Assistant Secretary Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale (center) and Andrea DaSilva (right) announce an award to support the independent music industry. (photo courtesy American Association of Independent Music)
Helping U.S. Businesses,
Coast to Coast, North and SouthA message from Under Secretary of
Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez. Follow him on Twitter @UnderSecSanchez.
“There
is no Republican or Democratic way to clean the streets.”
That
quote, authored by former New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, was how I
began my
presentation at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 81st Winter Meeting. My point: that even though there is a lot of
focus on our nation’s disagreements, there is much more common ground that
exists between all of us, and many people want to build on this
foundation.
I
saw this firsthand at the Winter Meeting.
I met with Mayors who came from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, yet
all shared the same goals: more jobs and stronger economic growth in their
communities.
I
have these goals, too. That’s why I
conveyed that the International Trade Administration stands ready to help, specifically
by assisting businesses in their communities reach the 95 percent of consumers
who live outside our borders.
My
message was simple: helping U.S. businesses make more sales abroad means more
revenue to potentially hire workers or expand operations. As a result, stronger businesses help build
stronger cities and, in the end, a stronger nation for us all.
To
help U.S. Mayors increase the exports coming out of their cities, I talked
about ITA’s dedicated staff, located in all corners of the country, and how
they are an invaluable resource for businesses.
I
also highlighted our partnership with the Brookings Institution, through the Metropolitan
Export Initiative. This is an important effort that strives to
help metropolitan areas build export plans into their economic development
strategies, fostering a long-term, local orientation toward exporting and
international trade.
The
feedback I received was great, and I look forward to working with Mayors across
the country, north and south, coast to coast, to help their local businesses
compete abroad.
As
you’ll read in this month’s International
Trade Update, ITA continues to do this meaningful work in a variety of ways,
including:
In
doing this work, ITA remains committed to making 2013 a transformative year for
businesses across the country.
We
reaffirm this commitment for one reason: when businesses succeed, America
succeeds.
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