In April, Assistant Secretary Nicole Lamb-Hale will lead a Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Trade Mission to Saudi Arabia. The mission will include market briefings by industry experts, opportunities for U.S. firms to meet key Saudi Arabian government officials and decision-makers, hold one-on-one meetings with potential business partners, and enjoy networking events, with the goal of increasing U.S. exports in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.

SolarTAC test facility in Aurora, CO (Courtesy of DOE/NREL)

The mission comes at a critical time for both Saudi Arabia and the U.S. clean energy and energy efficiency industry, and has the potential to create opportunities for U.S. exporters while helping Saudi Arabia to achieve its energy goals.

Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on hydrocarbons for power generation.  These plans offer abundant opportunities for U.S. companies to export American technologies, products, and services. 

While Saudi Arabia possesses one-fifth of global oil reserves, it meets almost 60% of its domestic power needs from petroleum.  The eight to nine percent annual growth in domestic electricity demand – and thus domestic petroleum consumption –  cuts deeply into exports.  The Saudi Government heavily subsidizes domestically-used oil, which causes not only  reduced export income, but also has enormous opportunity costs as there is less feedstock for development of downstream petrochemical industries and the jobs that go with them. 

Saudi Arabia hopes to reduce by half the crude oil and natural gas it burns now to generate electricity, in part by developing solar power capacity, an area where it has clear climatological advantages. As part of its plan for reducing fossil fuel dependence, the Saudi Government aims to install 5 GW of solar power by 2020.

As Saudi Arabia expands its energy supply and integrates renewable energy, further investment will be required in grid modernization and smart grid technologies that enable utility management of variable energy sources. Firms participating in the trade mission will gain market insight, make industry contacts, solidify business strategies, and identify or advance specific projects, helping U.S. firms benefit from this growing market for their products as Saudi Arabia ramps up investment in the clean energy and energy efficiency sectors.

Both residential and industrial sectors contribute to increased electrical demand in Saudi Arabia.  Residential air conditioning consumes more than 50% of total power during Saudi Arabia’s long, hot summers.  Saudi Arabia plans to construct 1.65 million new homes over the next six years and will be looking closely at products, materials and technologies that reduce energy use and increase efficiency. 

Saudi Arabia also relies on desalination plants to produce 70% of its potable water, using as much as 1.5 million barrels per day of oil equivalent to do so; Saudi Arabia hopes to start up its first solar-powered desalination plant in 2013.

This mission will target a variety of sectors that could reduce the impact of residential and industrial electricity demand, including solar power generation components and systems; smart grid systems, software and services; green building design/engineering, materials and technologies; and energy efficiency systems and solutions.

The mission will begin in Riyadh and will include site visits and consultations in Dhahran (Eastern Province), including the King Abdullah City of Atomic and Renewable Energy, the Saudi Electricity Company and Saudi Aramco. The cost to participate in the trade mission ranges from $3,020 to $3,502 per company for one representative, depending on firm size. There is a $500 fee for an additional company participant. Expenses for travel, lodging, most meals and incidentals will be the responsibility of each mission participant.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 1, 2012. Space is limited. For more information about the trade mission, visit the mission web site or contact Jen Derstine of Manufacturing and Services, tel.: (202) 482-3889; e-mail: jennifer.derstine@trade.gov, or James Fluker of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, tel.: +966 (1) 488-3800; e-mail: james.fluker@trade.gov.

Useful resources:

ITA Saudi market research
Saudi Country Commercial Guide  
Archive recording of Saudi solar webinar

Francisco J. Sánchez is the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

Increasing U.S. exports is an essential part of shaping a healthier and stronger American economy.

This is a point that President Barack Obama made clear during his recent State of the Union Address, when he unveiled his “blueprint for an economy built to last.”  In the speech, the President outlined the four pillars that “an economy built to last” should be founded on:

Under Secretary Sánchez joins representatives from U.S. companies who have partnered with Commerce on its New Market Exporter Initiative

1. A new era for American energy, spurred by a commitment to homegrown and alternative energy sources; 
2. Equipping young people and workers with the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century economy; 
3. A renewal of the American values that demands fairness for all, and responsibility from all; and 
4. Supporting the manufacturing sector to create jobs and make more American products.

This manufacturing pillar is especially important to us at ITA.  We know that this sector is critical for the middle class.  And, the middle class is the backbone of our economy.  That’s why we are committed to helping U.S. manufacturers succeed.

How?  By helping them sell more of their stuff in markets across the world.  Increasing U.S exports has long been one of the President’s main goals.  Two years ago, he launched the National Export Initiative, striving to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014. 

Many doubted that this could be done.  But, I’m proud to report that we are on pace to achieving this goal. 

This is good for jobs.  This is good for businesses.  And, this is good for the American economy.   

Reaching the goals of the NEI to date has been a team effort.  We’ve been committed and creative in the ways we are helping to boost U.S. exports.

As you’ll read in this issue of International Trade Update, we are promoting advanced manufacturing in the textile industry and expanding the New Market Exporter Initiative with the National Association of Manufacturers.  We are supporting the travel and tourism industry.  And, just this week, we signed a Memorandum of Intent with the City of Tampa, and its partners, to maximize the potential of its local port when it comes to exporting.

We’ve done a lot.  But, we are not satisfied.  Despite our successes, we remain just as focused on the future.

For example, later this month, I’ll be leading the first-ever ports and maritime technology industry trade mission to India.  This will give U.S. companies a unique chance to be a part of the huge infrastructure projects taking place in the country.  And, we have a number of exciting initiatives that will be unveiled throughout the year. 

Stay tuned.   

In the meantime, please reach out to ITA through export.gov or your local U.S. Export Assistance Center if you have, or know of, American businesses that would benefit from exporting.

Selling their products overseas will be good for jobs and local communities.  It will also go a long way in creating an American economy — built to last. 

Kim Wells is a senior international trade specialist in the Office of Aerospace, with 19 years’ experience supporting aerospace exports.

Most people think of planes as a way of connecting people with destinations.  In the International Trade Administration (ITA), we know that just one plane connects thousands of workers here at home.

As with most exports of large, high-tech products, the export of one aircraft (or ship, or large piece of machinery) is the result of a huge supply chain that touches people and communities across the United States.

For example, in November 2011, Emirates Airlines signed an agreement to purchase 50 new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with options for 20 more, totaling $26 billion at list prices.  Each 777 will be equipped with two American-made GE90 engines. Though the names on the plane may be “Boeing” and “GE”, the truth is that each aircraft is a finely integrated system of nearly four million parts from more than 11,000 suppliers specializing in everything from lighting to advanced avionics and seatback trays to landing gear. As a result, this single sale will support over 100,000 U.S. jobs in more than a dozen states.

These jobs are the kind of jobs the United States is seeking—high technology, high wage, and high skilled.  And with each of these jobs, thousands of other indirect jobs are created that support the work and lives of these employees.  In fact, the aerospace and defense industry employed over 818,000 people in the United States in 2009 and supported an additional 1.8 million U.S. jobs in related fields.

The U.S. aerospace industry has the highest trade surplus of any U.S. manufacturing industry and supports more jobs through exports than any other manufacturing industry.  At ITA, we know that U.S. firms—whether they make large planes or business jets, helicopters or aircraft engines—can produce products at home that will beat the competition overseas as long as they compete on a level playing field.  That’s why aerospace is an important export industry that will help achieve the goals of President Obama’s National Export Initiative.  ITA’s Aerospace Team is working hard to identify and create new export opportunities, break down barriers in foreign markets and ensure that level playing field for our manufacturers in order to create and secure aerospace industry jobs here in the United States.

So, is selling an airplane overseas good for the country and for American jobs? 

Yes–“plane” and simple.

Francisco J. Sánchez is the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

Exports, exports, exports.

(L-R) DSLBD Director Harold Pettigrew, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, SBA Deputy Associate Administrator Luz Hopwell, and Under Secretary Francisco Sánchez at the ExportDC announcement.

You hear a lot about the benefits of exports these days. Whether it’s exporting services like travel and tourism, or manufactured goods like cars or yarn, businesses around the country are supporting their communities’ economic recovery through market expansion.

Exports have also become part of the national dialogue.  President Obama touched on the National Export Initiative (NEI) in his recent State of the Union address. Commerce Secretary John Bryson highlighted the potential of international markets when laying out his vision for the Department in December.

Personally, I have traveled across the country talking about the importance of selling U.S. products overseas, and showcasing export success stories to inspire new ones.  I’ve seen a lot of great things happening at the local level.  It’s where progress often begins.    

That’s why, yesterday, I was proud to participate in DC Mayor Vincent Gray‘s announcement of the formation of ExportDC.  According to the mission statement, the effort was created “to increase the number of DC small businesses that export, grow the dollar value of exports from District businesses, and coordinate trade missions for qualified District-based businesses.”

Why is this important? Consider the following:

• As Mayor Gray mentioned: data show firms that export grow faster, create more jobs and pay wages 13-18 percent higher than firms that don’t;
• According to the International Monetary Fund, 85 percent of the world’s economic growth over the next five years will take place abroad; and
• 9.2 million American jobs were supported by U.S. exports in 2010.   

With the obvious benefits of servicing foreign markets, it’s unfortunate that only one percent of American businesses export, and 58 percent of those only export to one market.  That is why President Obama launched the NEI two years ago, with the goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014.  And the International Trade Administration (ITA) has been working at home and abroad to make sure every U.S. business has access to the resources they need to enter and thrive in international markets.

ITA’s U.S. Export Assistance Centers with 108 offices nationwide, have partnered with local communities to provide more complete and comprehensive support to businesses looking to start or expand their export markets.

Mayor Gray’s ExportDC is just one of the latest cooperative efforts between federal and local governments. The Northern Virginia USEAC will collaborate with Export DC on trade missions, networking sessions and other programming that will help DC businesses find new overseas buyers.

Together, ExportDC, ITA and other outstanding federal and local partners will help DC businesses sell their products and services abroad. This is important because when local businesses prosper, communities prosper. When communities prosper, cities prosper. And when cities prosper, our entire nation prospers.

“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.”

Kim Glas is the deputy assistant secretary for textiles and apparel within the International Trade Administration’s Import Administration division.

The textile industry is alive and well here in the United States. I’ve spent several days this week with Francisco Sánchez, under secretary for international trade, in North Carolina touring two examples of textile industry manufacturing that represent the broad spectrum of the industry.

Francisco Sanchez, under secretary of commerce for international trade, left, listens to plant manager Keith Nicholson, right, as he toured Parkdale plant 15 in Belmont on Wednesday morning. (John Clark/The Gazette)

During the past two years, increased demand for Parkdale’s diverse mix of high quality cotton, cotton blend, and polyester yarns has allowed the company to allocate more than $100 million on capital expenditures, creating nearly 1,500 jobs.

Parkdale hosted a unique industry panel of local textile representatives, to share with us the issues facing manufacturing, the importance of innovation for advanced textile manufacturing, and the importance of industry growth in jobs and exports.

The industry representatives included Polymer Group International (PGI), Unifi, Inc., Mount Vernon, Frontier Spinning, Pharr Yarns, Hanesbrands, VF Corporation, and the North Carolina Department of Commerce who are all very familiar with the changing face of textile and apparel production here in the United States.

Many people may not be aware that the United States is the second largest single country exporter of textiles, with $20 billion in exports in 2010. Businesses that contribute to this volume of exports range from small, family-owned and operated facilities to integrated mills that operate state of the art machinery and production equipment.

The textile and apparel industry provides the U.S. economy with a major source of employment and economic activity.  The industry is one of the largest employers in the manufacturing sector. Between 2009-2010, the U.S. textile and apparel exports grew 19 percent to $20 billion, and were up 14 percent through November of 2011.

North Carolina in particular has a high concentration of our textile industry. Many global leaders of the industry call North Carolina home. Freudenberg, the world’s largest producer of nonwovens, has two locations in the state, with its North American headquarters in Durham; Kimberly Clark, a vertically integrated manufacturer and converter of nonwoven products for the health and hygiene markets, with two manufacturing facilities; and PGI, one of the world’s leading companies in the hygiene, wipes, medical, industrial, and specialty markets with production operations in four locations in the state, with its headquarters in Charlotte.

There are more than 500 performance textile businesses located in 76 out of 100 counties across North Carolina. Performance textiles are fiber-based products that are valued for their technical function and properties as well as their aesthetics.

Our second tour was to see the future of textiles at North Carolina State College of Textiles. We toured the labs to see how technical advanced textiles are being used in aerospace, industrial, marine, medical, military, safety, and transportation. The global market for technical textiles was estimated to have a value of $93 billion in 2000 and expected growth is estimated at $127 billion in 2011.  There is huge expansion potential for this industry.

Advanced textile materials hold great potential for the U.S. textile industry, from textile heart filters, to textile composites used in airplane bodies, to highly flame resistant fabrics and clothing for soldiers, first responders and firemen – the United States is on the leading edge of new and innovative products and materials.

North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles “Centennial Campus”, is home to university colleges, departments, and research labs and also home to 61 industry and government partners who work with the university each day.  These partners are fully integrated into the university, working with faculty, students and staff.

Founded 113 years ago, the College of Textiles is the leading institution of its type with more than 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

The new Nonwovens Institute Partner Lab will revolutionize research and development in air, blood and water filtration and demonstrates the College’s close partnerships with leading companies throughout the world.  The Nonwovens Institute has more than 60 industry partners and is the largest industry-academic consortium in the United States.  These partners help drive the purpose-driven research taking place in the Nonwovens Institute and throughout the College of Textiles

It was a privilege to see both Parkdale Mills and the College of Textiles Centennial Campus in action. Meeting the students who are developing the future of the textile industry right here in North Carolina was a highlight of the trip. The current state of the textile industry is miles ahead of where it began and I look forward to the new innovations we will see in the near future.

Did you see President Obama’s call to action to invest in America and boost job creation? Well if you missed it check out the White House blog post. Also at the forum, Commerce Secretary John Bryson moderated a panel discussion highlighting foreign direct investment (FDI) as an important source of economic and job growth in the United States.

Currently, the United States is the largest recipient of FDI in the world. In 2010, FDI into the U.S. economy increased to $228 billion from $153 billion in 2009.While the United States has enjoyed this leadership position for decades, the share of FDI to the United States is decreasing. In the 1980s the FDI in the United States accounted for nearly 45 percent of the all foreign direct investment. Today, the United States accounts for less than 15 percent of total FDI flows.

At the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) we are working to promote foreign direct investment in the United States because it is significantly impacts U.S. exports and jobs. U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies are responsible for about 21 percent of all U.S. exports and support more than 5.3 million U.S. jobs – that’s about 5 percent of all U.S. employment!

Since taking office, the President has emphasized the unequivocal policy of openness to both foreign and domestic companies that invest in America. SelectUSA, which is housed within ITA, was created by President Obama in 2011 through an Executive Order to promote business investment in the United States.

The United States provides an ideal landscape for companies to build and grow their business. As the President reminded us, “companies are choosing to invest in the one country with the most productive workers, best universities, and most creative and innovative entrepreneurs in the world: the United States of America.”

And there is more. SelectUSA promotes the benefits of investing in the United States, including a strong system of intellectual property rights protection; unparalleled global access through trade agreements representing access to nearly 610 million worldwide consumers; and nearly 36 percent of global research and development expenditures taking place in the United States.

SelectUSA works with firms, economic development organizations, and other stakeholders to provide a comprehensive single point of contact for current and prospective business investors by:

• Acting as an information clearinghouse and responding to inquiries about the U.S. business climate
• Serving as ombudsman to help investors encountering confusion, delays or obstacles in a federal regulatory process
• Advocating on behalf of the U.S. government in a globally competitive business location decision
• Offering after care to companies that have U.S. investments

Companies and organizations use these services to help make business investment decisions when exploring the U.S. economy.

One of the companies in attendance at the White House forum, Canada-based AGS Automotive Systems, is a recent SelectUSA success story. The Company announced plans to manufacture bumper systems at an expanded facility in Michigan with an investment of $20 million.

Through the Commercial Service Canada’s introduction, SelectUSA met with AGS Automotive during its outreach visit to Toronto in September, 2011. Since then, SelectUSA has worked with AGS Automotive as the company evaluated its location decision among various options across North America.

Financial assistance and incentives offered by the State of Michigan were also pivotal in AGS Automotive’s investment decision. With these plans, the company will create 100 direct new jobs and retain its 50 existing jobs in the U.S. automotive sector.

The President also announced a new partnership between the Departments of Commerce and State to promote investment in the United States in ten priority countries through ITA’s Foreign Commercial Service and supported by U.S. embassies. A White House release explained:

“[t]his pilot effort will dedicate resources from Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) to investment promotion in 10 pilot countries representing 30 percent of foreign direct investment in the United States, expanding to cover 25 countries in 2013 representing roughly 90 percent of FDI.  U.S. Ambassadors will lead these efforts, engaging officials from State and other in country officials to assist investment promotion through business outreach, hosting ‘investment missions’ with governors and mayors, and connecting foreign firms to SelectUSA services.”

The pilot countries will be: Brazil, Canada, China and Hong Kong, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and Spain.

Maintaining America’s industry competitiveness is an ongoing endeavor; however, with programs like SelectUSA, it’s much easier for companies of all sizes and from all business segments to make a sound decision to locate operations here.

Doug Barry is an International Trade Specialist in the Trade Information Center, part of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service

Two years ago he was laid off from his job at the height of the global financial crisis.  Eighteen months ago he started his own company with one employee:  himself.  Today he has 9 employees and is shipping wireless routers he makes to customers in almost 80 countries.

How’d he do it?

William Haynes owns Sabai Technology based in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

William Haynes owns Sabai Technology based in Simpsonville, South Carolina.  His success is due to a good product, timing, execution and some luck.  He also had crucial help from his friends at FedEx and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

He started selling routers to customers in the U.S.  Then he discovered a company that provided VPN service and who had customers overseas that wanted access to the Internet from devices throughout their household.  The company, Strong VPN, asked Haynes to make routers for them.  The first sale was to China, and orders soon took off to where international sales now account for 80 percent of revenues.

Haynes is not the only one making wireless routers, but he says he manages to compete with much larger technology-makers because of niche marketing ability and excellent customer service. “What you’ve got to do is make sure that front to back, from the time they place an order to the time customers get it in their hands and even after for technical support, that it’s seamless. That it’s well-communicated; that they have a certainty that when they’ve given you their money, they’re going to get their product; that they’re able to track it through the process.  To me, that’s the most important thing for successful exporting.”

Shipping to the middle of nowhere

To generate satisfied customers Haynes turned to FedEx.  “One of my favorite shipping stories  is when we shipped to the Faroe Islands.  FedEx handled that and it was crazy.  It was there, I think, in three or four days.  And if you’re not familiar with where the Faroe Islands are, it’s halfway between Iceland and Scotland out in the middle of nowhere.”

In another example, Haynes recalls: “We had a customer who ordered at 2:34 in the afternoon on a Monday afternoon to Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Well, 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning – less than 48 hours later, they’re contacting us letting us know they’ve gotten the router, it’s installed, it’s up – ‘thank you so much, how wonderful this is.’  We couldn’t do that with anyone but FedEx.”

Business really took off early in 2011 due to an unusual chain of events.  Haynes got a few orders from people in Egypt who understood the wireless routers could be used to send and receive information that was otherwise blocked by government filters. Said Haynes: “During the Arab Spring the technology allowed people to go to CNN and get news and information.  It allowed them to send emails knowing that from the time it leaves their home to the time it hits the U.S. or the country they’re connected to, it’s totally encrypted.” 

To build Haynes’s sales more rapidly, a FedEx sales representative brought in the U.S. Commercial Service, a branch of the Commerce Department that helps U.S. companies find overseas buyers and plays a major role in the Obama administration’s National Export Initiative, which seeks to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014.  The typical U.S. manufacturing exporter sells to buyers in fewer than five overseas markets, so already Sabai Technology was atypical.  But Haynes knew that in addition to selling and sending one box at a time, he needed to develop distributors in key countries so that his sales volume increased at a more rapid rate.

The Commercial Service has Export Assistance Centers in more than 100 U.S. cities and market specialists in U.S. embassies in over 70 countries.  FedEx asked the Export Assistance Center in South Carolina to visit Haynes.  “It would have been years before I discovered these folks.  They came to visit me, to discuss the needs of Sabai Technology,” he said.

The visit prompted Haynes to use U.S. government export insurance and to advertise in a Commercial Service publication Commercial News USA, which goes to foreign buyers worldwide.  “Thanks to the magazine we have companies in countries like Zambia wanting to buy and distribute our product.”

Looks like Zambia will soon be Sabai Technology’s 81st export market, leaving only 45 more countries remaining to sell to by this self-effacing, self-described “babe in the woods” of exporting.  There’s little doubt that he has the determination and now the help to get there.

“I’m just a babe in this stuff, and to have someone hold my hand a bit and walk me through it – it’s going to really accelerate the growth of our international business.”

Every day, American manufacturers put together different parts to build great things. 

Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale (center) with Commerce Secretary John E. Bryson (second from right) and Under Secretary for International Trade Francisco Sánchez (right) meet with the Manufacturing Council

Today, at the Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Council meeting, different partners from the public and private sectors came together to do big things.  Specifically, we gathered with a simple goal: to support U.S. manufacturers. 

Why is the manufacturing sector so important?  It’s because, historically, it has been a key to U.S. economic growth, provided a ticket to the middle-class for American workers, and been home to some of America’s greatest innovations. 

Looking ahead, as Secretary Bryson recently told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “without a strong manufacturing base, we can’t create enough good jobs to sustain a strong middle class. And without a strong middle class, we cannot be a strong country.”

This is why supporting U.S. manufacturers is a priority for President Obama, Secretary Bryson, Under Secretary Sánchez, and all of us at the International Trade Administration.  We are committed to the manufacturing comeback.  And, thankfully, good things are happening. 

334,000 manufacturing jobs have been created over the last two years.  In the third quarter of 2011, manufacturing profits were up more than 7 percent compared to the first quarter. 

At ITA, we are committed to keeping this momentum going.  We do this in a variety of ways. 

This includes:

• Helping U.S. manufacturers reach new markets:

Only 1 percent of U.S. businesses export.  Of those that do, 58 percent export to only one market.  There is potential for U.S. manufacturers to do so much more. 

With efforts like the New Market Exporter Initiative, we are working with private sector partners — like the National Association of Manufacturers— to provide U.S. businesses with the support they need to reach new markets and new customers. 

• Ensuring that U.S. manufacturers are competing on a level playing field:

American-made products represent quality.  All businesses need is a fair chance to sell their goods and services, and ITA is committed to giving them this equal opportunity.

We continue to enforce anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws.  In addition, whenever needed, our Advocacy Center is ready to reach out to foreign-governments to make the case on behalf of U.S. businesses.

• Bringing customers to U.S. businesses:

At ITA, we know that in this 21st century economy, we’ve got to be creative in serving U.S. businesses.  With our International Buyers program, we administer a sort-of reverse trade mission initiative. 

Every year, the ITA brings over 10,000 pre-qualified international buyers to U.S. trade shows.  We want U.S. products in front of as many customers as possible.  Why? Because sales impact profits.  And, profits lead to jobs.   

We are doing this and so much more.  If your business needs help, I encourage you to go to export.gov and begin the process of selling your goods overseas — today.

On a personal note, helping U.S. businesses is important to me.  I’m from Detroit, which has a rich history of manufacturing.

 I’ve seen how these industries can impact communities and lives.  And, all of us at the Department of Commerce are committed to ensuring that these sectors have this positive impact for years to come.

Michael Masserman is the Director of the Office of Advisory Committees within the Manufacturing and Services division of the International Trade Administration

The new travel and tourism advisory board with Commerce Secretary John Bryson

Against the backdrop of Disney World, President Obama signed an executive order that will boost tourism to the United States and ultimately create jobs. The order will create, among other things, a Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness that will develop and deliver within 90 days a National Travel and Tourism Strategy that will help encourage international visitors to come to the United States. More than 47 million international visitors have arrived to see our sights, attend conferences, take family vacations, visit natural wonders, theme parks and experience what we have to offer. Developing a national tourism strategy and streamlining the visa process for non-immigrant visas will attract more tourists and create more jobs.

Commerce Secretary Bryson this week also welcomed the 32 members (19 of whom have never before served) of the re-chartered Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The Board serves as the principal private sector advisory committee to the Secretary of Commerce on the U.S. travel and tourism industry.

As the new Board gets situated in their new role as advisors, they will be building on the foundation laid out by previous Boards. Originally chartered in 2003, the Board has been conferring and advising the Secretary on everything from revival of the Gulf Coast Region to recommendations on energy security and travel facilitation.

Members represent companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry from a broad range of products and services, company sizes and geographic locations. Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon will serve as Chair and Sam Gilliand, Chairman and CEO of Sabre Holdings will serve as Vice-Chair. Both are returning members to the Board and will provide leadership in the activities of the new Board that will build on work of their predecessors.

The travel and tourism industry is a crucial part of the U.S. services economy whose strength and growth is essential to the economic health of our nation. Travel and tourism is a $1.2 trillion sector of the U.S. economy or nearly three percent of Gross Domestic Product. Critical to the nation’s overall economic health, the travel and tourism industry is one of the top employers for more than half of the U.S. states and territories.

The U.S. travel and tourism industry is on pace for a record-setting year. Through November 2011, international visitors spent an estimated $139.4 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same period in 2010. The United States recorded a $38.4 billion trade surplus for travel and tourism through November 2011.

There is no denying that the health of the travel and tourism industry impacts millions of Americans nation-wide and the council of these 32 advisors will play a significant role in ensuring that Brazilian, Chinese, and Indian travelers come see America!