News of Note
USTR Celebrates Small Business Week By Focusing On The Benefits Of Free Trade Agreements
Shannon Doyle
USTR marked National Small Business Week (May 20-26, 2012) by highlighting the advantages that free trade agreements can bring to small businesses. Christina Sevilla, Deputy Assistant USTR for Small Business and Market Access, addressed the International Trade Council of Greater Kansas City and emphasized the new opportunities created for companies in Missouri and Kansas by the US-Korea and US-Colombia free trade agreements. According to economic development officials, exports to Korea from Missouri have increased by almost 150 percent during the first quarter of 2012. USTR also included a notice on its website touting the positive impact that the Trans-Pacific Partnership could have on small businesses. USTR plans to address the concerns raised by small and medium-sized business owners, namely the regulatory, legal, and informational barriers facing those who wish to export to the Asia Pacific region, in order to make their exports more competitive in the markets of the U.S.’s Asian trading partners.
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