The Export-Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service are out with their basic guide to exporting book, a fantastic tool for Oklahoma exporters or those businesses interested in developing international markets.
Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/GtExpt
One obstacle Oklahoma firms with little experience of exporting may run into is the challenge of knowing just where to begin. While U.S. and Oklahoma-state agencies are there to help, another tactic may be to use a tool available at the click of a mouse.
Google’s Global Market Finder tool is free and simple to use. It provides an easy step for those Oklahoma manufacturers interested in learning about what niches and markets lie outside the U.S.
According to Google, the global market finder has access to more than 1.9 billion customers around the globe, including connecting to what geographic locations where their products are in demand, estimating costs and providing translations for non-English speaking partners.
For those interested in learning more about export opportunities, real, live trade professionals are also available to help at the local level. Those interested in speaking with Oklahoma-based trade professionals should contact Jennifer Springer at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce or Marcus Verner at the U.S. Department of Trade.
(Top photo: The Oklahoma Department of Commerce – by Bo Apitz).
Chuck Mills.
As the deadline for renewal of the Export-Import Bank of the United States’ charter approaches at the end of June, some congressional representatives promise they’ll allow the vital American economic tool’s existence to lapse.
In an article by Andrew Taylor of the Associated Press, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling said he wants the bank’s charter to expire without a vote and said that “the momentum is in our favor.”
“This is going to be a critical vote, or hopefully a non-vote, on the future of the Republican Party and the future of our economy,” Hensarling said.
Despite pleas from House Speaker Jon Boehner that such a move would risk thousands of American manufacturing jobs for workers whose products are shipped abroad and guaranteed through the EXIM Bank’s export credit insurance, it appears Representative Hensarling’s move to kill the vital government program may succeed.
The OKGIT’s Chuck Mills, who is also the 2014-2015 Chairman of the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce and a third generation small business owner and exporter, penned an op-ed in the Tulsa World countering claims that the EXIM Bank is government subsidized corporate welfare and a burden on Oklahoma’s small businesses.
According to Mills, “the bank is a government agency that has, in fact, returned $7 billion to the government since 1992, while enabling businesses like ours to enter to new markets through the safety net provided by the bank’s export credit insurance offerings.”
Randy Kellogg
He also touched on the repercussions should the bank’s charter not be renewed, writing “Three generations of my family have been manufacturing quality earth drilling products worldwide for a range of drilling types, right here in Shawnee. We sell drill bits, augers, and other equipment overseas, with exports now accounting for about 20 percent of our business. The export-import bank enabled us to cultivate many of these overseas opportunities — which would ultimately be jeopardized if the bank lost its charter, along with our 20 employees.
“In the Sooner State alone, since 2007, over 115 businesses received export-import bank financing that supported over 7,000 jobs. Losing that financing and the bank’s credit insurance offerings would deliver a harsh blow to businesses throughout the state.”
The OKGIT’s Randy Kellogg, an approved lender with many years of experience in assisting Oklahoma firms do business with EXIM, also spoke in favor of the charter’s renewal at the group’s March 2015 meeting.
“Export-Import helps keep a level playing field for Oklahoma companies on international markets…it doesn’t help finance foreign governments as some critics suggest or only benefit big companies. Its financing helps smaller manufacturers who are indirect exporters when they supply firms like Boeing Company…”
Sawyer Manufacturing Co.
The most obvious success story of EXIM’s support on Oklahoma-based businesses is Sawyer Manufacturing, which was just named the Small Business Administration’s National Exporter of the Year.
In an EXIM feature on the Tulsa-based small business‘ use of the banks financing, Sawyer Manufacturing’s Vice-President Dave Hembree said that “the ability to extend credit on international sales allows us to grow our business in existing international markets and export our products to new countries by giving our international distributors more flexibility to invest and market our products. Credit terms provided to our international distributors in these markets allow them to better compete, so it makes our U.S. made products more competitive in the international markets.”
Dr. Jim Collard, John Curzon, Jennifer Springer and Ray Brown, Pipeline Equipment, Inc.
Among the estimated 94,000 attendees to this year’s Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas were several representatives from the Lone Star State’s northern neighbor, including members of the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team.
Dr. Jim Collard of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Economic Development Department, John Curzon of CCK Strategies and Jennifer Springer of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce were on hand as group representatives for an evening reception co-sponsored by the ODOC and OKGIT.
“Simply put, it was a great opportunity to showcase Oklahoma for companies from across the country and across the world,” said CPN’s Dr. Collard.
The annual offshore technology conference is an international affair with energy professionals from across the globe converging on Houston to meet and showcase new technologies, practices and ideas. While the conference is focused on energy industry issues, the diversity of industries represented by the 94,000 attendees offers opporunities to discuss issues as wide ranging as international trade, technological updates and financing for future projects.
If you’d like to learn more about the 2015 Offshore Technology Conference or future events like it, visit their website here. If you’d like to learn more about the Oklahoma Governor’s International Team’s participation in the 2015 event, please contact Dr. Jim Collard, John Curzon or Jennifer Springer for more information.
Oklahoma firms continue to show why they can compete with firms closer to the coasts through a spirit of innovation and determination to grow their businesses overseas. Several Oklahoma firms were recognized for their exporting achievements during last month’s Oklahoma World Trade Conference, while Tulsa-based Sawyer Manufacturing Co. recently received an honor from the U.S. Small Business Administration, as it was named the national Exporter of the Year.
Sawyer Manufacturing Co. specializes in designing and producing pipeline infrastructure construction equipment, and according to company spokesman Drew Martins, prides itself in taking on projects of all kind to meet the needs of customers around the globe.
“We actively try to partner with other manufacturers when there’s an unmet need,” Martins told the Journal Record’s Brian Brus. “One of the things I see in other big and small companies is that if a product isn’t in their catalog, they pretty much refuse to do it. We approach it differently, because with enough time and resources, we’ll do anything.”
According to a release from the SBA, the firm was founded by Red Sawyer and AB Jensen in 1948, and has since grown to a 40-person staff exporting to more than 50 countries. In 2013 it was named as one of Tulsa’s “Fast 40” of the metro area’s fastest growing companies.
Though primarily focused on the oil and gas sector, the firm’s emphasis on diversifying its customer base allows it to succeed in a state where energy-related work has fallen off.
Vice-President Dave Hembree told the Tulsa World‘s Casey Smith that Sawyer’s readiness to take on unique projects that involve a smaller or customized line of products has the Tulsa firm branching out to customers in the restaurant, fitness, and water utility fields.
“The more diversified we can get, the better,” he said.
Representatives from Sawyer Manufacturing will visit Washington D.C. and the White House during the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week from May 4-8.
Sawyer’s success, as well as other Oklahoma exporting firms like it, show that despite Oklahoma’s landlocked location, good business practices and better products will continue to have an appeal to customers around the globe.
The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. U.S. Commercial Service trade professionals in over 100 U.S. cities and in more than 75 countries help U.S. companies get started in exporting or increase sales to new global markets.
The Commercial Service, along with other U.S. Government agencies, organize and support a broad range of events for U.S. businesses interested in selling their products and services overseas. These events include webinars and seminars on the fundamentals of exporting; counseling and other support at U.S. and international trade shows, recruitment of foreign buyer delegations to U.S. trade shows, and trade missions of U.S. delegates to foreign markets for one-on-one meetings with potential customers and partners. Click here for a Searchable List of Commercial Service supported Trade Events.
Event: 101 of Exporting
Venue: Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ Campus
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 8:30am – 4:00pm
Cost: $40
Info: http://export.gov/newjersey/tradeevents/localevents/index.asp or email Ryan.Hollowell@trade.gov
Register Here!
Learn the ropes of exporting; understand the rules of export licensing; experience a day of executive-level pragmatic presentations from experts in the field of international business!! See below for details.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This seminar is ideal for marketing and sales management and staff, import/export operations personnel, purchasing, logistics, and anyone with a responsibility for import/export functions.
Malaysia Commercial Specialist to Visit Northern NJ Commercial Service Office
Appointments Available!
On Friday, April 3rd, Commercial Specialist Randall Liew from the Commercial Service Kuala Lumpur Office will visit New Jersey to consult one-on-one with companies on the benefits of expanding sales to Malaysia. Randall’s appointments will be limited and conducted via conference call or in-person. If you are interested in speaking with Randall while he is in town, please email Brian Beams at Brian.Beams@trade.gov or call (973) 645-6032.
Event: Opportunities in Africa’s Power Sector
Venue: Your computer
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 – 11am EST
Cost: $20
Info: https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=5Q4D
On June 30, 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa, President Barack Obama announced Power Africa — an initiative to increase the number of people with access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. Rooted in partnerships, Power Africa is working with African governments, the private sector, and other partners in sub-Saharan Africa to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity as well as increase electricity access by adding 60 million new home and business connections.
The U.S. Commercial Service, in support of the Power Africa Initiative, is organizing a web-based seminar highlighting five of Africa’s top power markets. This webinar will provide a snapshot of opportunities in these markets, as well as resources available to help your company succeed.
Event: National Institute of Health SBIR/STTR Programs: Opportunity for Business Webinar
Venue: Your computer
Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 – 1pm EST
Cost: $15
Info: https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=5Q3Q
Are you a small or medium-sized business working on research and development of a product to improve human health? We invite American exporters to learn about the funding opportunities from the National Institute of Health’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. NIH provides grant opportunities for small businesses in any biomedical or behavioral research area that falls within NIH’s mission to improve human health. Join us on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 at 1:00 PM EST for an ONLINE program to learn about the programs’ general requirements, the application process, the three distinct phases of funding, where to find awardee/applicant lists, and the differences between the SBIR and STTR programs.
– Dr. Matthew Portnoy, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Manager, will provide his expert knowledge and experience about how your business can leverage these programs
– Learn about what a successful application includes and the overall success rates
– Ask questions and receive feedback from Dr. Portnoy, the expert that administers the SBIR/STTR programs for NIH
– Learn about whether the SBIR or STTR programs are right for your business.
Event: Identifying the right REACH Only Representative (OR)
Venue: Your computer
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 12:00pm Eastern Time
Info: https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=5Q4C
Partnering with a REACH Only Representative (OR) is a necessary and expensive cost for U.S. businesses exporting chemicals to the European Union. However, many U.S. companies are unaware of the impact choosing an OR has on their ability to increase their exports to the European Union. The Commercial Service at the U.S. Mission to the European Union is pleased to invite you to participate in a webinar dedicated to assisting chemical exporters select and manage their relationship with a REACH OR.
Our guest speaker, Dr. Rudolf Staab, is president of the Only Representative Association which recently published “Best Practices Guide” for ORs. Dr. Staab’s presentation will focus on the various roles of the REACH OR including, the strategic implications of choosing a professional OR service, ownership of the REACH dossier, service offerings and factors that go into the calculation of fees. At the conclusion of this event, participating U.S. exporters will be better prepared to identify the right OR to partner with saving them time, money, and protecting the ability to penetrate the EU market. The cost to participate is $75.
For questions, please email Matthew.Kopetski@trade.gov or call: 317-582-2300.
HEALTHCARE EQUIPMENT, SERVICES, & TECHNOLOGIES TRADE MISSION
EGYPT, JORDAN, & ISRAEL
The USDOC is organizing a business development mission to Egypt, Jordan and Israel, with an optional stop in the West Bank with the purpose of introducing representatives from U.S. firms and related trade associations to the region and to promote exports of U.S. healthcare products and services. Mission participants will receive market briefings and participate in customized meetings with prospective partners. Targeted sectors include Maternal and child health needs, Medical equipment and supplies, including diagnostic, monitoring, and imaging equipment, Hospital and outpatient clinic design, Hospital management, E-health: healthcare management systems/software/network design, Laboratory and scientific equipment, Specialty areas such as oncology, cardiology, wound care, and plastic surgery, Products and services for implementing quality standards and accreditation, Robotics, and Mobile clinics.
When: May 16–21, 2015
Where: Egypt, Jordan and Israel, with an optional stop in the West Bank
Application Deadline: March 13, 2015
Cost: $3,325 for small or medium-sized enterprise or trade association/organization with fewer than 500 employees, $4,625 for large firms, $1,000 for each additional firm representative West Bank optional meetings is in addition to the mission participation fee above, at $750 per SME and $2,300 per large firm
For more information, visit this website: http://export.gov/industry/health/eg_main_076608.asp
Event: Europe’s Cyber Security Market
Date: February 11, 2015
Time: 8AM PST/11AM EST
Fee: $25
Register at: http://go.usa.gov/H22k
The value of the global cyber security market is expected to grow by 11.3% each year, reaching $120 billion by 2017. Learn about the Cyber Security opportunities in…
Bulgaria – Bulgarian government with the support of the European Commission will spend 8 million euro for Botnet fighting and 1 million euros for regulation of cyber threats.
Croatia – Law requires private companies to have protection systems in place, including an Intrusion Prevention System. The value of the Croatian security software market totaled $14.2 million in 2013.
Czech Republic – Cyber threats, cyber terrorism, and warfare have been increasing in recent years, making Cyber Security a top priority for the Czech government, business community, and public.
Hungary – A growing number of organizations, events, and regulatory requirements highlight the necessity for a strong and secure cyber space not only within the private but also within the public sector.
Romania – The government adopted a national plan to implement the Nation Cyber Security System (SNSC). The IT industry in Romania has expressed a desire for enhanced cyber security in sectors such as business analytics, mobile computing, cloud computing, and social business.
Cyber Security in Japan & South Korea
Date: March 10, 2015
Time: 4PM PST/ 7PM EDT
Fee: $25
Register at: http://go.usa.gov/SW5T
Join us for a webinar on Cyber Security Opportunities in Japan and South Korea. Experts from these regions will cover industry highlights.
Despite tough competition from around the globe, U.S. IT Security companies have a strong track record of success throughout the region.
The cyber security market is estimated to grow from $95.60 billion in 2014 to $155.74 billion by 2019, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2014 to 2019 (Source: MarketsandMarkets).
South Korea – Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin expects the country’s information technology (IT) market to double to $8.7 billion in 2017 from the current $4.2 billion. This growth will fuel demand for cyber security product and services from the private sector, defense, and non-defense sectors.
Japan – Since the attacks on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and other organizations in 2011 and 2012, Japan started serious efforts to defend against cyber-attacks as part of its national security program. Japan revisited its Cyber Security Strategy in 2013.
For questions on either of these webinars, please contact:
Pompeya Lambrecht – Pompeya.Lambrecht@trade.gov or 703-235-0102
Erica Ramirez – Erica.Ramirez@trade.gov or 909-390-8491
Doing Business in Cuba
The U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on January 15th, the publishing of the revised Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which implement the changes announced on December 17 to the sanctions administered by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). The changes take effect tomorrow (January 16), when the regulations are published in the Federal Register. The Secretary released a statement earlier today noting that “(t)hese changes will immediately enable the American people to provide more resources to empower the Cuban population to become less dependent upon the state-driven economy, and help facilitate our growing relationship with the Cuban people.” (click here for full text)
What are in these revised regulations?
These measures will facilitate travel to Cuba for authorized purposes, facilitate the provision by travel agents and airlines of authorized travel services and the forwarding by certain entities of authorized remittances, raise the limits on and generally authorize certain categories of remittances to Cuba, allow U.S. financial institutions to open correspondent accounts at Cuban financial institutions to facilitate the processing of authorized transactions, authorize certain transactions with Cuban nationals located outside of Cuba, and allow a number of other activities related to, among other areas, telecommunications, financial services, trade, and shipping. Persons must comply with all provisions of the revised regulations; violations of the terms and conditions could result in penalties under U.S. law.
A Fact Sheet is available here:
To see the Commerce regulations, please see here and Commerce frequently asked questions related to Cuba, located here
To see the Treasury regulation, please see here and Treasury frequently asked questions related to Cuba, located here.
Need more information?
For more information on these regulations:
• BIS’s Foreign Policy Division at 202-482-4252 or http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/policy-guidance/country-guidance/13-policy-guidance/country-guidance/187-cuba
• Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control at 202 622-2480 or http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/cuba.aspx