U.S. Chamber’s Donohue Makes The Case For More Trade, Releases Study

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Get daily news from the American Association of Exporters and Importers home page. See what the big guys are supporting, advocating and promoting.

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Register for upcoming and get archived Journal of Commerce webcasts such as Avoiding Customs Penalties, Cool Cargoes: The Forecast for Imports and Exports and Living with 10+2.

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Commissioner Bersin of CBP speaks on relations with the trade community in a Journal of Commerce video.

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Follow-up to Mike Laden's "ACE in the Hole" article.

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Kelby Woodard's Welcome to the New Commissioner of Customs, Alan Bersin

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Mike's Laden's Article "ACE in the Hole"

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From TBI & Capitol Hill
December, 2006
Michael Schmitz , World Customs Organization (WCO) Director of Compliance and Facilitation, discussed TBI’s role in WCO activities with TBI sponsor Mike Laden of TII at the Customs Symposium in Washington , D.C. last summer. According to Laden, Director Schmitz said he is very open to discussing a pivotal role for TBI representing US SMEs which he intends to pursue in 2007. Check back for further developments on this and other TBI initiatives in the nation's Capital.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Last summer, TBI Directors, Curt E. Wilson and John Michel spent a considerable amount of time on Capitol Hill talking to Congressional lawmakers about the specific needs and legislative interests of SME importers and exporters. Their discussions with senior lawmakers, particularly Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL), focused on legislative initiatives which facilitate increased trade and revenue growth and what Congressional reps are doing in terms of working with the Executive Branch and international trade representatives to further TBI member interests. While TBI was working on SME trade issues with lawmakers, Manzullo was working hard on improving the service of the ExIm Bank.

TBI has learned that Manzullo, the House Small Business Committee Chairman, voted for legislation to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank and expand its outreach to help more small businesses sell their goods and services overseas. The House amended and passed the bill unanimously this morning, and the Senate is expected to endorse it later this week before sending it to the President for his signature.

“This is representative of Congressman Manzullo’s many actions that have helped US importers and exporters,” says TBI Secretary General, Leslie Levy August. S. 3938, authored by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), would reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank’s charter for 5 years and would restore a Small Business Division within the Ex-Im Bank, a top priority in similar legislation (H.R. 5068) co-written by Manzullo. Created in 1934 as an independent U.S. government agency, the Ex-Im Bank provides export credit guarantees, insurance and direct loans to help American companies export overseas.

The legislation also includes provisions championed by Manzullo to give the restored small business division more teeth by authorizing small business specialists within each division of Ex-Im Bank the ability to approve loans, guarantees and insurance at recommended levels up to $10 million. These provisions will speed up consideration of small business loans by experts who will know what is necessary to help small businesses compete overseas. In addition, S. 3938 allows the Senior Vice President of the Bank’s Small Business Division to intervene and advocate for small business exporters in specific transactions. Finally, S. 3938 enhances Ex-Im’s delegated loan authority to private banks for medium-term transactions.

“I was pleased to work with the Senate to restore a Small Business Division within Ex-Im and place small business specialists within each operating division of the Bank who will be able to expeditiously approve loans, guarantees or insurance for small employers exporting overseas,” Manzullo said. “Although they employ the majority of Americans and create most new jobs each year, small businesses do not sell as much overseas as they should. This legislation will help them increase their exports so they can prosper and create more jobs for Americans.”

Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office released a study requested by Manzullo that showed the Ex-Im Bank has consistently missed its statutory 20 percent set aside mandate for small business since Congress increased the mandate in 2002.

 »DOC/NIST Export Alert Service for U.S. Exporters 

     TBI has learned that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has begun offering an export alert service for US exporters. "Notify U.S." is a free, web-based information service that offers U.S. citizens, industries, and organizations the opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that could affect their businesses and access to international markets. 

     “Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to report to the WTO any proposed technical regulations that may affect trade with other WTO Members,” the NIST said in a statement describing the service. “The WTO Secretariat receives these reports and distributes them as “notifications” all WTO Members.” 

     By subscribing to Notify U.S., U.S. entities receive, via e-mail, notifications of changes to domestic and foreign regulations for a specific industry sector and/or country. The industry sectors are defined by the International Classification for Standards (ICS) codes developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 

     To find out more about the service and to register, just follow this link: http://www.nist.gov/notifyus/

     »Trade Bridge International and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) 

     Trade Bridge International represents the interests of SME importers and exporters. The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) guarantees that the members rights we are representing are protected. 

     The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) legislated in 1996 was designed to create a more cooperative regulatory environment between agencies and small businesses. This is a very important piece of legislation which has profound consequences for all SME Importers and Exporters. The three primary reasons for this are the following:
The Act obligates

►"whenever appropriate", provide guidance to assist small businesses in complying with the agency's statutes and regulations and
►establish a program to respond to small business inquiries regarding such issues;
►establish a policy to provide for the "reduction, and under appropriate circumstances for the waiver" of civil penalties incurred by small businesses. 

     When President Clinton signed the SBREFA into law on March 29, 1996, it was heralded as a major coup for small businesses because it allows them to take an active role in and have access to the federal regulatory arena. Specifically, the Act empowers SMEs with:

►More influence over the development of regulations
►Additional compliance assistance for federal rules
►New mechanisms for addressing enforcement actions by agencies

     You can find out more about the SBREFA by going to the SBA Web site at http://www.sba.gov/advo/laws/sbrefa.html. 
     Go here to contact the SBA’s Ombudsman and file a comment or complaint http://www.sba.gov/ombudsman/.