Commerce expands overseas trade assistance

   The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration will add 68 new positions and open offices in five additional countries, including its first in Burma.
   The expansion is mostly focused on fast-growing markets in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
   Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker made the announcement Thursday during a speech at John Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, which reiterated the Obama administration’s long-term commitment to “rebalance” Asia, and to specifically deepen U.S. economic and commercial engagement in the Asia-Pacific region.
   During her speech, Pritzker announced that ITA’s U.S. Commercial Service will add offices in Burma and Wuhan, China. Additional staff will be added at 10 other Asian posts.
   The U.S. Commercial Service will also more than double its presence in Africa, opening offices in Angola, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Mozambique, and expanding offices in Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and Libya. Europe, the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere will also see growth in staff numbers.
   ITA, in partnership with the U.S. State Department, will begin implementing its expansion in the coming months, the Commerce Department said.