For Immediate Release: April 14, 2010
Contact: Mary Trupo (202) 482-3809
Expanding Exports Plays Key Role in San Antonio Job Creation
SAN ANTONIO – Expanding exports of U.S. manufactured goods and services can lead to job creation was the message that Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez delivered today at a pair of trade forums in San Antonio.
Sánchez, who leads the International Trade Administration (ITA), explained how President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI) is designed to double exports of U.S. goods and services during the next five years and support two million jobs. Sanchez delivered keynote remarks at the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America’s annual conference and the Free Trade Alliance of San Antonio’s Global Trade Policy Forum.
“Increasing U.S. exports is critical to our nation’s economic recovery and long-term economic growth,” Sánchez said. “The National Export Initiative is a single, comprehensive strategy to promote American exports and American jobs. It will coordinate and leverage the relevant public and private sector resources to push and promote the sale of American goods and services abroad.”
ITA supports the NEI through many initiatives, including one that targets companies that currently export to only one or two markets to help them export to more countries, increasing their exports and helping support jobs in the U.S.
“About 58 percent of U.S. exporters export to only one market,” Sánchez said. “Imagine the national benefit if by working together we can help companies export to two or more markets in a world in which 95 percent of their customers are outside our borders.”
According to U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, in 2008, exports from the San Antonio metropolitan area totaled more than $5 billion, up from $3.6 billion in 2007. Mexico and Canada were the leading export markets for San Antonio metropolitan-area firms, with exports totaling $989 million and $980 million, respectively.
Sánchez also presented Stanbio Laboratory, a diagnostic health supplier based in San Antonio, with an Export Achievement Certificate. The Export Achievement Certificate program recognizes small- and medium-sized U.S. businesses that have either successfully entered the international marketplace for the first time or have entered a new market.
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International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has 2,100 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 77 countries worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.
The International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, manages this global trade site to provide access to ITA information on promoting trade and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. This site contains PDF documents. A PDF reader is available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.