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A Note of Thanks: Celebrating Walter Bastian’s Lifetime of Achievement

November 2, 2012

Francisco Sánchez serves as the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. Follow him on Twitter @UnderSecSanchez.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Walter M. Bastian

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Walter M. Bastian

Walter Bastian embodies the best of public service.  He doesn’t measure success by how well he does, but by how well he can help others.  And during his decades at the Department of Commerce, he has indeed helped others and made great contributions to the global community.

In recognition of his accomplishments, last week, Walter was one of nine recipients of the 2012 Americas Award for his lifetime of achievement.  Having had the chance to work with him closely in recent years, I must tell you: he is very deserving of this honor.

As Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Walter has developed programs, policies and strategies to strengthen the United States’ commercial position in the region — the destination for roughly 40 percent of U.S. exports.  And in doing so, he’s also committed himself to expanding opportunity and prosperity throughout the Americas.

One of Walter’s greatest accomplishments was playing a central role in founding the Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF).  The initial idea for a meeting of Western Hemisphere commerce ministers was offered by President George W. Bush at the 2005 Summit of the Americas.  Walter helped make that idea a reality.

Walter saw beyond what was being asked and instead focused on what more could be accomplished. He understood that competitiveness is not just a national issue, but a hemispheric one.

For that reason, he set about creating a forum to motivate the region’s government leaders to work in partnership with the private sector, academia, and civil society to improve the economic prosperity of their own countries, and ensure a brighter future for the people of the region.

Since its inauguration in 2007, the ACF has become the preeminent economic and commercial event in the Americas, attracting hundreds of participants from the Western Hemisphere’s public and private sectors.  It has helped to create and strengthen the kinds of partnerships that are necessary for regional integration and future growth.

Bottom line: progress is achieved by people who want to make a difference.  And Walter Bastian has made a difference.  He has dedicated his time, talent and passion to bringing the Americas closer together through commerce. And we have all benefited.

On behalf of the International Trade Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and our partners throughout the region — thank you, Walter.

Posted in Competitiveness, Exporting, Finance, Interagency, International Trade Administration, Investment, Market Access and Compliance, Trade Shows and Trade Events | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

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Workshop Shows Exporters How to Overcome Barriers to International Trade

October 24, 2012

This post contains external links. Please review our external linking policy.

Skip Jones is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Agreements and Compliance.

Assistant Secretary Michael Camunez delivers keynote speech at the Defeating Foreign Trade Barriers Workshop at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Assistant Secretary Michael Camunez delivers keynote speech at the Defeating Foreign Trade Barriers Workshop at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

U.S. products are the most sought-after products in the world.  However, U.S. companies sometimes have problems selling their products abroad. They encounter various foreign government-imposed trade barriers such as unfair technical requirements, discriminatory government procurements, or unfair customs valuation practices. In many cases, these difficulties represent a country’s not honoring its trade agreement with the United States.

To address these difficulties, the U.S. Department of Commerce operates the “Trade Agreements Compliance Program.”  Representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce offered participants expert advice at a “Workshop to Defeat Foreign Trade Barriers” in Washington, DC, and explained how to take advantage of this free Commerce program.

The day-long event was organized by the National District Export Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It featured numerous panels, roundtables and keynote addresses.

The speakers discussed current trends in foreign non-tariff barriers, and the government programs and policies available to combat them.


Download full video .mp4 (22MB)

The message was clear: The U.S. government is doing everything it can to help American businesses overcome these barriers as quickly as possible. As the Under Secretary for International Trade, Francisco Sánchez, stressed in his remarks to the audience :

“Trade agreements can serve as powerful export multipliers, but they need to work properly to reach their full promise,” he said.  “The Commerce Department intends to do its part to see that they do. Let us know when you encounter trade barriers abroad. Work with us so we can remove them as quickly as possible so that your job-creating exports can flow to foreign markets unhindered, just as they should.  ITA’s Trade Agreements Compliance program is a terrific, free resource for U.S. exporters encountering these trade barriers.”

In addition to Under Secretary Sánchez, over 30 speakers offered their insight to the participants – among them, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance, Michael Camuñez, and Acting Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion and Director General of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Ambassador Chuck Ford.

U.S. companies are highly successful in international markets, if they can compete on a level playing field. Efforts like today’s workshop, as well as the underlying work of all U.S. government agencies, help ensure that is the case.

If your business encounters a trade barrier, please visit http://tcc.export.gov/Report a Barrier for assistance.

Posted in Commercial Service, Exporting, Interagency, International Trade Administration, Market Access and Compliance, Trade Shows and Trade Events | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

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Russian Entrepreneur Touts ITA Training Program ‘Life-Changing’

September 12, 2012

Justyna Kottke and Tracy Perrelli are International Trade Specialists at the U.S. Department of Commerce

At a reception honoring alumni of ITA’s Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) Program held in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 2, Dr. Oleg Prokhorenko, a Russian entrepreneur and small business owner, told Under Secretary for International Trade Francisco Sánchez that participation in a SABIT internship “changed his life and career.” 

(L-R) U.S. Consul General Bruce Turner, Under Secretary Sánchez, and Oleg Prokhorenko during the SABIT Alumni event held in St. Petersburg, Russia August 2. (Photo Vladimir Grigoryev)

(L-R) U.S. Consul General Bruce Turner, Under Secretary Sánchez, and Oleg Prokhorenko during the SABIT Alumni event held in St. Petersburg, Russia August 2. (Photo Vladimir Grigoryev)

Dr. Prokhorenko grew his company, Laboratory of Glass Properties, after participating in a SABIT internship in the United States in 1995 to learn about glass manufacturing at Ford Motor Company’s Scientific Research Laboratory.

His company provides testing and data analysis of glass and glass material qualities, and has invented a system to check energy efficiency methods used during the manufacturing of windows, car glass, and optical glass. Dr. Prokhorenko attributes the growth of his small business to the knowledge and experience gained during his SABIT Program internship. 

“I built this business based on what I learned during my SABIT internship.  I now employ more than 60 people and my company is growing,” he told Sánchez. 

Earlier that day, Prokhorenko participated in a training seminar on corporate leadership ethics for SABIT alumni.  The attendees for the training included past SABIT program participants and leaders of small and medium enterprises; both groups found the training very useful for their businesses.

SABIT Program Impacts Small Business Development

Since the SABIT Program was founded over 20 years ago, the program has trained more than 5,000 mid-to-senior level professionals and business leaders from the countries of the former Soviet Union. These participants are selected through a highly competitive application process for industry-specific technical assistance programs, which bring them to the United States for three to four weeks during which they meet with federal, state, and local government, associations, academia, large corporations and small and medium businesses.  These programs typically begin in Washington, DC, and then take the delegations to various locations in the continental United States, chosen for best fit with their industry. 

Upon returning to their home countries, SABIT Program participants have reported many successes, including the establishment and growth of industry associations, cooperation with participants from their countries and other regions, opportunities to make positive improvements to the protection of intellectual property, promotions to decision-making positions within their government, and development of new business relationships with U.S. companies that they met during their training. 

In fact, the SABIT Program has facilitated over $850 million in U.S. exports over the last 20 years. These types of outcomes are very beneficial to both the SABIT participants and their countries and to U.S. companies, many of which are small and medium firms that interact with the SABIT trainees during and after their training. 

For small and medium companies, the opportunity to meet with SABIT Program delegations is very appealing as a chance to learn about their industry in a different geographic area, and meet with industry leaders and potential business partners without having to travel to these countries.

The SABIT Program provides valuable benefits to U.S. companies and organizations and to its alumni. Dr. Prokhorenko is a great example of one of the thousands of SABIT Program alumni who have been able to significantly better their businesses and lives thanks in part to ITA.

Posted in Exporting, Market Access and Compliance, Small Business | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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Realizing the Economic Strength of Our 21st Century Border

September 10, 2012

Peter Bowman is an international economist in the Market Access and Compliance unit of the International Trade Administration.

Cars crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. and Mexico had half a billion dollars in two-way trade in goods and services in 2011, and more than 6 million jobs in the United States depend on trade with Mexico. (Photo Commerce)

Cars crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. and Mexico had half a billion dollars in two-way trade in goods and services in 2011, and more than 6 million jobs in the United States depend on trade with Mexico. (Photo Commerce)

The U.S.-Mexico trade relationship is a critical pillar of both nations’ economies. The two nations reached nearly half a billion dollars in two-way trade in goods and services in 2011, and more than 6 million jobs in the United States depend on trade with Mexico. In September the U.S. Department of Commerce and the North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS) at Arizona State University will host a high-level U.S.-Mexico conference on how to create jobs and enhance education in the United States and Mexico; discover industry opportunities in renewable energy, aerospace, tourism, and logistics; export your ideas, goods and services to the U.S. or Mexico, and attract investment and enhance local economic development. 

The “Realizing the Economic Strength of Our 21st Century Border” conference will gather thought leaders and innovators from throughout the border region to jointly design a roadmap to define strategies and execute regional initiatives to create jobs and enhance economic growth. Attendees will be invited to share best practices and identify future opportunities for bi-national collaboration.

The international conference is set to take place September 23-25, 2012, at the Fiesta Resort Conference Center in Tempe, Arizona.  The conference will focus on identifying regional solutions to border related challenges and priorities such as:  workforce needs and educational development; trade facilitation and supply chain solutions for cross-border trade; border infrastructure needs and regional border planning; public/private partnership opportunities and new innovative technologies; and identifying cross-border economic development and job creation strategies.

The U.S.-Mexico border region is one of the most important trade corridors for North American businesses, representing a $461 billion economic relationship between the two countries.  The border region represents 92 million people  and is a critical staging point for U.S. commercial activity with Mexico where approximately 80 percent of U.S. exports pass through or originate in that region. It is, therefore, the key to unlocking the true potential of the U.S.-Mexico relationship.

Unique Blend of Policy and Business
The international conference, organized jointly by Arizona State University and the U.S. Department of Commerce, will include officials from government and academia, pioneers in the business community, and representatives from civil society and international organizations. The invited keynote speakers include:  Ricardo Salinas, President and CEO of Grupo Salinas; Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council; and Nina Vaca, CEO of Pinnacle, Chairman of the Board for U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  As Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance Michael Camuñez noted, “strengthening our ties between U.S. and Mexican companies and encouraging cross-border trade will bolster our global efforts to increase U.S. exports and create good jobs here at home.”

For More Information
Additional information on the “Realizing the Economic Strength of Our 21st Century Border” conference, as well as registration instructions, can be found on our website at: trade.gov/borderconference

 

Posted in Competitiveness, Exporting, Market Access and Compliance | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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The Secret Is Out! Learn More About the Value of Trade Secrets to the U.S. Economy

September 5, 2012

Christine Peterson is an International Trade Specialist in the Office of Intellectual Property Rights within the Market Access and Compliance unit of the International Trade Administration

When I was in law school, I took all the intellectual property (IP) law and international trade law courses I could cram into my busy schedule.  Unfortunately, everything I learned about trade secrets I learned in two days of an introductory IP course. 

But, if you think that the number of trade secret law courses out there was an accurate reflection of the importance of trade secrets to U.S. businesses and the U.S. economy, think again. Many companies rely on trade secret protection for their innovations. 

Odds are you even have some products protected by trade secrets in your own home—like the Coca-Cola recipe or the compound used in WD40 or OLED display technology in a Samsung television. 

Legal protection for certain business confidential information has existed in the United States since the nineteenth century, but has often been overshadowed by the more well-known forms of intellectual property—patent, trademark, and copyright. 

Trade secret theft is an increasingly important issue for U.S. businesses and, as a result, the U.S. government is doing more to make sure that American innovators are not at a disadvantage in foreign markets due to inadequate trade secret protection. 

I used the following resources to educate myself and would highly recommend them to U.S. businesses and others that are interested in learning more about trade secrets.

These and other federal government resources can help you understand the importance of protecting business proprietary information to ensure that U.S. companies stay globally competitive.

ITA’s trade specialists stand ready to assemble teams of U.S. Government experts to assist U.S. companies to enforce their trade secrets and other forms of IPR in foreign markets. We can suggest strategies to evaluate IPR problems encountered abroad and will work with you to resolve problems. You can report trade barriers at STOPfakes.gov/contact.

Posted in Competitiveness, Exporting, Intellectual property, Market Access and Compliance, Small Business | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

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Doing Our Part to Help Strengthen the U.S.-Poland Relationship

June 7, 2012

Adam S. Wilczewski serves as the Chief of Staff of the International Trade Administration.

In May 2011, President Obama called for a U.S.-Poland Economic Summit to bolster a stronger economic relationship with one of Europe’s fastest growing economies…Poland.

This Central European country— an important commercial partner for the United States—was the only one to grow economically during the Great Recession. And, this has benefited the United States. In 2011, U.S.-Poland bilateral trade was $7.5 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion (or 25 percent) from the previous year; in addition, U.S. exports in 2011 accounted for $3.1 billion, and it’s an important partner for U.S. investment.

Jay Burgess (second from right) recieves the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland with Adam Wilczewski (left), Vice Minister of State for the Ministry of the Economy Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, and Under Secretary Francisco Sánchez.

Jay Burgess (second from right) recieves the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland with Adam Wilczewski (left), Vice Minister of State for the Ministry of the Economy Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, and Under Secretary Francisco Sánchez.

While this economic activity provides for a strong foundation for continued growth, more must be done. This is why in June 2012, the Department of Commerce will answer the President’s call for action, and host the first-ever U.S.-Poland Business Summit. Over the last year, the International Trade Administration (ITA)  has been hard at work to prepare for this historic summit.

Specifically, this work would not have come so far without the efforts of Jay Burgess, Director for the Central & Eastern Europe Division in the Market Access & Compliance division of ITA. In fact, Jay actively has worked to develop and strengthen U.S.–Polish economic and commercial ties for the past 30 years. He’s worked on significant Departmental programs that helped Poland emerge as a European economic power in the post-Communist era. In particular, Jay’s efforts included helping to create, establish, and implement the U.S.-Poland Economic and Commercial Dialogue (ECD) in 2002. Both governments regard the ECD as central to the close bilateral relationship between our two countries, and it will be continued at the Summit in June.

Personally, I want to thank Jay for his service. This year, he was particularly helpful to me in my endeavors to help increase exports to and investment from Poland. As a lead-up to the Summit this summer, ITA led the first-ever Education Trade Mission to Poland to promote increased collaboration and student exchange among U.S. and Polish universities. In addition, I attended an event in Chicago in May focused on enhancing U.S.-Polish collaboration in small business initiatives with Polish-American Chambers of Commerce from across the country. Jay’s guidance was critical, and he has become someone I am proud to call a colleague and friend.

The growing relationship between the U.S. and Poland can be exemplified by the honor that was given to Jay Burgess last night. Because of his years of support and leadership, the Polish Government elected to award Jay Burgess the prestigious Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. The order, which comes with the rank of Officer’s Cross, is awarded to foreigners or Polish residents abroad who have rendered great service to relations between Poland and other countries and who have made outstanding contributions to international cooperation.

Poland’s Ambassador to the United States, Robert Kupiecki, and the Polish Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of the Economy, Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, presented the award to Mr. Burgess at an event held in his honor at the Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. Our boss, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Francisco Sánchez, was present and praised Jay for his service and his leadership at the Department of Commerce.

Jay’s work has certainly strengthened economic and commercial ties between the two nations, and I think I speak for all us here at ITA when I say ‘thank you – and keep up the great work!’

Posted in Competitiveness, Exporting, Market Access and Compliance | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

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Ideas for Prosperity: A Conference about Education and Cooperation in the Americas

March 22, 2012

Andrew Theodotou is an intern in the International Trade Administration’s Office of Public Affairs. Andrew is a sophomore at Georgetown University.

“People are our most valuable assets,” Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez pointed this out in his remarks to more than five hundred senior government officials, private sector leaders, university representatives, and students gathered at Georgetown University. The conference, held March 12-13, was officially titled “Making Latin America and the Caribbean a More Equitable Society: Education, Economic Growth, and Corporate Social Responsibility”.

The focus of the event was to facilitate a high-level dialogue on the importance of education as an economic driver for competitiveness.  The event attracted representatives from more than fifty universities throughout the hemisphere, many represented at the dean or university president level. 

Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez speaks at Georgetown University during the Making Latin America and the Caribbean a More Equitable Society: Education, Economic Growth, and Corporate Social Responsibility Conference

Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez speaks at Georgetown University during the Making Latin America and the Caribbean a More Equitable Society: Education, Economic Growth, and Corporate Social Responsibility Conference

Each of the addresses, dialogues, and roundtable discussions specifically highlighted the need to cultivate human capital in the Americas. They encouraged cooperation between the public and private sector throughout the hemisphere to achieve this goal and stressed the benefits afforded to all parties involved.

Participants discussed new ways to foster social and economic development in the Western Hemisphere as well as initiatives that have already been put into place towards this end.

In 2010, President Obama launched the “Change the Equation Initiative”, a CEO-led effort to bolster education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Knowledge of these subjects has been identified as a key asset in today’s workforce and a powerful driver of economic growth. Many of our neighbors in the Americas have initiated similar efforts, such as El Salvador’s “Supérate”, a program sponsored by Microsoft which offers after school training in computer science and English language training.   Such programs demonstrate the increasing role that the private sector plays in improving our education systems and overall economic competitiveness.

A key focus of this event was President Obama’s 100K Strong Initiative, which seeks to increase the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to 100,000 while attracting the same amount from the LAC region to study in the United States.  By increasing the number of foreign students studying in U.S. universities, this will create an increase in service exports for the United States and ultimately help stimulate domestic growth and job creation.  In addition, the event strongly focused upon forging new linkages across the hemisphere as a means of sharing best practices and identifying new ways to share research and collaborate. 

Programs like these are motivated by the idea that weak education systems are a major barrier to socio-economic development, even in the United States. They are also built on recognition that cooperation is essential in the solution to this problem. If governments can work with businesses to promote workforce development, then a whole economy can grow. If businesses can play a role in teaching their workers today’s essential skills, they can create jobs. And finally, if students can collaborate with their peers in other countries, they will build a mutual understanding and facilitate positive trade relationships in the future.

The conference at Georgetown University aimed to advance these relationships, with hopes that they will fuel competitive economies and lead to a higher standard of living and greater social equality.

Posted in Competitiveness, Market Access and Compliance | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Revamped Website Helps Businesses Protect IPR

March 14, 2012

The Office of Intellectual Property Rights (OIPR) is located in the Trade Agreements and Compliance area of ITA’s Market Access and Compliance unit.  One of OIPR responsibilities is to develop  trade programs and tools to help U.S. businesses and citizens protect and enforce their IPR in foreign markets, and conducting outreach to raise awareness. 

This week the International Trade Administration, in cooperation with other relevant U.S. agencies, unveiled the newly redesigned website, www.STOPfakes.gov. This is part of continued efforts to improve online tools making information easier to find.Redesigned STOPfakes.gov web site with mobile device

Originally debuted in 2005, www.STOPfakes.gov is an invaluable one-stop shop for IPR resources and information that is particularly relevant to small and medium-sized businesses. A self-paced IPR tutorial available in English, French and Spanish explains patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and guides small businesses through an IP audit to assess intangible assets. 

Through the website, users can report IPR theft to federal law enforcement and obtain a free one-hour consultation with a lawyer knowledgeable on IPR protection.

Another resource is the IPR Toolkits. These are self-help manuals that provide the ins and outs of foreign IPR systems to help U.S. companies protect their business and IPR interests in foreign countries. A broad range of IPR materials produced by the European Commission is also available to users through the TransAtlantic IPR Portal.

The U.S. Government looks forward to continuing to help U.S. businesses develop and protect their intellectual property interests via the IPR tools and resources available through www.STOPfakes.gov.  The more U.S. businesses of all sizes know about protecting and enforcing their intellectual property rights abroad, the greater the returns will be right here at home.

Posted in Competitiveness, Intellectual property, Market Access and Compliance, Small Business | 1 Comment »

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The U.S.-Mexico Border is Open For Business

January 30, 2012

Michael C. Camuñez is Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance.

“The U.S.-Mexico border is open for business.” That is the refrain I and others who work on border issues tirelessly deliver wherever we can. But with the media’s relentless focus on immigration, drug-trafficking, and cartel violence, we know that we must provide and promote objective evidence to support our message. A report recently released by Arizona State University’s North American Center for Transborder Studies (NACTS) and NDN’s New Policy Institute (NPI), entitled “Realizing the Value of our Cross Border Trade with Mexico” does both.

The report only confirms the overwhelming evidence that the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has assembled conclusively establishing that Mexico and, by extension the U.S. Mexico border, is vital to the long-term health of the U.S. economy. However, all of that evidence is for naught if Americans are not made aware of it, but instead are distracted by the media’s focus on more controversial issues.

That is why I was pleased to join the effort to promote and further publicize the NACTS /NPI report at an event hosted by the New Democrat Network (NDN), where I was joined by one of the authors of the report, NACTS Director D. Rick Van Schoik. I am convinced that it is through this kind of collaboration—that between public and private sector—that we will change the national conversation about the border.

Particularly in tough economic times we must not allow ourselves to be distracted by ancillary issues. As President Obama made clear in his State of the Union address, our focus must be on growing jobs and strengthening the American economy. Mexico and the U.S. Mexico border are essential to that effort. Mexico is the U.S.’s third largest trading partner and second largest export market. Last year, we did nearly $400 billion in two-way trade, translating to more than $1 billion dollars a day on average. Notably, even goods imported from Mexico support U.S. jobs. That is because 64% of the content of Mexican goods sold in the U.S. are made from U.S. inputs.

As in any relationship, there are challenges, but we are working hard to address them. The ITA has launched a Border Export Strategy, seeking ways to further facilitate cross-border trade. We have placed a senior director on the border full-time to increase our awareness and responsiveness to challenges U.S. companies face in the region. The ITA has also sent half a dozen trade missions to Mexico in a variety of sectors, including green energy/energy efficiency and health care, with more planned this year, such as the one I am leading this week. These missions serve to showcase the ingenuity and know-how of U.S. companies.

An “America Built to Last” is an America that plays to its strengths and leverages its most important resources. Chief among those strengths is the commerce flowing across the US-Mexico border—an asset that is, as the recent NACTS /NPI study affirms, “hidden in plain view.”

Posted in Market Access and Compliance | 2 Comments »

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2011 Export Success Highlights

January 13, 2012

The International Trade Administration helps thousands of companies every year and we’d like to highlight a few of our most recent success stories from this past year.

Sirchie of North Carolina wins $1.1 million contract with Brazilian government

Sirchie of Youngsville, North Carolina manufactures crime scene investigation kits and materials used by law enforcement officials worldwide. Sirchie contacted the U.S. Commercial Service office in Raleigh for assistance in selling law enforcement products to the government of Brazil.

Sirchie used a Gold Key Service, which would introduce them to prospective buyers in Brazil as well as give them the opportunity to meet with key industry officials and ministries, including local police and law enforcement. In advance of the Sirchie’s trip to Brazil, the trade specialists in the Commercial Service in Brazil also provided Sirchie with information on the government procurement process in Brazil and how Sirchie could tap into opportunities selling to the Brazilian government.

As a result of assistance from the Commercial Service, Sirchie won a Brazilian government tender and sold $1.1 million of export product to the Brazilian government.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Illinois Wins $51 million project in Bahrain

This past November, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC (GDD, Oak Brook, IL) signed a contract with the Bahraini Ministry of Housing to provide dredging and land reclamation services for the East Hidd Housing Development project. GDD competed against companies from the Netherlands, Algeria, and China. The strong advocacy effort provided by the Commercial Service and the U.S. Embassy staff in Bahrain was key to the success of this advocacy campaign. The final project value was $57 million, with $51 million in U.S. export content, supporting 280 U.S. jobs.

Food Concessionaire, International Meal Company (IMC) of Massachusetts Overcomes Panamanian Trade Barrier

IMC, headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Boston, Massachusetts, overcame a foreign trade barrier with the assistance of the Department of Commerce’s Trade Agreements Compliance Program, led by the Market Access and Compliance Unit that threatened to have its airport food‐court concession revoked.

IMC’s concessions in Panama are worth $6 million. After winning a bidding process and opening various food and beverage concessions at Panama’s Tocumen Airport, IMC’s multi‐million dollar investment was jeopardized by the Government of Panama’s failure to ratify its contract.

The International Trade Administration and the U.S. Embassy intervened on behalf of IMC with the Panamanian Government and Tocumen Airport Authority, urging the Panamanian Comptroller to review and ratify IMC’s contract for the food‐court concessions. Thanks to these efforts, the contract is now ratified, and IMC is able to continue its operations in Panama with contractual protection.

Garmin Marine Navigation GPS Units of Kansas Navigates Turkish Customs

Garmin of Olathe, Kansas, tapped into the resources of the International Trade Administration to ensure its $1.5 million worth of marine navigational GPS units cleared Turkish customs. Turkish customs claimed that the CE Mark Directive on Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) required that these products be tested and certified at a third-party lab recognized by the European Union (EU). However, the R&TTE Directive allows for the marine navigational GPS units imported by Garmin to be self‐certified.

ITA officials, working in close collaboration with the Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey, worked with Turkish government officials to explain that marine navigational GPS units can be self‐certified by an accredited independent lab, in compliance with the relevant EU standard. As a result, Turkish customs officials correctly assessed Garmin’s products and accepted its self‐certification.

Garmin reported in May that its most recent shipments to Turkey had gone through customs smoothly and the company does not anticipate any trouble getting these products into Turkey in the future.

These are but a few of the successful sales and logistical issues that the global staff of the International Trade Administration helped to realize for American businesses. To learn more about pursuing overseas markets or to get help resolving a market access issue, visit export.gov.

Posted in Commercial Service, Exporting, International Trade Administration, Market Access and Compliance | Tagged | 4 Comments »

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