VC: Lana, tell us about your position here at the US Department of Commerce.

Basically, what we do is help companies within our state or within our area export. A lot of people come to us who need help with documentation, legal requirements, or new markets to export their products or services. We help them with their research and point them in the right direction. We offer fantastic services that will help the client get contacts within a new market. We have a service call the Gold Key. We will contact the embassy in the area they're looking in and ask them to do research and find agents and distributors that the client can work with. We have a network of 140 embassies all over the world that are working for you and your company. We work as an intermediary to get the process started for a lot of companies. In a lot of instances, we provide research free of charge. Probably the most important thing to remember about the network that makes up the US&FCS is that we have locals who work for us in our embassies and consulates. So, if you are trying to sell aviation equipment into Argentina, there is an Argentine Commercial Specialist within our embassy in Buenos Aires who can help sell your product in his market. The lifeblood of our organization is the locals who work for us throughout the world.

The Gold Key Service [this service includes a fee] will set up meetings. They also have interpreter services, will sometimes set up hotel services, and will usually offer, for a fee, the use of a driver. The amount of service depends on what the client requests. Usually for a 1-2 day stay, they set up 3-4 contacts with prospective business partners per day. This, of course, depends on the market and industry. There are a lot of other services we provide. We work a lot with other agencies. We work with the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Export Administration. We also work with the Trade Information Center. [ Available by phone at 1-800-USA-TRADE] For instance someone will call us and say, "We want to export to Uganda. We need to know the tariff and tax information for this particular product." We refer them to the Trade Information Center (TIC). We don't have [direct] access to tariff rates. The TIC does have a web site that the public can access. It is incredible the amount of information that is available there. Most of the most recent information we obtain is primarily through the embassies. We usually work through the National Trade Data Bank. It's a fantastic source of information: everything from political, governmental, economic, and industry related data. It will give you travel restrictions. Everything you need to know from soup to nuts! It will give you contact information for the U.S. Commercial Service offices abroad, as well as embassies and consulates of foreign governments located in the states.

VC: Many of our clients won't consider exporting because it's too scary. Others want to export but they don't know where to begin. What do you usually recommend?

Lana: A lot of our clients want to start exporting and don't know the first thing about it. We will refer them to the Basics of Exporting Classes that The World Trade Center provides. It's a really good class. It provides a lot of good information, especially when you don't know how to get started.

Martha: If someone calls in telling us that they want to export, we need more information. We don't even know if they have a company. We don't know if they're a manufacturer or service provider. Those are two of the most basics questions they will need to answer. [Other considerations are] whether they manufacturer something and/or have the right to sell it overseas. As an example, we've had several calls people who have just returned from a European vacation who noticed how much the Europeans love Harley Davidsons. But, they don't have the rights to sell them without the permission of Harley Davidson. They think they can get rich selling Harleys overseas, but they can't do it. Harley Davidson restricts their production for a reason. There are a lot of things people would like to sell overseas, but they can't sell because they don't have the rights to market these things.

Once we find out that someone is representing a real company and they're either a manufacturer or service provider, then we'll start working with them once we know they're export ready.

VC: Define "export ready" for us.

Martha: Unless the specific item is really geared toward overseas markets, I would want to see that they have been in business for at least 2 or 3 years, and have a firm hold on the domestic market. There might be reasons why they're not selling into the domestic market. Maybe they make tortillas and can't sell them to California because there are a lot of other local producers. But, they can sell them to Toronto, Canada. Maybe there's a reason why they shouldn't be looking at another part of the domestic market, but they should be looking at the export market.

We really prefer to have a company say that they want to move into foreign markets because they want to expand their sales because they have the capacity. We want to make sure they have the capacity to expand. If they're coming to us and they're already at full capacity how are they going to manage to export if they haven't built facilities to expand the capacity. So, you have to look at the infrastructure of the company. Another matter that is of utmost importance is, "Who am I talking to?" Because if I'm not talking to somebody who is making the decisions then it doesn't really matter. When they are ready, we're ready to help them. The key is in our name: Export Assistance Center. It's our job to help U.S. companies export. The local industry specialists in each country are also a key to what we do and keep us valid. They really hit the ground running for U.S. companies.

Inquirers in Colorado may contact:
The U.S. Export Assistance Center
1625 Broadway, Suite 680
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-844-6623
For the national directory see the website:
http://www.ita.doc.gov/