Secretary Evans Highlights Progress on
National Export Strategy
Major Redesign of Export.gov Website Announced

In testimony today before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Commerce Secretary Don Evans reported on the Bush Administration’s 2003 National Export Strategy. Evans highlighted the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee's (TPCC) progress implementing recommendations made last year to give American businesses the tools they need to grow through exporting.

“We have made tremendous progress to meet the needs of American exporters, so that they can participate in the economic growth that trade provides,” stated Evans. “The efforts of the TPCC will help accomplish one of President Bush’s highest priorities - expanding opportunities for America’s businesses so they can create jobs and economic growth.”

Secretary Evans noted that one year later, approximately one-third of the recommendations from the 2002 report have been implemented, and solutions for most of the remaining recommendations are imminent. Highlights include creative interagency efforts to give U.S. companies early access to foreign projects, as well as joint training and marketing to ensure world-class customer service. The report also outlines several priorities for the coming year, such as better integration of small business oriented trade finance programs.

In his testimony Evans announced another primary accomplishment since last year’s report, the enhancement of www.export.gov. This website is the U.S. government’s portal of export-related programs and information for small businesses, which serves as the entry-point for U.S. businesses that want to learn how to export, obtain financing, or locate foreign market research to expand or enter new export markets. The site consolidates export information from the 19 federal agencies of the TPCC into one user-friendly website and is a key component of the “International Trade Process Streamlining Initiative” -- one of 24 designated Presidential E-Government initiatives across the federal government. The new design makes the site easier to use and adds new features to help guide new exporters through the export process.

The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) is a task force created by Congress under the Export Enhancement Act of 1992 as a vehicle for more effective U.S. Government export promotion. It is comprised of 19 U.S. Government Agencies and chaired by the Secretary of Commerce. It annually presents to Congress the National Export Strategy.

The E-Government Initiatives are an integral part of the President’s Management Agenda to make it easier for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars and streamline citizen-to-government transactions. For more information on each of the President’s E-Government Initiatives, please visit www.egov.gov.

The 2003 National Export Strategy can be found at http://www.ita.doc.gov/media/Publications/.