Kirk promotes exports to mayors
| Kirk |
The Obama administration's initiative to double exports within five years is based on the premise that companies in the international marketplace grow faster, add jobs faster and pay higher wages, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in address to the National League of Cities on Tuesday.
A critical part of the effort is to provide more counseling and other resources to make it easier for small and medium-size companies to find markets for their goods and navigate complex regulations for cross-border trade and conducting business in other countries.
Only about 1 percent of small businesses are exporters and those that do export sell only one product to only one foreign country. Kirk said the recent appointment of Jim Sanford as assistant trade representative for small business is one way his office is working to improve those numbers.
Kirk, a former mayor of Dallas, urged the city leaders to support trade missions, educate workers about international opportunities and otherwise 'invest in creating local jobs with global scope.' ' Eric Kulisch