ray lunder writes:

Any ideas?

Yankee dollars. No other commodity is as portable, fungible, and
desirable.

I used to fill up my suitcases with trading items for the 3rd world, but
the stuff you hear (like the old "blue jeans in Moscow") is mythological.

If you want a durable, compact, elegant gift that is made in USA for
expressing personal sentiment, as opposed to mercenary trading, then I
suggest mini Maglites with a big pack of AA batteries. But you'd be
surprised how many out-of-the-way places around the world you can just buy
them at a price.