CALIFORNIA WATCH : Going Global

At least one California state unit deserves public recognition for helping to smooth the way for business development.

It’s been 10 years since the California State World Trade Commission, a unit of the Trade and Commerce Agency, began pushing exports, and its dogged and innovative efforts have not gone unnoticed. The U.S. Commerce Department recently awarded the commission one of its Excellence in Exporting Awards.

Exports are increasingly important to California and the nation as a whole. To encourage trade, the Commerce Department annually bestows its “E” Awards on manufacturers, service companies and organizations demonstrating exceptional export growth over four years.

The award is well-deserved. The World Trade Commission has been of special help to small companies seeking to crack foreign markets. The Commerce Department made the award on the basis of what it described as the commission’s creative marketing and promotional services, which have been made available to--and used by--exporters seeking to grow and expand. Those services include a model export finance program that offers export loan guarantees, trade shows, an automated trade library and foreign-language product catalogues for various markets.

With the slowdown in U.S. exports, such efforts to promote the sales of goods and services abroad are needed now more than ever. Here’s hoping the commission will continue to play a vital role in helping California firms go global.