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First-Ever U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum Provides Important Recommendations For Improved Economic Partnership

July 16, 2015

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

This post originally appeared on the Department of Commerce blog.

Post by Bruce H. Andrews Deputy Secretary of Commerce

Commerce Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews Addresses First-Ever U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum

Commerce Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews Addresses First-Ever U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum

This week, I had the opportunity to participate in the first ever U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum, co-hosted by the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. At the forum, Vice President Biden, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, U.S. business leaders, other government officials, and I met to discuss the future of American business in Ukraine and an improved economic partnership.

To kick off the forum, Secretary Pritzker highlighted the important steps the Ukrainian government has made in the past year toward increased economic stability. Among other changes made as part of their economic reform agenda, we applaud Ukraine’s commitment to developing their  energy sector, and streamlined electronic systems for new and current businesses. Additionally, the Obama Administration has pledged its support and provided $2 billion in loan guarantees to Ukrainian households, and almost $16 million to economic stabilization programs.

Ukraine has made significant strides over the past year. Forums like this one provided an important platform to jumpstart the conversation between business leaders and government officials, and help set the groundwork for even more progress.

At the forum, American business leaders gave critical input to Ukrainian government officials about the conditions they believe are necessary to improve the investment climate in Ukraine. For example, I heard them present multiple recommendations to Ukrainian government leaders about the need to be more transparent and efficient if they want to attract more foreign investment. Several roundtable discussions held over the course of the day highlighted areas that could benefit from transparency, including agribusiness, energy development, and intellectual property protection. Many U.S. companies see the benefits of investing in a country like Ukraine, but they would like to make sure the government continues to work toward a stronger economy and a stronger investment climate.

The Department of Commerce plays a key role in navigating these global markets. For example, our Foreign Commercial Service offices around the world facilitate engagement and dialogue between the U.S. private sector and foreign governments, including Ukraine. These offices are critical to shaping the best market possible for U.S. businesses.

At the event, Secretary Pritzker announced that she will travel to Kyiv again in October. This upcoming trip shows the Commerce Department’s commitment to maintaining open dialogue between the U.S. and Ukraine. By working together,  we can support a strong, prosperous Ukraine, and foster a transparent and efficient economic partnership that our businesses can thrive in.

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Thirty Tigers Reaches a New Level by Exporting

July 15, 2015

This is a guest blog by David Macias, President of Thirty Tigers.

Thirty Tigers is an entertainment company, located in Nashville, Tennessee that offers management, marketing and distribution, and publishing services to independent artists.

Thirty Tigers was interested in marketing itself outside the United States and learned about the Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) of the International Trade Association (ITA) through the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). With support of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) and a grant through the ITA from the MDCP, we exhibited at MIDEM 2013, the music industry’s leading trade show held annually in Cannes, France.

As a result of participating at MIDEM 2013, Thirty Tigers reported a sales agreement signed in France that led to sales of $80,000 in the first six months of the negotiated term. The benefits of participating at MIDEM continued for us in 2014, as we opened an office in the United Kingdom, leading to product sales in almost every European territory. Due to our increased global visibility, Thirty Tigers signed a distributor for Australia and New Zealand in October 2014 and ended the year with an approximate $700,000 in export sales. We anticipate international sales in excess of $1,000,000 in 2015.

This increase in export sales also resulted in an additional two jobs in the United States, with the potential to add more positions as sales continue to grow. Thirty Tigers plans on continuing to expand into Japan, South America and other territories, potentially through a company that we met with at MIDEM.

The assistance the International Trade Administration provided was hugely helpful to us. The business relationships that we built at MIDEM are not only going to allow us to sell music in those markets, but the promotional support that we can now arrange for our artists are going to allow them to tour in those countries, as well. Those acts will employ road staff and musicians that live, work and pay taxes here at home. The multiplier effect that has come from the help the ITA has provided continues to pay off, not just for Thirty Tigers and our acts, but for many related companies and free-lance workers.

This is a great example of how a little help and direction from the government can be helpful to business and workers alike. We and our artists are very appreciative.

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Startup Global Seminar Pilot Visits Nashville

July 13, 2015

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This is a guest blog by Clark Buckner, a full time podcaster hosting and producing The Nashville Entrepreneurship Story Podcast.

The Nashville Entrepreneur Center recently hosted the nation’s second Startup Global Seminar. Each seminar is driven by local organizers and focuses on the unique needs of the city’s entrepreneurs. The goal is to encourage startups to export internationally and make the process simple and accessible. Josh Mandell, Senior Advisor for Innovation and Competitiveness at the United States Department of Commerce, refers to startups as the “lifeblood of our economy,” yet many do not initially consider going global or are confused by the process. Startup Global began as the Department of Commerce’s solution to making government resources available to startups and entrepreneurs.

A big way companies can begin to export is by connecting with the resources established locally and federally through the Department of Commerce. Pat Kirwan, Director of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Secretariat, said, “When companies run into problems, they tend to talk to either a banker, an accountant, a lawyer, or their economic development organization that they’ve been dealing with. In this case, it would be the Nashville Entrepreneurship Center, right? So that’s their first stop, but the fact that those folks are plugged into this wider community of the state, and federal resources, all of the sudden the company has access to an enormous amount of resource help…companies have access to diplomats in over 70 countries.”

Michael Ralsky, President of GlobalGR, discussed how he assisted a motor vehicle client in finding a business partner in Vietnam. The Department of Commerce contacted Vietnam’s U.S. Embassy, which conducted a search that yielded 11 potential business partners. That client is now established in Vietnam and has sold more than 500 motor vehicles as a result. He says the best way for new businesses to move into exports is to “call up [the local export assistance center] office, tell them what country you’re interested in exporting, and they will then turn around and provide you with a menu of services that they can help you with, to help you get exporting.”

As for the startups themselves, the key to innovation, according to David Green, the “1st Enterprise Entrepreneur” at Schneider Electric, is to train employees “from the day they come in the building” in the entrepreneurial mindset. An innovative team is essential to the success of his project, Nashville-based Connected Home. This focus on innovation, David says, is key to the survival and adaptation of modern day businesses. When asked if he can train innovation, he says, “it’s happened – right here in these very walls.”

In the modern age of global digital commerce, access to international markets is key to the success of a growing business. To learn more about resources available, contact one of 107 local export assistance centers around the country or visit us on the web.

Listen to the interviews from Nashville Startup Global Seminar

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Good News in July Export Numbers

October 4, 2011

By John Ward, a writer in the International Trade Administration’s Office of Public Affairs.

Growth in U.S. Exports With Strength in These Sectors: Monthly exports of U.S. goods rose from $77 billion in January 2009 to $125 billion in July 2011. Exports of services rose from $40 billion to $51 billion in the same period. Year over year exports increased $9.6 billion in industrial supplies, $3.4 billion in capital goods, $2.7 billion in automobiles and parts, $2.2 billion in private services, $1.3 billion in travel, and $0.7 billion in royalties and liceneses from July 2010 to July 2011. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, FT-900 release, September 8, 2011.

(Click for Full Size)

Every month, two Department of Commerce bureaus, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, issue a report on U.S. international trade in goods and services known as the FT-900 release.

The most recent report covers trade in July 2011. Overall, the news was good for the U.S. economy. Exports of goods and services in July increased 3.6 percent from June to $178 billion. Compared to July 2010, exports of goods and services in July 2011 were up $23.4 billion, or 15.1 percent. This figure was the highest on record.

Goods that showed notable increases included industrial supplies, capital goods, and automobiles. Services that showed increases included private services (such as business, professional, and technical services); travel and tourism; and royalties and license fees.

Reacting to the new export numbers, Rebecca Blank, acting secretary of commerce, noted that “the global marketplace presents vast opportunities for U.S. companies, and today’s trade report shows they are taking advantage of those opportunities.”

To see the full report, visit www.census.gov/ft900.

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Spotlight From Commerce

October 3, 2011

Note: This post originally appeared on The Commerce Blog as part of the Spotlight on Commerce series, which highlights members of the Department of Commerce who are contributing to the president’s vision of winning the future through their work.

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

Francisco Sánchez, under secretary for international trade (left), and Chris DeMoulin, executive vice president of Advanstar Fashion Group and president of MAGIC International (right), cut the ribbon that officially opened the Sourcing at MAGIC show on August 22, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (photo courtesy U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel)

Francisco Sánchez, under secretary for international trade (left), and Chris DeMoulin, executive vice president of Advanstar Fashion Group and president of MAGIC International (right), cut the ribbon that officially opened the Sourcing at MAGIC show on August 22, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (photo courtesy U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel)

I consider myself a lucky guy.

Every day, I have the privilege of serving the American people as the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.  It is a tremendous honor to be able to give back to a country that has given so much to me.

My story is the American story.  My grandparents and father were immigrants from Spain; they believed in the American Dream, and worked hard to achieve it.

We lived in Tampa, Florida.  Growing up, I learned a lot of lessons that serve me well today.  Through my father, who used to run a candy factory in Spain, I was able to learn how important small- and medium-sized businesses are to a community’s development.  My mother worked as the Director of one of the first Head Start programs in the country.  She wanted all children to get the best possible start in life and dedicated her time to helping others.  That’s why she is my hero.

Together, my parents taught me to love my community and country.  And, they also raised me to take pride in our Hispanic roots, history and culture — and I always have.

Because of their example, from an early age, I knew that I wanted to be involved in public service.  At the federal level, I got my first opportunity in the 1990’s, when I served as a Special Assistant to then-President Bill Clinton.  Eventually, I became an Assistant Secretary of Transportation.

There is nothing like doing work that positively impacts people’s lives and futures.  Even after I went on to the private sector, where I served as an international business consultant, I never lost my desire to come back to government,

That’s why I am so grateful and honored that President Obama selected me to lead the International Trade Administration.  Through my work at the ITA, I’ve met so many talented American entrepreneurs and business-owners.  They are doing innovative work and creating cutting-edge products.  They just need opportunities to sell their ideas and goods.

That’s where we come in.  Our mission is simple: To give people and companies new markets to do business in abroad, so that we can strengthen the economy here at home.  Not only does this bolster their bottom lines, it also supports quality jobs for the American people.  In fact, as President Obama has highlighted, this work is a key to our nation’s continued economic recovery.

Nearly two years ago, the President announced the National Export Initiative.  The goal is to double the nation’s exports by the end of 2014.  I’m proud to say that we’re well on our way to achieving this goal.  And, it’s incredibly rewarding for me to help lead this effort.

It’s also incredibly rewarding to do work outside of the halls of government.  I’ve long been active in the Boys and Girls Club; in fact, I’m honored to be a member of its Hall of Fame.  I’ve also been privileged to mentor young people through the Hillsborough Education Foundation.  And, I’m very proud to be a former board member of the ChairScholars Foundation.

Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to meet so many unsung heroes who are doing valuable work to touch the lives of those around them.  They are students who take the time to mentor others; parents who find the time to coach the local little league team; volunteers who give up weekends to work at senior centers and so much more.

So, during this Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to give special thanks to all the quiet heroes who have made, and continue to make a difference.  Their names may never appear in the history books, but they’ve made a lasting impact on lives, and enormous contributions to our communities.

Just like my parents.

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Border Export Strategy Impact in El Paso

March 24, 2011

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

Today I was in El Paso, Texas with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Alan Bersin, Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to highlight the importance of trade, border security, and the Border Export Strategy.

The International Trade Administration recently launched the Border Export Strategy (BES), which is a priority component of the National Export Initiative, which seeks to double exports from the U.S. by 2015 to support several million jobs.

The City of El Paso is an important gateway between the United States and Mexico, and total merchandise trade that passed through the El Paso district in 2010 amounted to $71.1 billion. More than 80 percent of this trade passed through the port of El Paso.

This strategy is designed to increase the export potential and opportunities for U.S. companies doing business along the shared Canadian and Mexican borders.

We are striving to enhance local public-private trade collaboration and support efforts to reduce trade barriers limiting secure and efficient commerce across our borders.

Despite security challenges in the border region, NAFTA trade statistics show a 29 percent increase in total trade between the U.S. and Mexico from 2009-2010. In addition to close collaboration on security and infrastructure issues in the interagency process, the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security are working together to identify other potential areas for collaboration on U.S. exports. Potential areas include issues related to the Foreign Trade Zones, a review of the targeting efforts for goods and travelers, and technical assistance to other countries in the world, where customs operations are problematic for exporters and need to be modernized.

The City of El Paso sponsors a foreign-trade zone (FTZ) that is currently used by 19 different companies. In 2010, the El Paso FTZ handled $7.3 billion in merchandise – including $1.7 billion in exports – with more than 900 workers employed by the companies using the FTZ. The Foreign Trade Zone program is just one of the ways in which we can boost employment, manufacturing, and exports from the United States.

As we move forward with the implementation of the BES, I look forward to close collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the City of El Paso.

The U.S.-Mexico border is not a border economy. It is a vital part of the national economy of both nations, and I, for my part, will do what it takes to preserve, protect it and grow it.

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Visit to Memphis

October 15, 2010

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

James Golson is a Commercial Officer in the U.S. Foreign and Commercial Service‘s Strategic Partnership Office.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and U.S Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk were warmly welcomed by the Memphis business community during their visit here this past week.

The Secretary and Ambassador started their trip with a late night visit to FedEx’s global hub to see firsthand the millions of packages that make Memphis the world’s busiest cargo airport and an important center for U.S. exports.

Early the next day, the group traveled to Memphis based Smith & Nephew, a high tech manufacturer of orthopedic equipment.  Smith & Nephew export half of what they produce in Memphis and employ hundreds of people in the Memphis area to support those exports.  This venue provided an excellent backdrop for the Secretary and Ambassador to address a town hall meeting of nearly 50 Memphis based exporting companies.  The meeting focused on the President’s National Export Initiative and how the Department of Commerce, USTR and business can work together to achieve the President’s goal of doubling exports in five years.  The business community was energized by the speech and many in the audience were able to ask questions about the NEI and how they could take advantage of the program.  The Secretary highlighted that the U.S. Commercial Service has partnered with Memphis based FedEx through the New Market Exporter Initiative to identify SMEs that currently export to one market, and that by working together we would assist these companies to find additional markets overseas.

Following the town hall meeting, local Commerce Department staff, including myself, were approached by many of the attendees asking for assistance.  The event was definitely a success and my calendar is booked for the next few weeks meeting with companies that want to expand their exports.

The Secretary and Ambassador concluded their time in Memphis at a roundtable discussion with Memphis based exporters that currently export to Asia.  They discussed the Trans Pacific Partnership and what it means for Memphis.  Many of the executives spoke positively about their interaction with the U.S. Commercial Service.  For example, Chris Schnee of Christie Medical Holdings, noted that his company had not exported two years ago, now they are in 40 countries after conducting over 35 Gold Key matchmaking services with the Commercial Service.  He attributed their export success directly to the assistance provided by the local Memphis office of the Commercial Service.

The Secretary and Ambassador left Memphis later that day but as we engage with more companies in the coming weeks to help them expand into additional markets, the legacy of their trip will live on.

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Are You Headed to Atlanta for the Americas Competitiveness Forum?

September 20, 2010

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

Francisco J. Sánchez is the Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade


Download full video .mp4 (7.4MB)

The Western Hemisphere is headed to Atlanta in November. My question is, are you?

United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Mayor Kasim Reed are co-hosting the fourth annual Americas Competitiveness Forum on November 14th to 16th here in Atlanta.  More than 1,000 leaders from the 34 nations of the Americas, including heads of state, will attend this premier event for businesses and government to share new ideas for increasing competitiveness, promoting economic prosperity and raising the standard of living throughout the Americas.

This year’s ACF will focus on innovation and green technologies, education and workforce development, entrepreneurship and small business development, and supply chain connections.

I hope you can participate in this year’s Americas Competiveness Forum. For more information, please visit www.competitivenessforum.org.  I hope to see you in Atlanta.

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Download full video .mp4 (9.9MB)

Todo el Hemisferio Occidental se dirige hacía Atlanta en Noviembre y me pregunto si van ustedes también.

El Secretario de Comercio de los Estados Unidos Gary Locke y el Alcalde de Atlanta Kasim Reed son los anfitriones del cuarto Foro de Competitividad de las Américas que se va a realizar aquí en la Ciudad de Atlanta, Georgia durante el 14 al 16 de noviembre de 2010. El ACF reunirá a más de 1000 líderes de los 34 países de las Américas y el Caribe, incluyendo a Jefes de Estado, para compartir nuevas ideas para promover competitividad, fomentar prosperidad económica, y aumentar el nivel de vida en las Américas.

En éste año, el ACF 2010 se enfocará en innovación y tecnologías eco-ambientales, educación y desarrollo de la fuerza laboral, desarrollo empresarial y de la pequeña empresa, y el comercio internacional, aduanas, logística y la cadena de suministro.

Espero que puedan participar en el Foro de Competitividad de las Américas. Para más información sobre el ACF, por favor visite www.competitivenessforum.org. Ojalá que nos veamos en Atlanta.

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New Manufacturing Council Represents the “Next Generation of Manufacturing”

August 6, 2010

 Melanie Kaplan is an intern in the Office of Advisory Committees and entering her junior year at Wellesley College.

Hot off the press: the Secretary of Commerce has appointed twenty-four members to his Manufacturing Council. When I first heard that I would be working on the Manufacturing Council, I envisioned the traditional “Midwestern steel” companies. After a week of working on the Manufacturing Council, I realized that domestic steel producers were only one part of it with other types of manufactures representing a wide variety of U.S. industries.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke announces the appointment of 24 members of the Manufacturing Council

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke (center) announces the appointment of 24 members of the Manufacturing Council

This spring, the Office of Advisory Committees did a nation-wide search for companies that would best represent the U.S. Manufacturing Sector. From small and medium enterprises (SME’s) to some of the largest manufacturing companies in the country, these companies will provide Secretary Locke with their unfiltered advice and expertise. The Manufacturing Council members announced by Secretary Locke yesterday afternoon at an official ceremony on Capitol Hill where the Secretary was joined by Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Jeff Merkley (OR) and Tom Udall (NM) represents the most diverse group of advisors in the Council’s history.  The members, the companies and the industry sectors they represent are:

Bruce Sohn,
President		 First Solar, Inc., Chair (AZ)
Joseph B. Anderson, Jr.,
Chairman & CEO		 TAG Holdings LLC, Vice Chair (MI)
Luis Arguello,
President		 DemeTech (FL)
Greg Bachmann,
Chairman & CEO		 Dymax Corporation (CT)
Richard M. Beyer,
Chairman & CEO		 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (TX)
Chandra Brown,
President
Vice President		 United Streetcar
Oregon Iron Works, Inc. (OR)
Daniel DiMicco,
Chairman & CEO		 Nucor Corporation (NC)
Al Fuller,
Chief Executive Officer		 Integrated Packaging Corporation (NJ)
Michael Gambrell,
Executive Vice President		 The Dow Chemical Company (MI)
David W. Hastings,
Chairman & CEO		 Mount Vernon Mills, Inc. (SC)
Mary Isbister,
President		 GenMet (WI)
Kellie Johnson,
President		 Ace Clearwater Enterprises (CA)
Fred Keller,
Chairman & CEO		 Cascade Engineering (MI)
Samuel Landol,
Chief Operating Officer		 Sealaska Corporation (AK/WA)
Michael Laszkiewicz,
Vice President & General Manager		 Automation Power Control Business, Rockwell Automation, Inc. (WI)
Daniel P. McGahn,
President & COO		 American Superconductor Corporation (MA)
James B. McGregor,
Vice Chairman		 The McGregor Metalworking Companies (OH)
Stephen MacMillan,
President, CEO & Chairman		 Stryker Corporation (MI)
David Melton,
President & CEO		 Sacred Power Corporation (NM)
Jason W. Speer,
Vice President & General Manager		 Quality Float Works, Inc. (IL)
Ward J. Timken,
Chairman		 The Timken Company (OH)
Peter Ungaro,
Chairman & CEO		 CRAY (WA)
Jane L. Warner,
Executive Vice President		 Illinois Tool Works (IL)
Donna L. Zobel,
Chairman & CEO		 Myron Zucker (MI)

Ex Officio Members:

  • Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy
  • Hilda L. Solis, U.S. Secretary of Labor
  • Timothy F. Geithner, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

Many of the companies listed above are the first from their sectors… to be included on the Manufacturing Council. As an intern this summer, I helped the staffers to create a council that encouraged diversity, going green and an understanding of corporate responsibility. One of my favorite parts of the vetting process was seeing the innovative ways the companies gave back to their local, national and global communities. I was also inspired by one of the Manufacturing Council appointees who spoke with such fervor about the “next generation of manufacturing” and how it can and will contribute to U.S. global competitiveness.

Previous Manufacturing Councils have discussed energy costs and alternatives, sustainable manufacturing, tax credits for research and development, market access as well as a variety of other topics. In the upcoming meetings, the issue of credit access for SME’s and how to best allocate resources from American Investment & Recovery Act may be a few of the hottest topics. Additionally, the Manufacturing Council may be involved in Assistant Secretary Nicole Lamb-Hale’s manufacturing trade mission “Manufacture America: Rethink, Retool, Rebuild to Support Jobs” in Fall 2010. Stay tuned for more updates on the Manufacturing Council’s first official meeting scheduled for September 2010…

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Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and the Gulf

July 27, 2010

Melanie Kaplan is an intern in the Office of Advisory Committees and entering her junior year at Wellesley College.

From the now infamous “shrimpers” to the hotel owners in Louisiana to the restaurant employees in Florida panhandle, the BP oil spill has caused wide-spread devastation. Not only is the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) working to counteract the damage, the whole Department of Commerce has stepped up to help Gulf Coast residents and businesses stay ahead of the “orange tide.” Everyone is making an effort to address the harrowing situation at hand from daily conference calls on an inter-bureau level to an inter-agency group working to provide needed relief. The International Trade Administration and the Office of Advisory Committees (OAC) are no exception and worked hard to plan this past Monday’s meeting of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) in New Orleans. Given the oil spill and the upcoming five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans seemed the perfect locale to step back and think about how  the government and private sector can work together to promote travel and tourism in the region.

Secretary Locke, along with several other senior Commerce officials and the TTAB committee members supported those suffering from the damages of the oil spill by discussing how they can encourage travel and tourism in the Gulf. On that note, BP recently gave $15 million to the State of Louisiana to fund a marketing campaign to help combat the effects of the oil spill on tourism. At the meeting, Secretary Locke pointed out it was a welcomed contribution and reinforced that “the recovery is going to take a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of money and we’re going to have to continually hold BP accountable and hold its feet to the fire.” Furthermore, the unity demonstrated by government and business at the meeting highlighted the importance of the jobs created by the travel and tourism sector, which directly and indirectly includes one in every sixteen Americans. As an intern, I have helped plan the event from participating in conference calls to updating the guest list, and putting together briefing binders, and am happy to have made my own small contribution to improving the lives of the Gulf Coast residents and businesses. If you are interested in volunteering or just want more information on efforts to restore the Gulf, please visit RestoreTheGulf.gov, the official federal portal for the Deepwater BP oil spill response and recovery.

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