Commerce, UPS expand export partnership

Commerce, UPS expand export partnership    The U.S. Commerce Department and UPS on Friday announced new steps to expand their partnership for encouraging more small and mid-sized companies to export abroad.
   In the coming weeks, UPS will identify small and mid-sized firms that export to just one market. The express carrier will then analyze data about the firms and suggest new markets based on factors including industry, geography, currency and market access opportunities. From there, the companies will be connected with trade specialists from the Commerce Department's Commercial Service.
   'The Commerce Department, with its network of trade specialists posted around the world, and UPS with its global reach, can be a significant resource for these companies,' said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in a statement.
   The Commercial Service has staff in 77 countries to help U.S. firms identify market opportunities and find overseas buyers.

Locke

   According to the Commerce Department, less than 1 percent of America's 30 million companies export, a percentage far smaller than all other developed countries.
   Since 2007, UPS has been a partner with the Commercial Service. The public-private partnership is focused on engaging U.S. companies and informing them of exporting opportunities through export education events, compliance seminars and joint client counseling sessions. UPS has counseled more than 18,000 customers on how the Commercial Service can help them export, and together have convened more than 70 export-related customer seminars.