Commercial Section

Investment and Business Contacts

The U.S. International Trade Commission is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices, such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement.

The Export-Import Bank supports the financing of U.S. goods and services, turning export opportunities into real transactions, maintaining and creating more U.S. jobs. It assumes credit and country risks the private sector is unable or unwilling to accept.

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is a self-sustaining U.S. government agency whose mission is to: foster economic development in new and emerging markets; support U.S. foreign policy and create U.S. jobs by helping U.S. businesses to invest overseas. It complements the private sector by managing risk with political risk insurance; providing financing through direct loans and loan guaranties and working with private capital through OPIC-supported funds.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment.  

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than one million small business owners. The SBA also plays a major role in the government's disaster relief efforts by making low-interest recovery loans to both homeowners and businesses.

The National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) is a source of international trade data collected by federal agencies. The NTDB contains over 190,000 trade-related documents, including market research reports, trade leads, trade contacts, statistical information, country reports, and much more. It is available at federal depository libraries, or can be accessed through the Internet at STAT-USA's site.

The Thomas Register is an on-line directory of North American companies specializing in industrial products and services. The register has a database containing information, resources and links for more than 180,000 industrial suppliers and over 2,000,000 products.