Export Counseling Via
Phone, Fax, and Web
By
David Schnier
Thinking of
exporting? Does your business need information on the government
programs and services available to help U.S. exporters sell their
products overseas? If so, the International Trade Administration's
Trade Information Center (TIC) can help. And, you can have your
choice of help by phone, fax, or website.
Why Contact
the TIC?
The Trade Information
Center's experienced trade specialists are available to help small,
medium and large companies navigate the complex web of documentation,
licensing and regulations that makes selling to a buyer in France
considerably more complicated than selling to one in Philadelphia.
And even if you are already familiar with our services because you've
called on the TIC before for general exporting information, you
need to take another look. Because now the Trade Information Center
provides country-specific counseling services to U.S. exporters,
in addition to its general export assistance functions.
A Variety
of Services
TIC specialists
provide information, counseling, and export assistance for countries
in Western Europe, Asia, the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and the
Near East. Businesses can obtain free information and advice on
commercial and economic conditions and business practices in these
regions, as well as market opportunities, trade and commercial laws,
regulations and standards, and customs information. This help is
in addition to the general export information the center provides
on the export process and federal export assistance programs.
Through their
800 number (1-800-USA-TRADE), the Trade Information Center's team
of international trade specialists provides businesses with a wide
array of export assistance services, including but not limited to:
- Basic Counseling
and Referrals on Export Licenses and Controls -- TIC trade specialists
can advise companies on export licensing and export documentation
requirements and refer exporters to the appropriate offices that
process these applications.
- Country-specific
export counseling and assistance -- TIC regional specialists counsel
businesses on country-specific issues in Western Europe, Asia,
the Americas, Africa, and the Near East regarding intellectual
property protection, economic conditions, business practices,
import tariffs and customs procedures.
- International
Market Research and Trade Leads -- Exporters can learn how to
locate sources of international market research and trade leads
such as the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) and the Economic Bulletin
Board (EBB).
- Overseas
and Domestic Trade Events -- The TIC can provide callers with
information about overseas trade events in their industry sector.
They will refer businesses to the appropriate contacts for more
information about Department of Commerce-sponsored, trade missions,
catalog shows, and international buyer shows.
- Sources
of Export Financing -- The TIC maintains general information and
contact numbers for government and private sector export financing
programs. The staff advises callers on finance programs offered
by the Export-Import Bank, Small Business Administration, and
Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
TIC's Fax
Retrieval System
In addition
to its regular counseling services, the Trade Information Center
provides the public with access to a wealth of export information
through its 24-hour fax retrieval system, which can be accessed
free of charge by calling 1-800-USA-TRADE (1-800-872-8723). The
fax retrieval system provides callers with immediate access to thousands
of documents and forms, from basic export information to country-specific
information and international trade agreements.
Website
To make country
and regional information more accessible to the American business
community, the Trade Information Center has placed more regional
commercial information on its Internet site
http://www.ita.doc.gov/tic
. Since the
middle of 1998 the TIC has been gradually moving much of the export
information from its country databases onto the Internet site. In
this way, the Trade Information Center is using the expansive reach
of the World Wide Web to help U.S. exporters negotiate the export
process.
This award-winning
website has been re-designed with the new-to-export user in mind,
offering easy-to-locate resources under recognizable headings such
as: Export Programs; Country and Regional Market Information; Trade
Promotion Events; Trade Lead Information; Foreign Customs, Tariff
and Taxes; and Financing Information
About the
Author
David Schnier
is an International Trade Specialist at the Trade Information Center,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Ave., NW, Washington,
D.C. 20230. You may reach him at 202-482-0580; fax: 202-482-4473
or e-mail: David_Schnier@ita.doc.gov
August 2, 1999
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