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Research for this section
has not yet been completed.
Suggestions are welcome.
It will focus on trade promotion in all directions,
not just export promotion.
In other words, it will highlight services which are
intended to support companies as they seek to grow their export sales in
other markets, as well as services which support US or other foreign
companies to develop trade opportunities within the NAFTA regions.
This will not be limited to governmental or non-profit
organizations. Significant private sector trade promotion services may
also be highlighted, but it is not our intent to create a comprehensive list
of export support services. There are many good directory resources already
available for such purposes. Refer also to our
Government Services
directory.
The main reason for including the list here is that trade
development is often closely linked to subsequent direct investment projects
if the trading activity is successful. We therefore believe that, from
an executive's perspective, they belong together even though we do not wish
to duplicate effort since many good trade promotion resources already exist.
Our focus is on the lack of a more efficient marketplace for capital
investment project support. |
Governmental
agencies typically deal with trade matters as a one-way process, such as
export promotion. They also tend to look at direct investment as a one-way
process to attract new investment, rather than to help local companies succeed
elsewhere beyond the early stages of export promotion, such as when a local
presence becomes necessary to develop and support further trade and global
growth opportunities more
effectively. It is not unusual for the trade
promotion and investment promotion programs to have relatively little
contact with each other, much less coordination of their activities, because
they look at these as two separate markets (pushing exports by local
companies, and pushing investment by companies outside the area).
Areas with active business retention and expansion programs can be confusing
in this regard, because they tie into both. Shouldn't they help the
foreign investors in the area to expand and export elsewhere too, just as they
would help local companies to do so? Both types of investors can benefit the local area.
The point is that this can be a confusing area, with many
variances in the scope and quality of services offered to business, and in
the degree of integration between trade and investment promotion services in
an area. |
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