Increased Coordination Needed to Increase Exports

Statement

House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) today held a full committee hearing to examine the National Export Strategy and the effect that bureaucratic obstacles are having on small exporters. With over 20 federal agencies involved in the exporting process, many small firms have voiced concern about the difficulty of maneuvering through the bureaucracy and regulations.

"With just one percent of the 28 million small businesses in American exporting, there is great untapped potential for economic growth and job creation," said Graves. "However, in order to spur more small companies to export, we must lower trade barriers, improve agency coordination, and reduce complicated bureaucracy.

"If the President wants to double exports by 2014, the first step in doing this should be to pass the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to level the global playing field. We must also streamline the trade process and reduce costly federal regulations and procedural requirements. Most small businesses lack the capital and manpower to navigate complex trade barriers and as a result, many simply do not export. Decreasing these barriers would open the door for more small firms to compete in the world marketplace.

"In 2010, U.S. exports accounted for nearly 12 percent of the GDP and supported an estimated 10 million jobs, including about four million small business jobs. Passing the pending trade agreements and eliminating needless red tape would be an instant catalyst to spark growth in our economy and get Americans back on the job."

Source