I know this is not import or Customs-related, but it’s important, nonetheless (and I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to get my export blog up and running–but please, stay tuned!).
The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) released its report, the 2011 National Export Strategy: Powering the National Export Initiative, which focuses on implementing the 70 National Export Initiative (NEI) recommendations presented to President Obama in September 2010.
President Obama launched the NEI during his State of the Union address last year and established a goal to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014. The 2011 National Export Strategy sets forth four focus areas for 2011:
- Collaborating with states, metropolitan areas, and border communities;
- Encouraging exports by U.S. companies selling technologies in high-growth sectors, partly through improving the U.S. supply chain infrastructure;
- Ensuring better data and measurement of U.S. services sector exporting; and
- Removing barriers to trade, including through pending agreements.
This is also in line with the Export Control Reform Initiative, which is a comprehensive review of our current export control system to identify possible areas of reform. As part of that initiative, the Administration has identified four component areas of reform fundamental to our export control system:
- Single Control List;
- Single Primary Enforcement Coordination Agency;
- Single Information Technology (IT) System; and
- Single Licensing Agency.
Yes, this is all very exciting news. In fact, it seems everyone has the export bug! The U.S. Census Bureau, among other things they do, is also publishing a newsletter to highlight the latest international trade information and resources (TradeSource).
The reforms are long overdue and it seems that everyone really is hard at work to help make President Obama’s dream come true (the one about doubling exports). There’s a lot of moving and shaking going on in the world of exports and you will want to stay tuned!
