USTR Addresses Trade Barriers Impacting Small Business Exports to EU

This month, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative ("USTR"), the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. International Trade Commission ("USITC") are teaming up to convene a nationwide series of roundtables to hear directly from small businesses around the country about specific concerns and trade barriers they face in exporting to the European Union ("EU")as well as their suggestions for reducing these barriers and increasing cooperation with the EU to help small businesses benefit further from new trade and investment opportunities. This major outreach effort to small businesses will help inform a USITC study commissioned by USTR to identify trade barriers in the EU that may disproportionately impact small and medium firms, and help ensure that the United States takes into full account the priorities of small businesses in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("T-TIP") negotiations. The T-TIP was launched in July in Washington, D.C. by the United States and the EU

The roundtables will be held in 20 cities nationwide between September 9 and September 27. Additionally, public hearings will be held in San Jose, California on September 26 and Washington, D.C. on October 8. Small business exporters can find out more on how to participate in a roundtable, the public hearings, or submit written comments at http://www.usitc.gov/332_541_Trade_Barriers.htm. The USITC study will be completed and made public in early 2014.