Other Government Agencies

In addition to the U. S. Commercial Service, several other federal agencies offer help to American exporters. These include special USDA programs for agricultural products, as well as export finance and insurance.

Working with Government Agencies

For many, government agencies can be a confusion of alphabet soup. Even so, the ones listed below can be relevant to U.S. exporters. If you are in doubt about who to contact, we recommend that you start by contacting your local DEC.

Export Import Bank of the United States (ExIm)

US exporters use EXIM trade finance products to win deals and get paid: Insurance, Working Capital, and Loan Guarantees backed by the US federal government. To search for local EXIM contacts click here.

International Trade Administration – ITA

The ITA, of which the USCS is a part, is charged with strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade through the enforcement of trade laws and agreements. It also publishes the Top Market Reports, and maintains statistical trade data.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA export credit guarantees)

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) provides trade finance solutions for exporters of U.S. agricultural products to developing markets. International sales into these markets can pose financing challenges, as U.S. banks may be reluctant to assume the associated credit risk.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA export loans)

The SBA works through banks to offer special loan programs for exporters. Basically, these are bank loans where SBA guarantees up to 90% of the loan amount, which can be used to finance direct or indirect exports. Indirect exports include things like tourism and the sale of goods to domestic customers who then export them. (For local SBA contacts click here.)

U.S. SBA Working Capital Pilot Program

U .S. Import and Export Price Indexes,U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes are derived from a monthly business survey of U.S. companies that import and export goods and two services: air freight and air passenger fares. The indexes are commonly referred to as the MXPI where M is used for imports and X for exports. The survey records the price changes of the same item over time; each item in the market basket is used to calculate price indexes that measure the average change in prices of imports and exports of industries and products.