions standards (see Step 1 below).If everything is in order, you will receive written approval that you have met all the requirements from the customs officer, which you must then take with you to your final destination where you will register your car and convert it to a U.S. registration and ownership.Make sure to ask the customs officer to stamp your passport at the border so you can prove when you entered the U.S., as this may be helpful later on in the process when you register your vehicle.DutiesAutomobiles are generally subject to duty of 2.5% of their current value when they are imported to the United States. However, vehicles manufactured in NAFTA countries (Canada, U.S. and Mexico) are usually exempt from this duty.Please note that while this article provides helpful information on the steps needed to import your car to the U.S. from Canada, regulations can change without notice and you should always consult the relevant agencies for complete guidelines and up to date information. In addition, keep in mind that some procedures may differ depending on which State you reside in, so you may want to check State requirements as well.STEP 1: Safety and Emissions ComplianceAll vehicles imported into the U.S. must be compliant with U.S. Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)When bringing your vehicle from Canada into the United States, you will be required to present the following completed compliance forms:DOT Form HS-7EPA Form 3520-1DOT Safety Compliance RequirementsAll vehicles less than 25 years old must meet all U.S. FMVSS standards to be imported into the United States. You can determine if your vehicle is compliant by looking for a FMVSS certificate label (usually inside the car door or under the hood). If your vehicle has this label, you should have no problem importing it to the U.S. from a safety standards standpoint.However, in many cases you will find that your vehicle only has a label certifying it complies with all Canadian motor vehicle safety standards (CMVSS). If you have foreign car, it may not have a safety certificate label for Canada or the U.S.If your vehicle is only certified to meet CMVSS standards, you can still import your vehicle to the United States as long as you get a letter from the vehicle’s original manufacturer (not dealer) on the manufacturer’s letterhead stating that your vehicle conforms to all applicable FMVSS standards - you can find a list of manufacturer contacts here. It’s important to note that some car manufacturers are refusing to issue such a letter, so make sure you check with them before doing anything else.If your car isn’t certified to meet FMVSS or CMVSS standards, you will want to look at the regulations to explore your other options.However, you’ll probably find that it just isn’t worth the time, expense and hassle in this case, as you’ll generally be required to engage a Registered Importer to import your car into the United States and make the necessary modifications (you can find a list of Registered Importers here) and post a bond for 1.5 X the current dutiable value of your car until it is modified and certified.For complete DOT safety standard guidelines and procedures related to importing a vehicle from Canada to the United States, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website.EPA Emission Standards Compliance RequirementsAll vehicles that are imported to the U.S. must conform to the EPA’s emission standards requirements.If your vehicle has a label stating that it is certified to United States EPA federal emission standards, then you shouldn’t have an issue importing your vehicle. To see if your vehicle has been certified, look under the hood of your car or in the engine compartment for a label that reads “Vehicle Emission Control Information” and includes the certification.More often than not, your Canadian vehicle won’t have a label indicating it is EPA certified. However, in many cases your car will have an emission control system that is identical to an emission control system that has been certified in the United States.In both situations you can still import your vehicle to the U.S., but you will need to obtain a letter of compliance from the vehicle manufacturer’s U.S. representative stating that the vehicle complies with all U.S. EPA regulations. You can find a list of U.S. Auto Manufacturer’s Representatives here. Note that some manufacturers may refuse to issue a letter.If your vehicle does not have an EPA certification label and does not have an emission control system that is identical to one certified by the EPA, you will want to look at the regulations to explore your other options, as you may be eligible to apply for a written letter of exemption from the EPA which must be obtained prior to importing your vehicle.Outside of an exemption, you’ll likely have to use an Independent Commercial Importer to bring your vehicle south of the border and modify it, as well as post a bond. Once again, if you find yourself in this situation you’ll probably find that it just isn’t worth all the added time, expense and hassle to export your car from Canada to the U.S.Complete emission standard requirements and guidelines for importing a car to the U.S. can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.STEP 2: Investigate whether you need a U.S. driver’s licenseThe rules keep changing regarding Canadians who have residences in the U.S. as to whether they need – or indeed are even entitled to obtain – a U.S. driver’s license or I.D. card. You should check with your State of residence what the rules are-- and whether you can just use your Canadian driving license on an ongoing basis.If you do need to apply for a license and/or I.D. card, you will have to provide your Canadian driver’s license, your passport for a second photo I.D. and a property tax bill or other utility bill with your name and U.S. address on it. There will be a fee and you will have to renew it each year. Also they may take a photo of you and an eye scan. It is possible that they may require proof of the day you entered the U.S. to ensure you have not gone over the allowable time (180 days). If your passport was stamped when you entered, it is helpful.STEP 3: Get InsuranceYou must arrange for U.S. auto insurance before your car is transferred to a U.S. registration, as you cannot keep your Canadian insurance once you do this.Accordingly, you will need to find a U.S. auto insurance broker or company. They will require your Canadian ownership details and a copy of your driver record in Canada. Shop around as the market is quite competitive for U.S. auto insurance. Be sure to mention if the car will not be driven for 6 months of the year.STEP 4: Register Your VehicleYour car will be inspected in order to get a new registration and ownership. Check locally to see where your nearest car registration office is and make an appointment. You must bring all your paperwork that was approved at the border. They will verify your serial number and your odometer reading.Make sure that you are at a location that is authorized to verify vehicles for aliens. (that’s you!) You will have to pay a one-time fee for the first time you are issued your new plates.The Alternative to Importing a VehicleIf all of the above sounds like a lot of running around (and it is!) then you might want to consider purchasing a new or used vehicle in the U.S. instead to avoid some of steps and potential issues outlined above.Helpful Resources:U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – Importing a Motor VehicleU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Importing Vehicles into the United StatesU.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – Vehicle Importation & Certification Requirement

Well biochemists are working on a vaccine but making a brand new vaccine is not like going to the grocery store - many levels of design, manufacturing, quality control, shipping, sales, and distribution are involved. Hence it can’t go much faster than what is happening at the moment. A vaccine was attempted several years back but because there was not much of a market - and the initial investment needs hundreds of millions of dollars - and as a result, investors never put interest in the vaccine and it could not get off the ground. People like me who treat patients may be helpful with creative ideas, but we can’t personally fund something like a brand new vaccine.Scientists were close to a coronavirus vaccine years ago. Then the money dried up.Current politics is also causing delays - and the current ease with which fake news and clickbait can be circulated, makes separating scientific fact from politics very difficult.This disease is not completely characterized to the level that we know something like bacterial pneumonia - hence fear of the unknown. Infectious disease teams around the world are doing their best but the fact of the matter is, a new disease takes time to learn about and completely characterize.The best advice right now is to wash your hands very frequently and follow these recommendations from the CDC:Get Your Household Ready for Coronavirus Disease 2019Interim GuidanceEspañol | 中文This interim guidance is based on what is currently known about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.This interim guidance is to help household members plan for community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages household members to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in their community.COVID-19 is caused by a new virus. There is much to learn about its transmissibility, severity, and other features of the disease. We want to help everyone prepare to respond to this public health threat.In this guidanceBefore a COVID-19 outbreak occurs: PlanDuring a COVID-19 outbreak: ActAfter a COVID-19 outbreak has ended: Follow UpReadiness ResourcesBefore a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community: PlanA COVID-19 outbreak could last for a long time in your community. Depending on the severity of the outbreak, public health officials may recommend community actions designed to help keep people healthy, reduce exposures to COVID-19, and slow the spread of the disease. Local public health officials may make recommendations appropriate to your local situation. Creating a household plan can help protect your health and the health of those you care about in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community. You should base the details of your household plan on the needs and daily routine of your household members.Create a household plan of actioncheck iconTalk with the people who need to be included in your plan. Meet with household members, other relatives, and friends to discuss what to do if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community and what the needs of each person will be.check iconPlan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications. There is limited information about who may be at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 illness. From the data that are available for COVID-19 patients, and from data for related coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, it is possible that older adults and persons who have underlying chronic medical conditions may be at risk for more serious complications. Early data suggest older people are more likely to have serious COVID-19 illness. If you or your household members are at increased risk for COVID-19 complications, please consult with your health care provider for more information about monitoring your health for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. CDC will recommend actions to help keep people at high risk for complications healthy if a COVID-19 outbreak occurs in your community.check iconGet to know your neighbors. Talk with your neighbors about emergency planning. If your neighborhood has a website or social media page, consider joining it to maintain access to neighbors, information, and resources.check iconIdentify aid organizations in your community. Create a list of local organizations that you and your household can contact in the event you need access to information, health care services, support, and resources. Consider including organizations that provide mental health or counseling services, food, and other supplies.check iconCreate an emergency contact list. Ensure your household has a current list of emergency contacts for family, friends, neighbors, carpool drivers, health care providers, teachers, employers, the local public health department, and other community resources.Practice good personal health habits and plan for home-based actionscheck iconPractice everyday preventive actions now. Remind everyone in your household of the importance of practicing everyday preventive actions that can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses:Avoid close contact with people who are sick.Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily (e.g., tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles) using a regular household detergent and water.If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. For disinfection, a list of products with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained by the American Chemistry Council Center for Biocide Chemistries (CBC), is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Productspdf iconexternal icon. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.check iconChoose a room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy. Identify a separate bathroom for the sick person to use, if possible. Plan to clean these rooms, as needed, when someone is sick. Learn how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home.Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissedcheck iconLearn about the emergency operations plan at your child’s school or childcare facility. During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, local public health officials may recommend temporary school dismissals to help slow the spread of illness. School authorities also may decide to dismiss a school if too many students or staff are absent. Understand the plan for continuing education and social services (such as student meal programs) during school dismissals. If your child attends a college or university, encourage them to learn about the school’s plan for a COVID-19 outbreak.Plan for potential changes at your workplacecheck iconLearn about your employer’s emergency operations plan. Discuss sick-leave policies and telework options for workers who are sick or who need to stay home to care for sick household members. Learn how businesses and employers can plan for and respond to COVID-19.Top of PageDuring a COVID-19 outbreak in your community: ActDuring an outbreak in your community, protect yourself and others by:check iconStaying home from work, school, and all activities when you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms, which may include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.Keeping away from others who are sick.Limiting close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet).Put your household plan into actioncheck iconStay informed about the local COVID-19 situation. Get up-to-date information about local COVID-19 activity from public health officialsexternal icon. Be aware of temporary school dismissals in your area, as this may affect your household’s daily routine.check iconStay home if you are sick. Stay home if you have COVID-19 symptoms. If a member of your household is sick, stay home from school and work to avoid spreading COVID-19 to others.If your children are in the care of others, urge caregivers to watch for COVID-19 symptoms.check iconContinue practicing everyday preventive actions. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains 60% alcohol. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily using a regular household detergent and water.check iconUse the separate room and bathroom you prepared for sick household members (if possible). Learn how to care for someone with COVID-19 at home. Avoid sharing personal items like food and drinks. Provide your sick household member with clean disposable facemasks to wear at home, if available, to help prevent spreading COVID-19 to others. Clean the sick room and bathroom, as needed, to avoid unnecessary contact with the sick person.If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent and water prior to disinfection. For disinfection, a list of products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims, maintained by the CBC, is available at Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fighting Productspdf iconexternal icon. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.check iconStay in touch with others by phone or email. If you live alone and become sick during a COVID-19 outbreak, you may need help. If you have a chronic medical condition and live alone, ask family, friends, and health care providers to check on you during an outbreak. Stay in touch with family and friends with chronic medical conditions.check iconTake care of the emotional health of your household members. Outbreaks can be stressful for adults and children. Children respond differently to stressful situations than adults. Talk with your children about the outbreak, try to stay calm, and reassure them that they are safe.Inform your workplace if you need to change your regular work schedulecheck iconNotify your workplace as soon as possible if your schedule changes. Ask to work from home or take leave if you or someone in your household gets sick with COVID-19 symptoms, or if your child’s school is dismissed temporarily.Take the following steps to help protect your children during an outbreakcheck iconIf your child/children become sick with COVID-19, notify their childcare facility or school. Talk with teachers about classroom assignments and activities they can do from home to keep up with their schoolwork.check iconKeep track of school dismissals in your community. Read or watch local media sources that report school dismissals. If schools are dismissed temporarily, use alternative childcare arrangements, if needed.check iconDiscourage children and teens from gathering in other public places while school is dismissed to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.Top of PageAfter a COVID-19 outbreak has ended in your community: Follow UpRemember, a COVID-19 outbreak could last a long time. The impact on individuals, households, and communities might be great. When public health officials determine the outbreak has ended in your community, take time to improve your household’s plan. As public health officials continue to plan for COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks, you and your household also have an important role to play in ongoing planning efforts.Evaluate the effectiveness of your household’s plan of actioncheck iconDiscuss and note lessons learned. Were your COVID-19 preparedness actions effective at home, school, and work? Talk about problems found in your plan and effective solutions. Identify additional resources needed for you and your household.check iconParticipate in community discussions about emergency planning. Let others know about what readiness actions worked for you and your household. Maintain communication lines with your community (e.g., social media and email lists). Promote the importance of practicing good personal health habits.check iconContinue to practice everyday preventive actions. Stay home when you are sick; cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue; wash your hands often with soap and water; and clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily.check iconTake care of the emotional health of your household members. Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories about COVID-19. Connect with family and friends. Share your concerns and how you are feeling with others.check iconHelp your child/children cope after the outbreak. Provide children with opportunities to talk about what they went through or what they think about it. Encourage them to share concerns and ask questions. Because parents, teachers, and other adults see children in different situations, it is important for them to work together to share information about how each child is coping after the outbreak.

The 10 Worst Diplomatic Faux Pas By Famous Politicians - ListversePOLITICSVALERIE CHUNOVEMBER 25, 2013Nowhere are faux pas more dangerous than in politics, where one wrong word could potentially lead to conflict between nations. Despite that, many politicians still make their fair share of gaffes when abroad, as seen by the following examples.Featured photo credit: The Telegraph10. Jimmy Carter’s Lust For PolandPresident Jimmy Carter arguably contributed a lot to the use of interpreters in politics—sign language interpreters first appeared on national TV during his acceptance of his party’s nomination, and he was also the president who signed into being the Court Interpreters Act of 1978. That said, he’s had his troubles with translation, too.In 1977, during a visit to Poland, Carter gave a speech to express his aim to learn the Poles’ “desires for the future.” His interpreter, however, translated that phrase to a baffled Polish audience as “I desire the Poles carnally.”This first gaffe was bad enough, but the interpreter, Steven Seymour, wasn’t quite done. He also mistranslated Carter’s words about his departure from the US into a phrase that meant that the President had abandoned his country for good. Seymour even turned Carter’s praise for the Polish constitution into words calling it an object of ridicule. Obviously, Carter got a new interpreter for the rest of his visit.Incidentally, it’s not the only time a US president’s words—whether through mistranslation or by direct quote—have led to a diplomatic contretemps in Poland. In 2012, President Barack Obama sent Polish hackles flying up when he referred to Nazi death camps in the country as “Polish death camps,” seeming to suggest that the Polish and not the (German) Nazis were responsible for them. Since this was during a posthumous award ceremony for a Polish hero of the resistance against the Nazis, one might say he couldn’t have picked a worse time for his slip.9. George Bush Sr. Flips Aussies “The Forks”Photo credit: Rex FeaturesOn a visit to Canberra in 1992, George H.W. Bush unwittingly insulted a group of locals by giving them the V-sign while riding past in his armored car. The gesture might mean “Victory” in America, but it means something radically different in Australia when given with the palm facing inward, as in Bush Senior’s case. Used that way, it’s actually equivalent to the upraised middle finger in the US.Later that same day, Bush Sr. gave a speech at the local center for American Studies advocating stronger efforts “to foster greater understanding” between the American and Australian cultures. The Lakeland Ledger, reporting the president’s gestural gaffe, wrote, “Wearing mittens when abroad would be a beginning.”8. Voreqe Bainimarama Snubs Medvedev For His AideVoreqe Bainimarama, the prime minister of Fiji and the man from whom the term “Bainimarama Republic” originates, caused rather an embarrassing moment for his Russian hosts when he visited Moscow for a diplomatic meeting. As may be seen in the official videos of the encounter, Bainimarama’s outstretched hand somehow managed to miss Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev despite the Russian PM putting out his own palm for the greeting. Instead, Bainimarama clearly turned away from Medvedev and shook hands with the latter’s two aides—prompting the snubbed Medvedev to try to hide his embarrassment by acting as though he had extended his arm to brush imaginary dust off it.Considering that this was the first visit by a Fijian PM to Russia, it was not a very auspicious start for such a precedent. Fortunately, Bainimarama eventually managed to hit the target later on, as may be seen in the photos of the two shaking hands.7. George Bush Sr. Vomits On His Host’s LapAdmittedly, he could hardly have helped it if he was feeling ill, but Bush Sr. made one of the best-known faux pas in international politics when he puked on Japanese PM Kiichi Miyazawa during a diplomatic banquet.Luckily for Japanese-American relations, he wasn’t doing it to act out his stance on a geopolitical issue. Bush Sr. was allegedly ill with intestinal flu at the time. The incident gained him some popularity in Japan for a while, though, as a new word for vomiting entered Japanese slang shortly afterward: bushu-suru, or “to do a Bush.”6. Michelle Obama Touches The QueenThe Queen of England is untouchable—in many situations, literally so. Formal protocol for meeting the Queen dictates that you shouldn’t touch her beyond a polite handshake (they call it that, but it’s actually just a brief meeting of the hands when done properly).So when First Lady Michelle Obama broke the rule by throwing an arm around Her Majesty, the British media was understandably shocked. It was a breach of one of the classic rules of conduct.Fortunately for Mrs. Obama, the Queen herself seemed to take it in stride. It wasn’t the first time she had to suffer (common) contact, after all. Former Aussie prime ministers John Howard and Paul Keating have both been accused of touching the Queen, and Canadian cyclist Louis Garneau is known to have done the same when he put an arm around her for a personal photo. Still, one would think that the first two—as well as Mrs. Obama herself—as political figures would have been more mindful of royal etiquette than a former cyclist simply hoping for a nice keepsake.5. Prince Philip And The Aboriginal SpearsPhoto credit: The TimesRoyals make mistakes too. The famously gaffe-prone Duke of Edinburgh asked some Aborigines during a visit to Australia if they still threw spears at each other.The recipient of the question, Aboriginal businessman William Brim, said, “No, we don’t do that anymore.”The jury’s still out on whether or not Prince Philip’s query might have tempted them to change that.4. Silvio Berlusconi And Obama’s TanPhoto credit: Jewel Samad/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesSilvio Berlusconi has always been popular for his mouth, but when he referred to US President Barack Obama as “suntanned,” other mouths still fell open. He made the remark twice, even including the US First Lady in the second statement, which he issued later in Milan: “You wouldn’t believe it, but they [Barack Obama and Michelle Obama] go sunbathing at the beach together—his wife is also suntanned.”When criticized for the remarks, he responded by calling his critics imbeciles and saying that he had been complimenting the Obamas.Whether or not Barack and Michelle Obama took it that way is uncertain, since there were no responses from their side. It is a point of interest, though, that during the G20 meeting where he and the Obamas met again, Berlusconi was the only world leader that Mrs. Obama greeted with a handshake instead of a kiss and embrace.3. Schröder Puts Out The Holocaust Victims’ Memorial FlameIn 2000, the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was visiting Israel when he made one of the worst faux pas a German official can do while in the country. As all foreign dignitaries in Israel do, he went to pay his respects at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, guided by Israeli PM Ehud Barak. An eternal flame there burns for the six million Jews slain by the Nazis. Unfortunately, when Schröder went to turn the flame up, he turned the switch the wrong way, extinguishing the fire.Barak tried to fix the flame but was unsuccessful. In the end, it took an employee of the Yad Vashem memorial to light it again with a gas lighter.2. David Cameron’s PoppiesPhoto credit: EPAThe British PM caused a bit of friction with his hosts on his 2010 visit to China when he and his delegation turned out for an official event with poppies as their boutonnieres. Cameron’s delegation was observing the British custom of donning poppies in November to remember their war dead. Unfortunately, red poppies mean something else to the Chinese, especially when associated with the British.The Chinese fought the Opium Wars against the British in the 19th century, and they lost both wars as well as Hong Kong in the aftermath. Poppies—the source of opium—are therefore bitter reminders of the shame from those defeats, and the Chinese officials actually requested that Cameron and his fellows remove the poppies before the event. The British officials refused.1.Sarkozy And Obama Think Netanyahu UnbearablePhoto credit: AFP/Getty ImagesDuring 2011’s G20 summit at Cannes, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and US President Barack Obama were overheard by the press having a private dialog about Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. In another accidental hot-mic moment, the two discussed Netanyahu with less than their usual diplomacy.“I cannot bear Netanyahu, he’s a liar,” said Sarkozy at one point.“You’re fed up with him?” Obama retorted. “I have to deal with him even more often than you.”While the exchange wasn’t published by the media during the summit, it did eventually leak out soon after . . . which probably did not help the three leaders’ efforts to hinder Iran’s nuclear plans at the time.When asked about the conversation, Sarkozy’s and Obama’s offices had no comment. Presumably because they had exhausted them all in their conversation during the summit.Valerie Chu is a political scientist who has taken time away from the academic circuit (she spent several years teaching at a university) to pursue other avenues of interest, including freelance writing and working as a content consultant for several online publications and companies.Five Presidential Faux Pas That Preceded Obama's 'Latte Salute'By Katherine Rodriguez | September 24, 2014 | 11:53 AM EDTPresident Obama's "latte salute" has got the Internet tweeting, Instagramming, and Facebooking about how he should be more diplomatic with members of our military.In case you missed it, here's President Obama's offending Instagram:But while our nation focused on President Obama's less-than-courteous gesture, here are five presidential (and first lady) faux pas you missed in light of "latte-gate."5. First Lady Michelle Obama Hugs Queen Elizabeth II.In British custom, the queen is generally an untouchable figure, according to a profile in TIME Magazine on the subject. But in 2009 when First Lady Michelle Obama visited Her Majesty, she broke royal protocol by giving the Queen a full-on embrace.(GIF Credit: Youtube)4. President Gerald Ford Trips Down the Steps of Air Force OneAt least he didn't take the First Lady down with him.(GIF Credit: Youtube)3. George W. Bush Gets 'Locked Out' in Chinese State VisitPresident George W. Bush tried to escape reporters after a press conference in Beijing after a long flight, but his plan seemed to be foiled by the locked double-doors.Bush simply said, "I was trying to escape. Obviously it didn't work," according to BBC News.(GIF Credit: Youtube)2. Barack Obama Takes "Funeral Selfie" At Nelson Mandela's FuneralPresident Obama made lots of headlines last year when he took a snapshot of himself with several other politicians during Nelson Mandela's funeral.(Obama takes ‘selfie’ at Mandela’s funeral service)1. George H.W. Bush Vomits on Japanese Prime Minister's LapThe elder Bush wound up projectile-vomiting into Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa's lap on an official state visit in 1992, but fortunately the president meant no ill-will towards the Prime Minister and had just suffered from a bout of the stomach flu, BBC News reported.(GIF Credit: Youtube)Diplomacy-and-Cultural-Faux-PasDECEMBER 27, 2014January 29, 2015 President Obama was chided this week for removing chewing gum from his mouth during a state visit with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the president’s frequent gum chewing habit may be his antidote to smoking, the message that was interpreted across the world was quite different—as the Times of India reported it an “ungainly sight”.Diplomats and world leaders have long made faux pas that may cause even the most culturally naïve person to cringe. From former President Bush’s famous back massage given to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the 2006 G8 summit to First Lady Michelle Obama’s placing her arm around Queen Elizabeth. While these gestures were likely intended to convey warmth and affection, similar actions are sometimes interpreted as overly informal. Addressing people on a first name basis when first meeting someone to lighthearted joking may be viewed as an attempt to put people at ease in the U.S. but are more often than not looked upon with disapproval abroad.I frequently discuss the importance of adopting formal protocols with my clients. In hierarchical cultures, for example, being too familiar with someone in a higher position may be deemed disrespectful. I’ve been told more times than not by foreign clients how they have been offended when receiving emails without a salutation at the beginning or end of the email. In our low-context culture where the spoken word takes precedence over non-verbal communication, many Americans may miss the subtleties that high context cultures place on non-verbal messages. While most incidents, such as President Obama’s recent gaffe in India, may be shrugged off, others are not.Geopolitical disasters have occurred when messages were mis-read. For example, in 1991 the Gulf War could potentially have been averted had non-verbal cues been more clearly understood. When former Secretary of State James Baker threatened Iraqi Foreign Minister, Tariq Aziz, with invasion if Iraq did not move out of Kuwait, the Iraqi delegation reported to Saddam Hussein that he was bluffing. The high-context Iraqis misinterpreted Secretary Baker’s calm demeanor and focus exclusively on verbal communication as lack of anger and were therefore not convinced of the imminent attack that would unfortunately occur. In order to prevent similarly catastrophic results, it’s crucial for diplomats and business leaders alike to take sufficient measures to become culturally savvy when conducting high-level interactions. For companies and organizations looking to enhance their global image, developing culturally-competent staff is key to success.©Intercultural Alliances. All rights reserved.The next time you plan to interact with someone across cultural borders, you may consider asking yourself these sample questions:What boundaries will I cross if I address someone using his/her first name without being invited to do so?What is the appropriate way to dress for this meeting? Is it acceptable for women to wear trousers?Are there common gestures that may have a different meaning abroad than in my own culture?What is the appropriate way to greet someone and is it OK to shake hands?What sort of local formalities should I be aware of to avoid offending someone? As recent events have shown us, being a diplomat does not necessarily equate being culturally agile. Being aware of your own behavior and how it may be interpreted and conducting cultural due diligence to inform yourself of local customs, formalities and norms of behavior go a long way in creating positive global interactions. Cross-cultural experts can provide insight into these types of issues across and within cultures at a level that can also enhance your organizational success. We look forward to working with you!We All Make MistakesBy Stephanie KanowitzUploaded on November 18, 2010Huge Part of Protocol Is Just Smoothing Over the SlipupsRules were made to be broken, even in the case of protocol. Of course, when foreign diplomacy is at stake, slipups, no matter how unintentional, can lead to international incidents — but mostly these faux pas put a few gray hairs on protocol officers’ heads and give the public a chance to see their leaders as human.Remember when President Barack Obama presented England’s Queen Elizabeth with an Apple iPod during his first official visit with her in April? Protocol officers blanched — and then gasped when his wife Michelle hugged the queen in what became the embrace felt around the world. Touching the queen, after all, is a serious breach of royal protocol. Neither gesture pitted the American and British militaries against each other, but media coverage put protocol front and center, even overshadowing the main purpose of the visit, the G-20 summit.“A major faux pas in international protocol is to give an inappropriate gift to your guest,” said Pamela Eyring, president and director of the Protocol School of Washington. “We have to do our homework. We can’t just assume that a product that we purchase at Best Buy will be a great gift for the queen of England.”Protocol exists to help. The word is of Greek origin, protos, meaning “first,” and kolla, meaning “glue.” “The point of protocol is to connect something to another thing,” such as creating a relationship between two people or two countries, said Shelby Scarbrough, founder of Practical Protocol, an international special events management and business protocol training organization.“It is the rules that govern our society so that we can behave in a more civilized way,” Eyring added. “If we didn’t have protocol rules, rules of engagement, rules of business, rules in society, we’d be back in the caveman days.”“I think the presence of a protocol professional is an insurance policy that things will go smoothly,” observed Anita McBride, former chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush.But despite everyone’s best efforts and planning, things go awry.Gift Gaffes Gifting is one of the biggest problem areas, Eyring said, whether it involves a badly chosen present or omitting one completely.At a meeting with an ambassador, the governor of Georgia was left empty-handed despite plans for a gift exchange, recalled Chris Young, the state’s chief of protocol and president of Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association. “Oftentimes, we’ll tell the visiting person’s staff what we’re giving so that we can make sure that there’s not a disparity in the level of gifts or any kind of embarrassment,” Young said.The plans were set and the governor presented his guest with a gift. “Lo and behold, the other person didn’t have a gift and didn’t even have anything … couldn’t open up their coat pocket and take out a nice pen or something,” Young remembered.Embarrassment and apologies ensued — and a gift made its way to the governor later.“The mistakes, they’re always called accidents — they’re never called on-purposes,” said Nicole Krakora, director of special events and protocol at the Smithsonian Institution. “It’s not really the mistake that you make. It’s how you recover from the mistake.”It could be through an apology or sometimes with a crafty cover-up. Krakora once watched as a host received a gift from a visiting delegation and had nothing to give in return. “The host — the receiver of the gift — immediately on stage said, ‘Thank you very much. We are going to include this as part of our corporation’s collection,’” Krakora said. “Fortunately, the event that they were celebrating was a partnership that was being launched with several organizations from that country. They were celebrating the product that was coming out of it, so the person at the microphone was able to spin it to say, ‘Thank you for this gift commemorating our partnership.’ It didn’t look like it needed to be a gift exchange.”Standing By Seating is another faux pas breeding ground, the protocol experts agree. People are sensitive to their seat because of their rank, Eyring noted. Still, no amount of place cards and seating charts can insure against unforeseen events.At a black-tie dinner at the presidential palace in Panama, Krakora was seated between a government minister and a Panamanian businessman who wanted to do business with the minister. “Throughout the dinner he spoke across me to the minister in Spanish,” Krakora recalled. “When he wasn’t speaking to the minister, he was on his BlackBerry, texting and making phone calls and just generally doing all of the things you’d never want to have happen.”As the table host, the official tried in vain to get the man to stop talking shop by offering to speak with him privately after the meal. “I ended up listening to the conversation, wishing I had learned Spanish,” Krakora said. “It put the minister in a terrible position.”Sometimes the problem arises before anyone is seated. At a luncheon where several heads of state were the guests of honor, Krakora rushed from the anteroom to the main room when it was announced that lunch was served. “Being a protocol officer, I assumed that we all needed to hurry and get into position because then the guests of honor, the heads of state, would be announced into the room as is proper,” she said. “I walked into the lunch, and I nearly died.”The problem? The heads of state had been shown into the room already and were standing at their seats behind their chairs waiting for everybody to arrive. “The proper thing to do is have everybody in place and then you announce the guests of honor into the room and they make an entrance.”Crisis Control Seating and gifting may be two of protocol’s biggest mine fields, according to Eyring, but any event has the potential for problems.Scarbrough relayed the story of a protocol officer who saw the words “Made in Taiwan” on the bottom of a piece of china laid out at the State Department before a Chinese delegation was expected to arrive for lunch. “The relationship between China and Taiwan is very strained, so it would not have been good,” she said. “They rushed and got another set of china — it was probably British china or something — and brought it out and changed it on the head table, but they couldn’t get to the rest of the party.”Announcements are not immune to issues, either. When Chinese President Hu Jintao visited President Bush toward the end of his administration, “during the arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, the house announcer, instead of saying, ‘Ladies and gentleman, the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China,’ said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the national anthem of the Republic of China’ — a very different place,” Young said, referring to Taiwan’s official name. “Every protocol officer that initially hears that has one of those cringing feelings and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. What can you do? There’s nothing you can do, right? You’ve just got to smile and go on.”The offenders don’t even have to be human. In 2003, during a visit to England, the Bushes hosted a dinner for Queen Elizabeth at Winfield House, the residence of the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. “The dinner was beautiful, I mean absolutely exquisite, every detail paid attention to,” said McBride, who now works as a protocol consultant. “Then, just as Her Majesty was giving her toast, our ambassador’s dog started barking.”The White House social secretary quickly and quietly scooped up the dog and carried it out of the room.“Protocol and diplomacy really is no longer limited to the highest level of government, but it’s for state and local leaders and business executives,” McBride added.No one needs to remind Young of that.When Coretta Scott King, wife of civil rights activist Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died on Jan. 30, 2006, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue asked her family if they wanted her to lie in honor at the state Capitol. “This had an enormous amount of symbolism: She would be the first woman, she would be the first African American, and it also would be a very interesting juxtaposition to what happened in Georgia when her husband was assassinated almost four decades earlier, when the governor wouldn’t even put the flags at half-staff,” Young explained.Before the public began arriving to pay their respects, Young noticed the company name on the portable toilets set up outside City Hall. “We were expecting a crowd of about 25,000 — turns out we had a crowd of about 50,000 come through — so you had to have somewhere for people to use the restroom,” he said. “That’s not abnormal except guess where the portable toilets came from. They came from the King Portable Toilet Service Company (Winnipeg, Manitoba).”Having someone make the wrong association was not an option. “So what do we do? We go out there with poster board and electrical tape on a frigid early February morning to rectify the situation,” Young said.Flexibility is crucial for protocol officials. “We’re all human and these kinds of things are going to happen,” Young said.Take ownership for mistakes that can’t be avoided, and make sure the victims know no offense was intended, Scarbrough advises. “If it’s a cultural mistake, you hope that you know you did it,” she added. “Most times most people won’t say anything because they, depending on the culture, would not want to shame you or offend you by pointing it out to you.”“A faux pas is one little thing,” Krakora concurred. “If the rest of your exchange and the rest of your dealings and the rest of your visit show courtesy and respect, sincerity is palpable.”For more information, also see “Rules of Engagement: Protocol Instruction Pulls Together Finer Points of Global Diplomacy” in the May 2008 issue of The Washington Diplomat.About the AuthorStephanie Kanowitz is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat