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Attacking Trade BarriersIn our last article, we identified some of the major trade barriers small-to-medium-sized businesses often face when exporting internationally. But we didn’t want to stop there. As an exporter, you know—and may even have firsthand experience with—the problems. What you may not know is how straightforward it is to begin solving them.
Exporters sometimes ask us what they should do when they face trade barriers, so, with the help of the International Trade Administration, we’ve identified the steps small- to medium-sized businesses can take to be successful in attacking trade barriers in the global marketplace. Here’s what you can do to get beyond the roadblocks.
The International Trade Administration: Your Decisive Resource For Battling Trade Barriers
The International Trade Administration (ITA) helps U.S. businesses improve their global competitiveness by advising and advocating for small businesses interested in international trade. The ITA is composed of three units: global markets; industry and analysis; and enforcement and compliance. Together, these units reach directly into more than 100 locations nationwide and 70 markets in the foreign field to help exporters.
Staff at the ITA are resident experts in advocating for U.S. businesses of all sizes, customizing their services to help solve your trade dilemmas as efficiently as possible. For instance, here’s just one of ITA’s many success stories: ITA Ensures Smooth Supply of Papa John’s Products to El Salvador. If you find yourself caught in an unfair international trade situation, the ITA is a valuable resource that can expeditiously help you understand and solve your problems.
How do you connect with the ITA if you need help battling trade barriers?
Identify your local export assistance center.
From Anchorage to Las Vegas to Shreveport to Ypsilanti, there’s an export assistance center nearby that’s ready and willing to help you. Here’s a list of domestic offices.
Contact them via email or phone.
Once you know the closest location, you’re ready to seek help. Export assistance centers are staffed by experts who can help no matter how small or large your trade barrier seems.
Register your problem online.
If you’d prefer to submit your barrier online, you can easily do so. If you’re facing trade barriers, including intellectual property rights barriers, the ITA has an online form you can complete here.
What happens when you report your foreign trade barrier? What is the process like?
Once you’ve reported your international trade barrier, specialists at the ITA mobilize, forming a case team to analyze the problem. They determine which trade agreement can be used as leverage, agree on a strategy, and define a successful outcome for the situation.
Your team of experts implements the strategy, engaging the foreign government to reduce or remove the specific trade barrier.
The team works with industry toward an optimal solution, escalating as appropriate to attack and eliminate the foreign trade barrier. If your specific case is not successful with these three steps, it may be referred to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representatives and/or other government agencies for possible formal dispute settlement action (via International Trade Administration Enforcement and Compliance).
While no one wants to find themselves in a situation where they’re battling an unfair international trade barrier, it’s reassuring to know there’s a team dedicated to advocating for, broadening, and deepening the United States’ exporter base. The International Trade Administration’s specialists are on the move to help clients by providing hand-in-glove service to assess and recommend options.
To find out more about the ITA and the ways the agency can help you with trade barriers, visit their website.
Special thanks to John Andersen, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Markets, for his expertise in this series on global trade barriers.
| Product Model | Inside Diameter | Outside Diameter | Thickness |
| PBMF250270140M1G1 bearing | 250 | 270 | 140 |
| PBMF250270100M1G1 bearing | 250 | 270 | 100 |