U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-19th District, recently introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would give small businesses in the U.S. new tools to expand and benefit from exports and increased international trade.
“This bill will enable all kinds of small businesses to grow by helping them increase exports and compete more successfully in a global market,” said Hall. “It addresses a range of issues, including the protection of intellectual property. More and more young companies are creating products that qualify as intellectual property, and they need technical assistance targeted to their unique needs.”
Hall”™s legislation, the Small Business Administration Trade Programs Act of 2007, will establish a number of key small-business trade policies. The bill would require the Office of International Trade, an agency directed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, to develop and implement:
an annual federal trade strategy for small businesses, including ways to increase exports, increase competitiveness, protect small businesses from unfair trade practices and expand small-business representation in trade policy;
a system to track small-business exports and use of federal trade promotion resources;
technical assistance for trade-remedy investigations and trade-dispute cases, including one-on-one counseling;
assistance for those needing legal resources to secure intellectual property protection;
a comprehensive set of services to help small business adjust to global conditions;
increased loans and loan guarantees to small-business exporters;
assistance in working with the U.S. Department of Commerce, especially the U.S. Export Assistance Centers.
Hall”™s legislation was scheduled to go to the House Committee on Small Business for review and possible action last week. It would then face a vote by the full House of Representatives.
