Unfortunately, our nation faces enormous challenges in virtually every region of the globe. In countries ranging from Iran to North Korea to Syria to Mali, and on issues spanning terrorism, drug trafficking, global warming and cyber warfare, each day will bring seemingly impossible problems for our nation's foreign policy leaders, especially new Secretary of State John Kerry.

SPECIAL REPORT. On November 6, 2012, elections were held for the President of the United States, all 435 Members of the House of Representatives, and 33 of 100 Senators. The election results did not significantly change the makeup of American leadership. What has changed, however, is the severity of the challenges facing the new 113th Congress, as well as American companies in 2013 and beyond.

In our hyper-competitive global economy, intellectual property (IP), often referred to as creations of the mind that can be incorporated into tangible objects, has become the primary source of competitive advantage for both companies and countries.

When employed to drive innovation, IP boosts corporate profits, job creation, national economic growth, wages, and standards of living. In turn, the only sustainable competitive advantage for many companies is their ability to effectively apply knowledge to develop higher value-added, innovation-based goods and services.

To achieve needed growth, many U.S. firms are focused on global expansion and improving international sales. This is especially true for U.S. food, service, and consumer product companies. China, whose middle class is expected to rival the U.S. in purchasing power within the decade, is one of the most sought after locations for international sales expansion.