Commerce Secretary Locke Chairs First Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Meeting

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Larry Summers join interagency meeting focused on initiatives to boost U.S. exports and create jobs

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Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today chaired the Obama Administration’s first meeting of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) and focused on initiatives to help boost U.S. exports, spur economic growth and create jobs. Locke was joined by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Larry Summers, Director of the National Economic Council, and other top Administration officials from 20 federal agencies on the White House campus. The TPCC, established by an order of Congress in 1992, is an interagency group chaired by the Secretary of Commerce to establish trade promotion priorities to expand trade and create jobs for Americans.

“We have 30 million companies in the United States, but less than one percent of them export—a percentage that is significantly lower than all other developed countries. America already makes great stuff—now we just have to work at selling more of it around the world,” Locke said. “With ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers living outside our borders, we have a golden opportunity to grow our economy faster and create new jobs.”

TPCC members agreed to launch six working groups and cooperate across agencies to create plans to tackle the challenges of engaging more U.S. companies to boost their exports. Each group will be co-chaired by one of the TPCC agencies and a representative from Commerce.

The working groups are:

• Small business: Increasing the participation of small- and medium-size businesses in exporting;
• Clean energy: Focusing on clean energy technology and services and other emerging engines of growth;
• Priority markets: Developing outreach, major projects and trade missions to China, India and Brazil;
• Next tier markets: Identify and coordinate our efforts in developing counties in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America that can benefit from market development assistance;
• Advocacy: Providing increased advocacy abroad for U.S. companies competing for major infrastructure projects;
• Analysis: Providing better data analysis to help study export sectors with high job creation potential.

“Virtually every federal department has a role to play,” Locke said. “There is a great deal we can do together, boosting exports, speeding up the economic recovery and contributing to American industries’ competitiveness and vitality.”

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