What: Event announcing the launch of a business partnership agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The business partnership will support the National Export Initiative and provide access to support for small and medium-sized enterprises interested in exporting to new foreign markets.

When: 10 a.m., Monday, July 12, 2010

Where: Ben Franklin Room
United States Postal Service Headquarters
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington D.C. 20260-3100

Who: John Potter, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Postal Service
Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce
Pranab Shah, Vice President and Managing Director, Global Business, U.S. Postal Service

Background: Currently, a relatively low percentage of American businesses export compared to other nations, and nearly 60 percent of all exporters sell to only one foreign market. More than 70 percent of the world’s purchasing power is outside the United States.

The Postal Service and Department of Commerce are expanding a partnership established in 2008. By working in cooperation to engage small and medium-sized enterprises interested in expanding into new markets, the doorway to exporting will become easier than ever for small and medium-sized companies in the U.S.

The Commerce Department, with its network of trade specialists posted in 109 U.S. cities and at 128 U.S. embassies and consulates in 77 countries, and the Postal Service, with its unparalleled access to communities across America and ability to serve as a gateway to the globe, together represent a significant resource for domestic companies seeking new markets as a pathway to growth.

source: U.S. Postal Service