Export opportunities discussed at Chamber event

Left: Chamber Chair Jim Elder and Chamber Government Affairs Committee Chair Mike Hebert welcome local business and community leaders to the Exporting 101 - Leveraging the Resources of the U.S. Government seminar held at the Chamber office. Below: Opening comments delivered by Congressman Louie Gohmert.



The resources offered by the U.S. Commercial Service for exporting products and services were presented by Senior International Trade Specialist, North Texas Greg Thompson Tuesday morning at the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce office. Local industry representatives and business owners interested in beginning or expanding export business attended.

U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert welcomed attendees. He discussed the importance of the balance of trade, and the impact the export market has on the East Texas region and said, “You can get things done when you know how they work.”

Thompson explained how the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce works and the services available for U.S. businesses.

The U.S. Commercial Service is a worldwide network of trade specialists working to increase trade between American businesses and their respective countries. “Creating prosperity through global trade” is the organization’s vision statement.

“We help identify the best potential markets for a service or product. We help identify the best foreign partners that will be a good fit. We can give information for overseas marketing opportunities, and we provide legal information concerning registrations, certifications, duties, HS codes and other things that go along with doing business in foreign markets,” Thompson said.

Thompson described one program offered, The Gold Key Matching Service, as a “sophisticated dating service.”

“After discussing the product or service with the U.S. supplier, we determine the best foreign partner. We then schedule a conference call between the two that will include our trade specialist. If the opportunity is there, we’ll help arrange the trip so that all can discuss, face-to-face, the details,” Thompson said. “This service legitimizes the supplier and will open doors with the country’s higher-level officials that may not open by a supplier working alone.”

A free market research resource available at www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ is the Country Commercial Guide, CCG. The CCG is a handbook listing profiles for every country that does export business with them. Thompson explained the importance of knowing a foreign market’s demographics and culture.

Thompson may be contacted by phone, 214-712-1932, or by email, Greg.Thompson@mail.doc.gov, for more information.

Below from left: Trade Specialist Greg Thompson, Log-Master Owner Edward Gibson, U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert and SFA Dept. of General Business Lecturer Marcus Cox at the Nacogdoches County Chamber Exporting 101 event.