News and Announcements

Last year was another record-setting year for U.S. exporters.

Data released today shows that in 2012, American exports totaled $2.2 trillion, eclipsing the previous record of $2.1 trillion in exports in 2011.

This represents more than just numbers on a spreadsheet; it’s further proof that “Made in the USA” products are in demand all over the world.  It also means that more U.S. businesses are seizing the great opportunities in the global markets, continuing to help pave our nation’s road to economic recovery. 

On Wednesday morning, Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank addressed the 2012 White House Tribal Nations Conference, where she emphasized the Commerce Department’s dedication to encouraging job creation and economic growth throughout Indian Country.  The Acting Secretary highlighted the Commerce Department’s recent investment in five business centers to help American Indian and Alaska Native entrepreneurs and businesses. She also discussed the Department’s efforts to support workforce training, to bring more broadband access to rural reservations, and to help address the impact of climate change on tribal coastal communities.

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November 24 is Small Business Saturday, a day set aside to support the small businesses that play a vital role in creating jobs and economic opportunities all across the country.

Karen G. Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), released the following statement today encouraging people to support their communities by “shopping small” this holiday season:

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the fabric of our communities.  Over the last two decades, small and new businesses have been responsible for creating two out of every three net new jobs in the U.S., and today over half of all working Americans own or work for a small business.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration’s (ITA) released the third edition of its Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters today at the Finance, Credit and International Business Association (FCIB)’s 23rd Annual Global Conference.

“Since the publication of its first edition in 2007, the Trade Finance Guide has been an invaluable self-learning tool to America’s small and medium-sized businesses,” said Francisco Sánchez, Commerce Under Secretary for International Trade. “This tool helps American businesses of all sizes and in all sectors overcome one of their major export challenges: how to get paid, thereby turning their export opportunities into actual sales.”

This concise, easy to understand and use tool was created specifically for U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Written in plain and easy-to-understand language, with each chapter only two pages long, the Trade Finance Guide has been widely distributed as a self-learning tool to exporters, as a counseling tool to financial institution professionals, and as an education tool for college professors teaching international business. The third edition includes a new chapter on consignment and government-backed agricultural export financing.