Current state programs
Current state programs
States have found that they can successfully perform in new-to-export encouragement and counseling, trade lead distribution, trade promotion, foreign offices in key markets, and financial support. Trade promotion is a key activity and includes a variety of undertakings such as hosting overseas missions, presenting catalog shows, and facilitating arrangements for visiting foreign buyer delegations. A very popular and helpful form of promotion is in joint trade show pavilions to keep costs to a minimum and make it easier to undertake a first overseas showing.
As states enter into partnership with Washington, DC, to provide a substantial boost to the federal effort, they expect the U.S. government to maintain or improve its existing efforts. However, there are warning signs that these expectations will not materialize and states should be alert to see that their congressmen are aware of this situation that threatens to neutralize state level expenditures and effort. It remains to be seen what the bottom line result will be, but it bears watching by exporters and state administrators alike.
The present high level of interest on the part of most states in international trade is typically centered in the state department of commerce, often with considerable support from the executive branch. However, expect to find it located almost anywhere, which is why the chart shown in Exporters-sources.com - index page -44-1 indicates the principal departments for international trade and the city in which it is located in each of the 50 states. Your search should not end there, because almost any level or agency of government potentially houses help for exporting. This includes counties, cities, port authorities, and free trade zones in the area.
Begin by checking with the agency shown for your state. That agency will very likely know of what other state agencies might be involved, and also perhaps the nonstate government agencies that might have programs. For example, California's State World Trade Commission is the prime instrument for most of its international trade interests. California's foreign offices are under the direction of the governor's office with which the Commission is closely allied. Consequently, the Commission works with the governor's office in administration of foreign offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Frankfurt, and Mexico. Yet, California's reverse investment side of its international trade effort is centered in California's Department of Commerce along with tourism. Such diverse authority and overlapping responsibility explains why it might take some ingenuity to make the right contacts. Illinois and Minnesota have similar arrangements and a large number of states are still developing or expanding their own overall international approach and structure.
State and municipal support for export financing is one of the newest and most aggressive of the programs that governments are undertaking to enhance their regional international trade posture. These programs run from merely financial counseling and interfacing with the financial community, to direct loans. Between these two extremes are provisions for access to foreign credit insurance coverage through state-administered FCIA umbrella policies, loan packaging for Eximbank's working capital loan guarantee program, and loan guarantees for exporters that are similar to Eximbank's working capital guarantee. Some of these are tied into state or local economic development funds and some have special funding or collateral set-asides for the single purpose of supporting exporters. Since 1988, Eximbank has established outreach programs in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington. In addition they have similar arrangements with the cities of Columbus, Ohio; Tucson, Arizona; and the Port Authority of New York/ New Jersey It has been a successful program and has been expanded to a number of additional states, permitting some of the smaller participating states or cities an opportunity to start a financial support program on a very low budget.
To help find support and assistance sources at the state level, study Exporters-sources.com - index page -44-1. It is subject to constant modification, but was current as of late 1990. The state program parameters are indicated in only the broadest terms. The list is composed of information obtained by courtesy of the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA), The National Governors' Association (NGA), the DOC, First Washington Associates, and the state of Wisconsin.
States have found that they can successfully perform in new-to-export encouragement and counseling, trade lead distribution, trade promotion, foreign offices in key markets, and financial support. Trade promotion is a key activity and includes a variety of undertakings such as hosting overseas missions, presenting catalog shows, and facilitating arrangements for visiting foreign buyer delegations. A very popular and helpful form of promotion is in joint trade show pavilions to keep costs to a minimum and make it easier to undertake a first overseas showing.
As states enter into partnership with Washington, DC, to provide a substantial boost to the federal effort, they expect the U.S. government to maintain or improve its existing efforts. However, there are warning signs that these expectations will not materialize and states should be alert to see that their congressmen are aware of this situation that threatens to neutralize state level expenditures and effort. It remains to be seen what the bottom line result will be, but it bears watching by exporters and state administrators alike.
The present high level of interest on the part of most states in international trade is typically centered in the state department of commerce, often with considerable support from the executive branch. However, expect to find it located almost anywhere, which is why the chart shown in Exporters-sources.com - index page -44-1 indicates the principal departments for international trade and the city in which it is located in each of the 50 states. Your search should not end there, because almost any level or agency of government potentially houses help for exporting. This includes counties, cities, port authorities, and free trade zones in the area.
Begin by checking with the agency shown for your state. That agency will very likely know of what other state agencies might be involved, and also perhaps the nonstate government agencies that might have programs. For example, California's State World Trade Commission is the prime instrument for most of its international trade interests. California's foreign offices are under the direction of the governor's office with which the Commission is closely allied. Consequently, the Commission works with the governor's office in administration of foreign offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Frankfurt, and Mexico. Yet, California's reverse investment side of its international trade effort is centered in California's Department of Commerce along with tourism. Such diverse authority and overlapping responsibility explains why it might take some ingenuity to make the right contacts. Illinois and Minnesota have similar arrangements and a large number of states are still developing or expanding their own overall international approach and structure.
State and municipal support for export financing is one of the newest and most aggressive of the programs that governments are undertaking to enhance their regional international trade posture. These programs run from merely financial counseling and interfacing with the financial community, to direct loans. Between these two extremes are provisions for access to foreign credit insurance coverage through state-administered FCIA umbrella policies, loan packaging for Eximbank's working capital loan guarantee program, and loan guarantees for exporters that are similar to Eximbank's working capital guarantee. Some of these are tied into state or local economic development funds and some have special funding or collateral set-asides for the single purpose of supporting exporters. Since 1988, Eximbank has established outreach programs in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Washington. In addition they have similar arrangements with the cities of Columbus, Ohio; Tucson, Arizona; and the Port Authority of New York/ New Jersey It has been a successful program and has been expanded to a number of additional states, permitting some of the smaller participating states or cities an opportunity to start a financial support program on a very low budget.
To help find support and assistance sources at the state level, study Exporters-sources.com - index page -44-1. It is subject to constant modification, but was current as of late 1990. The state program parameters are indicated in only the broadest terms. The list is composed of information obtained by courtesy of the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA), The National Governors' Association (NGA), the DOC, First Washington Associates, and the state of Wisconsin.
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