Wednesday, July 24, 2013

US Commercial Service is trade promotion agency of US Dept of Commerce; Export Assistance.

International Sales & Marketing

“Your international business partner”

Leverage the knowledge and influence of the U.S. government and our vast global network of international business experts, contacts and partners.
With offices in more than 100 U.S. cities and 80 countries across the globe, the U.S. government offers U.S. companies exporting information, advice and cost-effective end-to-end international business solutions.
Whether you are new to international sales, trying to enter a new market or looking to expand your business in a specific market here is how we can help you:

For U.S. Companies:

For U.S. Trade Show Organizers:


Information and Counseling

Successful exporters know who they can trust to get the information and guidance they need to make sound business decisions.
The U.S. Government provides U.S. companies with reliable information and personalized counseling at every step of the exporting process – from strategy and planning to financing and logistics to market entry and expansion to advocacy and dispute resolution.

Considering exporting?

Visit our Export Basics section to:
  • Take an Are you Export Ready? online assessment: answer nine questions that will help you identify areas your business needs to strengthen to become a successful exporter
  • Watch the Export University 101 webinar: learn the basic information, methods, and strategies to help sell your products and services internationally
  • Take an International Business Training Course: gain an in-depth understanding of global business management, marketing, supply chain management and trade finance
For more information or assistance, please contact the Trade Information Center at 1-800-USA-TRADE orTIC@ita.doc.gov

Already exporting?

Find out what you need to know to become a more successful exporter:
  • Assess your company to identify areas your business needs to strengthen
  • Evaluate your international sales and marketing strategy
  • Research the most profitable international markets for your products/services
  • Prepare your products/services to enter a new market
  • Determine the best ways to distribute, price and promote your products /services
  • Conduct international business online
  • Ship your products/services with the correct export documentation, packaging and labels
  • Secure export financing to make a sale happen
Get expert advice and counseling from a U.S. Government representative located near you.
  • Request export counseling assistance from your local Export Assistance Center and work one-on-one with an expert in international trade to get answers to your exporting questions and receive guidance on how your company can become more successful in the global marketplace.

Agriculture-Specific Export Counseling

The Foreign Agricultural Service, SRTGs (State Regional Trade Groups), State Departments of Agriculture, food and agriculture industry organizations and international trade groups have a variety of programs and services that can benefit new and experienced exporters.

Productivity and Efficiency Counseling for U.S. Manufacturers (MEP)

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in over 400 locations nationwide. MEPs work directly with U.S. manufacturers to provide expertise and services tailored to their most critical needs, ranging from process improvements and worker training to business practices and applications of information technology.

Strategy and Planning

An international business plan that includes a strategy for entering or expanding into targeted markets is critical to your success in the global marketplace. The U.S. Government provides U.S. companies with cost-effective resources to help you develop or improve your international business plan.

Need to create an international business plan?

Follow the steps below:

Already have an international business plan?

We can confidentially review your international business plan and provide suggestions and cost-effective solutions to help you achieve your goals and objectives.
We can also confidentially review your strategy for entering or expanding into targeted markets and offer suggestions and solutions to ensure you have the best marketing mix.
  • Request strategy and planning assistance from your local Export Assistance Center

Market Research and Due Diligence

Accurate, up-to-date market intelligence is essential for your company to target the best international market opportunities and make informed business decisions when evaluating potential overseas business partners.
You can leverage the knowledge and resources of the U.S. government by tapping into our vast network of experts, contacts and partners in 80 countries across the globe to get world-class market intelligence. 

Customized Market Research (available for a fee)

We can assess the market potential of your product/ services in a given market and prepare a report according to your specific business needs. 
  • Identify and evaluate key market dynamics, opportunities and challenges
  • Address your particular questions regarding the market for your products/services
Learn more about our customized market research program
Order customized market research by contacting your local Export Assistance Center

Due Diligence Reports on Potential Overseas Business Partners (available for a fee)

We can investigate the capabilities, legitimacy and financial strength of a potential overseas business partner and provide useful information gleaned from government, industry and financial contacts, the local press and other sources.
Learn more about our due diligence reports
Order a due diligence report by contacting your local Export Assistance Center

Publicly Accessible Information and Resources (available at no charge)

  • Get Step-by-Step Market Research Tips for finding and assessing markets overseas
  •  Check out the Market Research Library to get overviews on doing business in more than 120 countries and profiles of 110 industry sectors
  • Get the latest Trade Data by country, state, commodity, year, and more
  • Tune into a Webinar to hear about new market and industry information
  • Watch a Webcast to learn international business best practices
  • Search our Trade Lead Database to identify potential business leads for your company
Contact the Trade Information Center for help with our publicly accessible information and resources

Advertising and Promotional Events

Once you’ve developed an international business plan and targeted the best international market opportunities, the next step is to ensure that potential customers and business partners recognize the existence, availability and benefits of your company's products/services.
You can leverage the credibility and influence of the U.S. Government and our vast global network of international business experts, contacts and partners to increase your brand awareness and market exposure in countries around the world.

Promote your products/services in our catalogs and on-line directories

Catalogs and on-line directories offer a relatively inexpensive way for you to reach potential customers and business partners around the globe.
Want to reach more than 250,000 international buyers in 178 countries? 

Then advertise in the U.S. Commerce Department’s official export promotion magazine, Commercial News USA(CNUSA). Distributed free of charge every other month via direct mail and by U.S. embassies and consulates all over the world, CNUSA promotes the products/services of U.S. companies. If you are interested in advertising in Commercial News USA, call 1-800-581-8533.
Want to be featured on U.S. Government websites around the world? 

Then advertise in FUSE, the featured directory of U.S. products on U.S. Commercial Service websites around the world. See a sample listing from our office in China. Register for this program.
Want to be included in the Official U.S. Department of Commerce online directory of U.S. exporters and service providers?

Then request a free company listing in The Export Yellow Pages, a comprehensive, online directory referenced worldwide by the global trade community. Request a listing.

Exhibit at trade fairs and shows supported by the U.S. Government

Trade fairs and shows offer a good opportunity for you company to introduce international buyers, distributors, or representatives to your products/services.
  • Have us exhibit your product/service literature for you
  • Save money by exhibiting alongside other U.S. companies
  • Meet with potential buyers/partners
Learn more about our catalog exhibition service
Search for upcoming trade shows and fairs supported by the U.S. Government

Organize a promotional event with the credibility and influence of the U.S. Government

From product launches to technical seminars to cocktail receptions we can help you organize a promotional event to reach a target audience of clients, potential business partners or key decision-makers in markets around the world.
Request assistance organizing a promotional event by contacting your local Export Assistance Center

Market Entry and Expansion

Leverage the expertise, resources and connections of the U.S. Government to find and establish business relationships with potential agents, distributors or other strategic partners overseas.

Learn about the methods, channels and other considerations of market entry/expansion:

Find potential agents, distributors or other strategic partners overseas

Our staff located in 80 countries around the globe can save you valuable time and money by conducting an international partner search in a specific market to find potential agents, distributors or other strategic partners.
We will contact a large group of potential overseas business partners using the marketing materials you provide, and then identify the companies that are interested and capable of becoming a viable representative for you in that market.

Arrange meetings with potential agents, distributors or other strategic partners overseas

The most effective method of establishing a successful business relationship with potential agents, distributors or other strategic partners is to demonstrate your willingness to travel to meet with them overseas.
Our staff located in 80 countries around the globe can arrange meetings for you with potential agents, distributors or other partners in a specific market. We carefully screen and qualify potential business partners to ensure that your meetings are productive and informative.
Although traveling overseas to meet face-to-face with potential agents, distributors or other partners is the preferred business practice, if your schedule or travel budget limits your ability to travel overseas we do offer a video conferencing option.

Get long-term, sustained market entry/expansion support

Our staff located in 80 countries around the globe can provide you with market entry/expansion support specifically tailored to your unique needs. We can help design and implement a market entry/expansion strategy and assign a single point of contact to provide long-term, focused support to help you succeed.

Advocacy and Dispute Resolution

U.S. Government advocacy assistance can help U.S. companies overcome trade barriers, bureaucratic problems and unfair trading practices; level the playing field to ensure that your company has the best possible chance to win foreign government contracts; and settle payment disputes with foreign companies.

Need help overcoming trade barriers, bureaucratic problems or unfair trading practices?

Visit our Trade Problems section to learn how the U.S. Government can help you overcome:

Need help pursuing foreign government procurements or projects?

Leverage the resources and influence of the U.S. Government to level the playing field. The U.S. Government’s Advocacy Center has helped hundreds of U.S. companies--small, medium and large enterprises--in various industry sectors win government contracts across the globe.
The assistance provided by the Advocacy Center is wide and varied but often involves the U.S. Government communicating a message to foreign governments or government-owned corporations so that your company receives fair treatment when pursuing foreign government procurements or projects.

Need help resolving payment disputes with foreign companies?

When negotiations with a foreign company to resolve payment disputes fail and the sum involved is large enough to warrant the effort, your company should first obtain the assistance and advice of its bank and legal counsel.
Once your company has obtained the assistance and advice of its bank and legal counsel, then your company can leverage the resources and authority of the U.S. Government to settle the dispute.

U.S. Free Trade Agreements

Why should you care about free trade agreements (FTAs)?

If you are looking to export your product or service, the United States may have negotiated favorable treatment through an FTA to make it easier and cheaper for you. Accessing FTA benefits for your product may require more record-keeping, but can also give your product a competitive advantage versus products from other countries.

What is an FTA negotiated by the United States?

An FTA is an agreement between two or more countries where the countries agree on certain obligations that affect trade in goods and services, and protections for investors and intellectual property rights, among other topics. For the United States, the main goal of trade agreements is to reduce barriers to U.S. exports, protect U.S. interests competing abroad, and enhance the rule of law in the FTA partner country or countries. The reduction of trade barriers and the creation of a more stable and transparent trading and investment environment make it easier and cheaper for U.S. companies to export their products and services to trading partner markets.
How can FTAs benefit U.S. exporters or investors?
U.S. FTAs typically address a wide variety of government activity. One example is the reduction or elimination of tariffs charged on all qualified products coming from the other country. For example, a country that normally charges a tariff of 5% of the value of the incoming product will eliminate that tariff for products that originate (as defined in the FTA) in the United States.
Documenting how a product originates, or meets the rules of origin, can make using the FTA negotiated tariffs a bit more complicated. However, these rules help to ensure that U.S. exports, rather than exports from other countries, receive the benefits of the agreement.
Some other types of opportunities frequently found in FTAs include:
  • the ability for a U.S. company to bid on certain government procurements in the FTA partner country;
  • the ability for a U.S. investor to get prompt, adequate, and effective compensation if its investment in the FTA partner country is taken by the government (expropriated);
  • the ability for U.S. service suppliers to supply their services in the FTA partner country;
  • protection and enforcement of American-owned intellectual property rights in the FTA partner  country; and
  • the ability for U.S. exporters to participate in the development of product standards in the FTA partner country.
With which countries does the United States have an FTA?
The United States has 14 FTAs in force with 20 countries. The United States is also in the process of negotiating a regional FTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
U.S. FTA Partner Countries: Australia; Bahrain; Chile; Colombia; DR-CAFTA: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, & Nicaragua; Israel; Jordan; Korea; Morocco; NAFTA: Canada & Mexico; Oman;Panama; Peru; and Singapore.
How can U.S. companies identify tariffs on exports to FTA partner countries?
The FTA Tariff Tool can help you determine the tariff, or tax at the border, that U.S. FTA partners will collect when a U.S. exported product that meets the FTA rule of origin enters the country. You can look up the tariff rate for a given product today, as well as identify when in the future the tariff rate will go down further or be eliminated altogether.

Find your local office: http://export.gov/usoffices/index.asp


Source: Export.gov

John Dussman is Midwest Manager for VillageProfile.com, working with chambers in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Missouri. More than 1500 Chamber of Commerce all over the United States have trusted Village Profile to produce their Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Visitor Maps and Publications, Economic Development magazines and Chamber of Commerce Maps. Contact John at (800)-600-0134 x239.
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