Government Resources for Exporters

Trade Information Center

Trade Information Center
Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20230
(800) 872-8723

Established in the Department of Commerce, the Trade Information Center is the first point of contact for information on U.S. government programs and activities that support exporting, including:

• Export counseling
• Seminars and conferences
• Overseas buyers and representatives
• Export financing
• Technical assistance

National Trade Data Bank

Department of Commerce
Washington, DC 20230
(202) 482-1986

Established by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, the NTDB compiles the federal government's offerings of information on international trade, export promotion, trade contracts, country profiles, and other international economic data. The information is available on disk and sells individually or by 12-month subscriptions.

Trade with Eastern Europe and Selected Areas

The following offices have been established within the International Trade Administration to respond to the greatly expanded need for business information on new opportunities for trade and investment in selected parts of the world.

Eastern Europe Business Information Center (202) 482-2645

The Baltics (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) are now considered part of Eastern Europe.

Japan Export Information Center (202) 482-2425

Latin America/Caribbean Business Development Center (202) 482-0841

Office of European Union and Regional Affairs (202) 482-5276

The key Department of Commerce sources for information on trade potential for U.S. products in specific countries are the international economic policy country desk officers (listed below). These specialists can identify the needs of an individual firm wishing to sell in a particular country in the full context of that country's economy, trade policies, and political situation, as well as U.S. policies toward that country.

Country Desk Officers