House Republicans introduce bill to help small firms increase exports

Graves and Tipton say the bills are needed to help small firms that do not have the resources and personnel to increase their foreign sales and must rely heavily on federal and state agencies for assistance.

The first bill would increase coordination between state and federal agencies to increase efficiency while cutting down on duplication within federal trade promotion agencies, while establishing stronger congressional oversight of such programs.   

They expressed concern that many of the federal assistance trade programs overlap and offer duplicative services, and said it is imperative for the agencies to work in unison with efforts at the state level to help small firms.  

The second measure would help small businesses get up to speed on regulations in other countries. Under the bill, agencies would collect up-to-date information on tariff and non-tariff laws, regulations, and practices. Then the information would be organized in an “easy-to-read format, and will serve as a resource for businesses looking to enter a new market,” they said. 

The lawmakers said the Congressional Budget Office has determined there are no cost for the bills. 

“This legislation is a major step in improving the coordination between federal and state export promotion activities and ensuring that taxpayer money is being used most efficiently,”  Graves said. 



“Navigating the export process can be complex and confusing for small businesses, and many simply do not have the time and resources to deal with it,” Tipton said. 

The panel has held several hearings in the past couple of years discussing ways that small businesses can increase their exports.