Another Month of Great Progress
A message from Under Secretary
of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez. Follow him on Twitter @UnderSecSanchez.
Today marks the release of the new and improved Trade Finance Guide. This third edition continues to provide exporters with important information about trade, financing and credit. If you want to bring your products and/or services to an overseas market, we urge you to check it out. Previous editions of this guide have helped businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, find new successes overseas and we have no doubt this new edition will help many more.
This work builds on another great month of progress for President Obama's trade agenda.
October
was full of important developments that will help American businesses succeed in
the global markets. One landmark accomplishment
was that the U.S. - Panama Trade Promotion Agreement took
effect on the 31st.
It
is the last of the three trade agreements signed last year by President Obama
to enter into force, and gives U.S. companies new access to one of the fastest
growing markets in Latin America. This
is a victory for American jobs and growth, and the International Trade
Administration will work tirelessly to help firms make the most of this
promise.
This
work builds upon our larger efforts to strengthen ties throughout the Western
Hemisphere, the destination of more than 40 percent of U.S. exports. As neighbors, we have natural trade ties and I
traveled to the Americas Competitiveness Forum in
Colombia to work with private and public sector partners, from across the
region, to strengthen this partnership.
In
particular, I advocated for continued engagement in areas ranging from education
to customs efficiency. We also
celebrated the accomplishments of Walter Bastain, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
the Western Hemisphere, for his extraordinary service. By the end of the Forum, it was clear: the
future is full of great possibilities, and American products will be key in
shaping the next chapter of the region's growth.
As
you'll read about in this edition of International
Trade Update, in addition to our work in the Americas, ITA has done great
work in many other areas this month, including:
- visiting Asia to celebrate Taiwan's entrance into the Visa Waiver
Program, bolstering the U.S. travel and tourism industry;
- traveling to North Carolina to
talk with manufacturers and highlight how changes to the CAFTA-DR
Free Trade Agreement is a huge win for the textiles
sector;
- spreading
the word about how ITA is eager to help businesses overcome trade barriers
in the global marketplace; and
- recognizing
the record year our Advocacy
Center has had in leveling the playing field for American firms doing
business abroad.
Again, all this adds up to important
progress, which leads to more U.S. exports, more opportunities and more
economic growth.
We continue to be committed to these goals,
and look forward to ending 2012 with even greater results for American
businesses.
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