The Commerce Department’s U.S. Commercial Service is partnering with FedEx Corp. to support the service’s efforts to boost exports from U.S. small and midsized businesses, the agency announced yesterday.
The agreement includes linking FedEx Web sites and BuyUSA.com, the Commercial Service’s matchmaking site. The effort may include other activities such as joint export promotion seminars for U.S. small and midsized businesses, sales force training and direct marketing campaigns.
FedEx, Memphis, TN, can inform its clients about the Commercial Service’s worldwide export assistance network of 108 domestic offices and 149 posts in 78 countries that provide end-to-end export solutions. The U.S. Commercial Service conducts thousands of trade events yearly, and the FedEx deal should generate more public awareness of its export promotion activities.
FedEx and the Commercial Service expect more successes like Wild Flavors Inc. of Erlanger, KY, a manufacturer of flavor, color and ingredients for the food and beverage industry. FedEx referred Wild Flavors to the service last year. Through export counseling, market research and other assistance from the Commerce Department, plus international shipping solutions from FedEx, Wild Flavors anticipates a 50 percent rise in export sales this year, the company said.
Exports support about 20 percent of U.S. manufacturing jobs. Small and midsized companies comprise 97 percent of U.S. exporters, but only a small share of the value of U.S. exports.
