From Montana to Florida to Maryland, small- and medium-sized businesses have discovered that by exporting their products overseas, they can expand their companies. And for American families, this means that more jobs and new opportunities are created for American workers. This week's trade topic is on trade and small- and medium-sized businesses.
Last week, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk hosted a conference entitled "Jobs on Main Street, Customers Around the World: A Positive Trade Agenda for US Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises" as part of USTR's efforts to create trade policy that helps small- and medium-sized businesses increase exports. The event highlighted the contribution that small- and medium-sized businesses - companies with 500 or fewer employees - have made to the recovery of the United States and their ability to continue to be a driving force for America's economic growth.
At the conference, the Director of the Montana Manufacturing Center in Bozeman, Montana shared that his company has created 262 new jobs since 2000 that are directly related to trade. In Baltimore, Maryland, Marlin Steel Wire Products has expanded its workforce because of exports to over 20 countries across the world.
These businesses are just two of over 250,000 small- and medium-sized businesses that export globally. Small- and medium-sized businesses account for nearly all of U.S. exporters. These businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and USTR continues to work on behalf of these businesses to not only help them succeed, but to help them grow their exports and hire more workers.
