Need expert advice on international trade? Just ask us; the Virginia/ DC District Export Council (DEC) offers free help to the business community.
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The DEC is a private, non-profit organization that brings together experienced international business people who provide guidance and assistance in international markets. The DEC also works closely with professionals of the U.S. Commercial Service in our region. DEC members also meet with federal, state, and local elected officials to educate and inform them on trade policy issues impacting the region’s business community.
Mission:
- Encourage exports that strengthen individual companies, stimulate U.S. economic growth, and create jobs;
- Assist export expansion activities by working with the U.S. Commercial Service domestic offices; and
- Promote greater export activity at the local level by developing a trade assistance network.
Services:
- Counseling and mentoring of local businesses in exporting;
- Identifying export financing sources for businesses;
- Creating greater export awareness in their local business communities;
- Identifying issues that affect export trade and implementation of constructive suggestions or improvement;
- Advocating trade policy and legislation supporting exporters and the U.S. export sector;
- Supporting programs and services of Foreign Commercial Service;
- Building local export assistance partnerships with other organizations; and
- Promoting international education at the community level
DEC Members have a wide range of international business expertise. Our members each have special trade knowledge they are eager to share to help businesses develop export sales. By completing the mentoring request form above, we can connect you with the right DEC member, or with other service providers as appropriate. DEC members are also available to speak on international trade topics to audiences of business executives and concerned citizens.
Export-U.com is the DEC’s massive free online export training and resource website. It offers 20 export Webinars on practical topics like “How to find overseas customers?” “How to get paid?” and “How to manage international business risk?” It’s Exporter’s Resource Database offers tons of information, including over 200 downloadable publications, and an enormous cash of other trade-related information.