President Obama focused on job creation in his State of the Union speech last night, highlighting an initiative on increasing American exports to support good jobs here at home. USTR is working hard to reduce trade barriers around the world so that America's businesses can sell more of their products in the global marketplace.
Read excerpts from a Reuters article about this effort below, and read the full article here.
"President Barack Obama on Wednesday launched a drive to double U.S. exports over the next five years in a move that reaches out to business groups and Republicans who have criticized his inaction on trade.
"We need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America," Obama said.
"So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America," Obama said.
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To accomplish that goal, Obama announced a "National Export Initiative" to help farmers and small businesses sell more of their goods overseas, and also promised to reform export controls that high-tech manufacturers say are out of date."
