DCED Brings International Trade Partners to PA to Promote Overseas Business Opportunities for Interested Companies

Series of 10 Meetings Part of Rendell Administration's Successful International Business Development Program

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania companies that want to explore doing business overseas without traveling abroad will have the opportunity to do so beginning next week when 14 trade representatives visit the state.

The meetings, organized by the Department of Community and Economic Development's Center for Trade Development and its 10 regional export network partners, will be held March 10-23 and will include business experts from Australia, England, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates.

"Pennsylvania's economy suffers when businesses don't have the opportunity to expand their markets," said DCED Secretary George Cornelius. "By helping to forge new relationships, we are providing Pennsylvania companies with opportunities to penetrate new markets, which often results in new orders and new jobs. These in-state meetings will make it even easier for small and mid-sized companies to get information and technical assistance about potential international opportunities."

Twenty-four overseas trade representatives enable DCED's Center for Trade Development to help Pennsylvania's businesses improve their global competitiveness by providing market intelligence, export counseling, compliance support, business contacts and trade promotion programs in approximately three dozen nations.

DCED's Office of International Business Development helped to increase the commonwealth's exports at a significantly faster rate than the national average, prior to the recession: Pennsylvania's exports in 2002 were valued at $15.3 billion; in 2008, exports totaled $34 billion, up 18 percent over 2007.  

In the fiscal year that ended June 30, the Office of International Business Development directly facilitated $455 million worth of exports, a 25 percent increase over the previous year. Last year, the office directly assisted more than 1,200 companies.

For more information, call 1-866-466-3972 or visit www.newpa.com.

Media contact: Steve Weitzman, 717-783-1132

Editor's Note: The itinerary for the meetings with Pennsylvania's foreign trade representatives is below. Interested companies should reserve a meeting time by calling the respective contact listed below:

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development