The FINANCIAL -- South
Texas entrepreneurs can now access in their area the resources they need
to learn how to increase export sales overseas and growth in local job
force.The Export-Import Bank of the United States signed an agreement recently
with the International Trade Center at The University of Texas at San
Antonio as the latest City-State Partner with Ex-Im Bank.
Ex-Im Bank's City-State Partners bring state, county, and local non-profit economic development entities together to expand export opportunities by offering advice on the international marketplace. According to Ex-Im Bank, they provide a platform for local small business owners to stay up-to-date on Ex-Im Bank products and services and access to speak with trade finance specialists.
Located at The University of Texas at San Antonio's Downtown Campus, the International Trade Center is a specialty center of the South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center Network. The Network provides small business assistance to 79 counties across the south, west, central and Gulf coast Texas.
In FY 2011, Ex-Im Bank authorized more than $4 billion to help over 200 Texas businesses export. This figure included more than $500 million in small-business authorizations. At the end of FY 2011, approximately 12 percent of Ex-Im's Texas authorizations supported small businesses.
Since January 2011, Ex-Im Bank has expanded its outreach to small businesses through the Global Access for Small Business program. It is dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of small businesses exporting goods and services to maintain and create U.S. jobs. Global Access is supported by a wide variety of representatives from business, financial and government partners and is part of President Obama's National Export Initiative. Small-business owners have been given access to these representatives for one-on-one trade advising at 32 Global Access forums held across the country. To learn more about upcoming forums, see the Global Access events page on Ex-Im Bank's website.
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