U.S. Commercial Service: Arkansas Export Assistance Center

Whether you’re looking to make your first export sale or expand to additional international markets, the U.S. Commercial Service offers the trade counseling, market intelligence, business matchmaking, and commercial diplomacy you need to connect with lucrative business opportunities. In addition, we will help you to develop trade finance and insurance strategies that align with your particular business objectives and help you complete your export transaction.

Following is a list of our general assistance areas. We will work with you to identify and tailor the right mix of U.S. Commercial Service capabilities to achieve your exporting goals. Please note, availability of some services may vary based on international market conditions and or staffing.

Contact:

Sean Kelley 

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501-324-5797 

or

James Bledsoe

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 501-324-6544

Trade Counseling

Planning and Strategy

• Create a comprehensive international business plan for entry or expansion into targeted markets.
• Get ideas and cost-effective solutions to help achieve your business goals.

Legal and Regulatory Issues

• Determine export licensing needs for shipping your products.
• Understand and comply with global product standards, certification requirements, electricity regulations, and packaging laws.
• Learn how to avoid intellectual property rights issues and legal disputes.

Documentation and Product Requirements

• Learn about export documents, including Electronic Export Information filing, invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin.
• Verify the tariff rate for your product, as well as any import fees for a particular market.
• Determine your product’s Schedule B and HS numbers.

Trade Problems

• Get assistance with customs-related issues.
• Obtain support from our Advocacy Center if your company’s exports or foreign bids are adversely affected by a trade barrier or by market access issues.
• Learn how to limit the risk of non-payment, and receive counseling if problems arise.  

Trade Finance and Insurance

• Formulate an export finance strategy leveraging loan programs provided by the Export-Import Bank of America, the Small Business Administration, and other trade finance organizations to reduce risk and enable your company to offer competitive terms of sale.
• Get guidance on pricing your products and services to ensure competitiveness in your target markets while maximizing your profits.

Business Matchmaking

Contact Lists

• Identify potential partners.
• Market your firm directly to local companies.

Partner Search

• Identify potential partners and get detailed company reports.
• Determine the marketability of your product or service.

Personalized Business Matchmaking

• Meet one-on-one with pre-screened buyers, sales representatives, and business partners through our Gold Key Service.
• Leverage customized market briefings, research, and advice.

Trade Missions

• Participate in official business development missions led by senior U.S. government leaders (view upcoming missions).
• Meet with agents, distributors, government and industry officials, prospective customers, and U.S. Embassy officials.

Trade Shows

• Use our International Buyer Program to meet with pre-screened buyers and receive export counseling at major U.S. trade shows.
• Exhibit in the U.S. Pavilion at our Certified Trade Fairs.
• Let us distribute your marketing literature at international trade shows.

In-Country Promotions

• Leverage customized venues to reach potential partners and buyers.
• Advertise in our official catalog of U.S. suppliers sent to nearly 400,000 international companies.
• Feature your company on our local-language Web sites.

Market Intelligence

Country and Industry Reports

• Get accurate and detailed information—at no cost—from more than 100,000 country and industry market reports, written by our in-country trade professionals.
• Receive updates on new regulations, business trends, and government-financed projects.

Customized Market Research

• Gauge the sales potential for your products or services with individualized reports on global markets.
• Discover which factors influence prospective customers, identify your competitors, and obtain pricing for comparable products.

Background Reports

• Learn about potential partners from our trade professionals working in the target markets.
• Order an international company report containing available sales, profit figures, potential liabilities, and other financial information.

Commercial Diplomacy

• Overcome trade obstacles to successfully enter international markets.
• Benefit from coordinated U.S. government engagement with foreign governments to protect U.S. business interests.
• Access U.S. government trade advocacy for your foreign government procurement bids.

Contact:      Sean Kelley

                   Director

                   U.S. Export Assistance Center

                   425 West Capitol Avenue

                   #425

                   Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

Office:            501-324-5796