In 2011 alone, ITA’s Advocacy Center helped U.S. companies win 51 overseas projects worth $36 billion, with U.S. export content of more than $25 billion, supporting more than 142,000 jobs.
by using our already well-positioned foreign commercial service officers and better showcasing what we have to offer. Initiatives such as SelectUSA are already working to disseminate information and services to potential foreign investors. Through SelectUSA and other programs, ITA is continuing to work to ensure the world knows the United States is “open for business”.
In December, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that, after a competitive bidding process, it had selected its next generation fighter aircraft — Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. It’s yet another sign that American-made products continue to represent excellence and quality all over the world. Under the terms of the deal, the Maryland-based aerospace company will provide more than 40 airplanes to replace older models in Japan’s fleet. The total value of the deal is projected to be $7.2 billion dollars, of which more than $5 billion is considered U.S. exports.
What does this mean for Americans? It means Jobs. Why?
Because exports put people to work. In fact, this Lockheed Martin deal will support thousands of American jobs — an important outcome at a time when so many are struggling - and in the larger picture, this agreement highlights the great possibilities of doing business abroad; contracts with foreign governments provide a wealth of opportunities for U.S. companies — of all shapes and sizes — to boost exports, bolster their bottom lines and impact jobs here at home.
U.S. firms need a level playing field on which to compete. The Commerce Department is committed to providing that level playing field. Central to this effort is the International Trade Administration’s Advocacy Center. Launched in 1993, the Advocacy Center works closely with Commercial Service offices abroad, as well as with other agencies throughout the Administration, to provide high-level support to U.S. companies bidding on major overseas projects. We want to ensure that contracts are awarded based on quality and price, not politics, connections or any other ancillary factors.
The Advocacy Center works to accomplish a number of goals:
• To promote the ingenuity, quality and creativity that so often characterize American products and
services;
• To ensure that U.S. companies are treated fairly and are involved in a transparent process; and
• To help American businesses navigate through the increasingly complex rules and regulations
developing in the global economy.
These efforts have led to great results. In 2011 alone, ITA’s Advocacy Center helped U.S. companies win 51 overseas projects worth $36 billion, with U.S. export content of more than $25 billion, supporting more than 142,000 jobs.
If your company needs assistance, or if you know of another that could use some support, reach out to the Advocacy Center here. We believe in American products. We believe in American businesses. We believe in American entrepreneurs. And, we’ll do everything we can to create opportunities for success abroad. To paraphrase Secretary Bryson, “If we can build it here, we can sell it anywhere.”
About the Author: As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing in the International Trade Administration, Mr. Perez directs the Department of Commerce’s efforts to enhance the export competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and promote job growth in the U.S manufacturing sector.
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