U.S. Dept. of Commerce rep touts agency’s services

It’s not well-known, but the U.S. Commercial Service has been providing international business consulting for businesses in the U.S. seeking to export products for nearly 30 years as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, mostly for small to medium-sized companies.

Most of its services are provided free, said Brie Knox, an export specialist with the agency, at a meeting last week in Houma of the South Central Industrial Associa-tion.

And the service could grow in importance. “As U.S. markets go down, international business goes up,” she said.

The agency has trade specialists in 108 U.S. cities and 80 foreign countries. It provides many services for U.S. companies seeking to sell products in foreign countries, starting with trying to locate buyers in the first place.

“We provide expert help,” Knox said.

Some of the more basic services the agency provides are market research and trade counseling, but its scope runs to instructing clients about cultural issues and business protocol.

Knox said the agency helps determine the best market for clients, evaluate international competition, and identify legal and regulatory issues.

The agency performs other services, including visiting key foreign officials, coordinating the support of U.S. officials in foreign countries, writing letters to foreign decision-makers and working with export credit agencies, she said. The credit agencies provide financing to buyers in foreign countries.

The U.S. Commercial Service does charge for some activities. By far the most popular of the fee-based services is the Gold Key Matching Service, which charges enough only to recover costs, Knox said.

Gold Key is different from other services in that the agency does more extensive pre-screening of potential foreign buyers and arranges face-to-face meetings between clients and buyers.

“You know they’re interested in pursuing a business relationship,” Knox said. “Face-to-face is preferable to phones and e-mail.”

International Partner Search, another service provided by the agency, costs less but does not provide face-to-face meetings.

Another fee-based service, Featured U.S. Exporter (FUSE), markets companies worldwide on the agency’s Web site for $150. And exporters can advertise in the Commerce Department monthly magazine, Commercial News USA.

The agency also helps exporters participate in events involving international delegates visiting New Orleans, Knox said. The agency can arrange meetings with the delegates. Attending the events in New Orleans can cut out travel costs, she said.

The roots of the U.S. Commercial Service go back to 1897 when the agency was part of the State Department and called the Bureau of Foreign Commerce.

For more information about available services, visit the service’s Export.gov Web site.

U.S. Department of Commerce export specialist Brie Knox said businesses have access to a number of free international business consulting services. She addressed members of the South Central Industrial Association at the group’s monthly meeting in Houma last week. * Photo by MIKE BROSSETTE