In-Person Assistance
The federal government offers free in-person counseling services to help
small business obtain export financing and locate business opportunities
overseas.
- U.S.
Export Assistance Centers
Located in major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S., these centers
provide small and medium-sized businesses with local, personalized export
assistance by professionals from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the
U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other public
and private organizations.
- Contact a Trade Specialist Near You
The U.S. Commercial Service provides a network of export and industry
specialists located in over 100 U.S. cities and 80 countries. These
professionals provide free counseling and a variety of services to assist
small and midsized U.S. business export efforts.
- USTDA Consultant Database
for Small Businesses
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency provides this database of companies
and individuals providing fee-based consulting services to small businesses
interested in importing and exporting.
Finding Business Opportunities
If you are looking to bid on overseas contracts, grants or business
opportunities, there are a few programs available to help you with your bid.
Export Controls and Licenses
Most export transactions do not require specific approval in the form of
licenses from the U.S. government, although regulations regarding all exports
must be followed. To determine whether a license is needed to export a
particular commercial product or service, an exporter must first classify the
item by identifying what is called it's Export
Control Classification Number (ECCN).
For general information on export licensing and regulations, visit Export.gov
- Regulations and Licenses. In addition, several other federal
agencies have specific export licensing requirements.
The following resources provide further information on export controls and
licensing:
- Export
Controls and Licensing Requirements: An Introduction
This page is designed to give people who are new to exporting, and, in
particular, new to export controls, a general understanding of the Bureau of
Industry and Security (BIS) regulations and how to use them.
- Export Licensing
Guidance
This section is designed to assist visitors through the export licensing
process and provides important information that individuals and firms need
to know before exporting, including essential publications, frequently asked
questions, and forms.
- U.S. Export
Controls and Licensing: Training and Seminars
The Bureau of Industry and Security offers a wide range of export control
workshops, from complying with U.S. export controls to training sessions for
freight forwarders and help in initiating an export management system.
- U.S.
Bureau of Industry and Security: Export Policies and Regulations
Provides links to regulations governing exports of dual-use commodities,
software, and technology. This site also includes discussions of certain key
regulatory policy areas, including policies governing exports of high
performance computers, exports of encryption products, deemed exports, U.S.
anti-boycott regulations, special regional considerations, the multilateral
export control regimes, and the technical advisory committees.
- Governmental
Rejections
Guidelines for why goods may be rejected by the government of an
importer’s country, including bans on goods and labeling.
Exporting Technology
The exporting of technology has its own set of rules and regulations. Technology
and Source Code Exports (Deemed Export Rule) answers frequently asked
questions about exporting technology and source code.
The European Commission's Directive on Data Protection prohibits the transfer
of personal data to non-European Union nations that do not meet the European
'adequacy' standard for privacy protection. The Safe
Harbor Portal provides assistance to U.S. companies trying to avoid
interruptions in their business dealings with the European Union countries or
facing prosecution by European authorities under European privacy laws.
Protecting Intellectual Property Overseas
Currently, there are no universal, internationally-recognized trade name and
trademark protection laws, however, you can take measures to protect your
business name and intellectual property rights when doing business outside of
the US.
Compared to their larger counterparts, small businesses are often more
vulnerable to piracy and intellectual property theft due to limited resources
and expertise. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) also
provides resources dedicated to small business patent, trademark, and copyright
issues, including global concerns, at Stop
Fakes.Gov.
Shipping Your Products Overseas
When shipping a product overseas, an exporter must be aware of packing,
labeling, documentation, insurance and other requirements of the destination
country. Because of the paperwork involved, most exporters rely on a third-party
international freight forwarder to perform these services.
To find an international freight forwarder and learn about specific
requirements for international shipping, visit Export.gov's International
Logistics web site.
FAQs and Publications
The following resources provide answers to common questions about exporting
overseas.
- Export
Library
SBA's trade library provides information and resources to assist businesses
entering and competing in the global marketplace.
- Doing Business
Abroad FAQs
The U.S. State Department offers this guide to doing business in
international markets. Includes frequently asked questions about doing
business abroad, facilitating overseas investment, trade restrictions, and
assistance for foreign companies.
- Avoid
International Financial Scams
Provides guidelines on how to avoid international business scams when
conducting business overseas.
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