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July/August 2007 — Vol. 85, No. 6

Government export assistance programs and services

 

The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC) offer a number of export programs and services. For more details, contact DECD at 860-270-8068 or the USDOC at 860-638-6950.

Export Assistance Program — DECD works with the USDOC Export Assistance Center in Middletown to offer this reimbursement program, which helps small and midsize companies explore global market opportunities. DECD will reimburse qualified Connecticut companies 50%, up to $1,000, during a 12-month period for the participation fees in USDOC programs. USDOC programs eligible for reimbursement include:

  • Gold Key Service — one-on-one business appointments with foreign companies
  • International Partner Search — partner searches/contact lists
  • International Company Profile — background checks of international companies
  • Advertisements in Commercial News USA, a USDOC publication only available abroad

Participation fees vary by program and country, and reimbursement is not provided for company travel, lodging, meals, etc.

To qualify for the Export Assistance Program, a company must have fewer than 500 employees, manufacture at least 51% of its product in Connecticut, have been in operation for at least two years and have a business plan. An application is available from both DECD and the USDOC.

Technical assistance — including one-on-one business counseling

Workshops, seminars, webinars and videoconferences — covering such topics as export documentation, export licensing, export controls, CE Mark, intellectual property rights, and country-specific briefings via video link with USDOC commercial specialists posted abroad

Trade missions and trade shows

Market research and export statistics

Federal export portal — www.export.gov contains information from all federal agencies involved in international trade and includes trade events, trade leads, market research, country reports, controls, regulations, etc.

Featured U.S. Exporter (FUSE) — Web-based advertising

Trade complaints

 

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