It has been said that the United States is the most diverse country imaginable. Our exports reflect this diversity with an astoundingly broad range of products and services. Our exports cover the scope from apples, airplanes and antibiotics to zinc, zippers and zinfandel wine. How in the world does the U.S. government deal with facilitating and regulating such a vast array of exports? This is accomplished by multiple agencies, each with a designated degree of autonomy, overlap and responsibility. There are 20 agencies charged with export accountability for products and services pertaining to their area of expertise and jurisdiction.
Some people believe that the United States is the only country with multiple agencies involved in the export process. This is simply a myth. Canada, China, England, Germany and many other countries have multiple agencies that are charged with regulating their respective country's exports.
Another myth that seems to prevail worldwide is that exporting is a right. Exporting from most countries, including the U.S., is a privilege, not a right and therefore laws, regulations and processes are followed accordingly.
Let me use Japan as an example to illustrate the fact that most countries have multiple agencies involved in the export process. The bulk of products and service exports from Japan are managed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and is analogous to our U.S. Department of Commerce. METI covers exports in 16 categories of products and service areas including: military weapons, nuclear supplies, chemical weapons, biological weapons, missiles, advanced technical materials, fabrication materials, electronics, electric calculators (high speed), telecommunication equipment, sensors, voyaging equipment, ocean industry products, propelling facilities, military goods, and machinery goods. However, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries covers agriculture products, wood and lumber, and fish. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare covers products that fall under pharmaceutical issues and pharmaceutical law.
You can find a list of the 20 different U.S. federal agencies in the Export Programs Guide. This publication is the single most comprehensive guide to federal programs that assist U.S. exporters. In this publication, you will be able to ascertain detailed descriptions of more than 100 programs offered by 20 different U.S. federal agencies. These include:

• Export counseling programs,


• Information on trade promotion events,


• Export financing programs,


• Sources of industry- and country-specific information and assistance, and


• Information on export controls and licenses.

For your ready reference and ease of use, you will find entries that provide a brief description, a contact name and telephone number, and a website and e-mail address. Additional valuable information to be found in the Export Programs Guide are listings of regionally-focused programs such as the China Business Information Center, the Middle East and North Africa Business Information Center, and the India Business Center, each of which provides exporters with a single point of access for information on regional trade events, business counseling, and market research specific to that important region. Two appendices to the book include a list of all 107 U.S. Export Assistance Centers located throughout the country and contact information for the 20 federal member agencies of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC).
If after checking the Export Programs Guide you are still having trouble finding what agency to contact or how to locate a particular program regarding an export transaction, then you could always contact the Trade Information Center. You can reach the Trade Information Center at 800-USA-TRAD (E) (800-872-8723).
There are a several reasons justifying the existence of multiple export agencies and why they are necessary. First, no one agency could possibly have staff knowledgeable about all the various types of products and services we export. SME's (government speak for "subject matter experts") are essential to technically and competently handle their respective agencies regarding export issues and topics. Second, if only one agency was charged with regulating all exports there would be the risk that a sole agency would potentially have too much power over such a broad area of importance. Third, having multiple agencies means that there is a specific agency in any given industry or discipline that the export community has to communicate with that understands the nomenclature of the industry.
For example, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is best positioned to deal with medical, drug and food products. The NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) is best positioned to regulate nuclear, atomic and radioactive materials and technology. The DOA (Department of Agriculture) is best positioned to deal with export matters for beef, fruit and similar farm products.
There are, of course, some negative aspects of having to deal with multiple export agencies. These include such issues as complexity created by inherent confusion in having to deal with regulations of multiple agencies, duplication of some programs, additional employees, and "turf orientation" common when more than one government organization is involved in any given process.
In spite of these negatives, the 20 U.S. government agencies involved in the export process do a pretty good job based on the growth and history of exports of the United States. The more you, the exporter, know about and positively use these relevant agencies then the smoother and more productive the results should be for your company and our economy as a whole.
( linda )27 Dec,2011

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