Hartford, CT - Secretary of the State Denise Merrill today joined U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (CT-2) and the U.S. Commerce Department Export Assistance Center in Middletown to launch a new series of monthly webinars and events in 2013 that will help Connecticut small businesses break into international export markets, expand profits, and ultimately create more jobs. The webinars are sponsored by the U.S. Commerce Department Export Assistance Center in Middletown and will cover topics including: Export Compliance, Export Documentation, Middle East Market Opportunities Website Optimization to Attract International Buyers, International Market Research, Korean Aerospace Opportunities, Canadian Oil Sands Opportunities, India Trade Day, and Asia Pacific Trade Day. Webinars will provide to Connecticut businesses vital information and training without leaving their office. Each webinar is 60-90 minutes with opportunities for interactive questions and answers with the participants, and experts in each field who will lead the discussions. The webinars will be prepared and broadcasted by the Middletown, CT US Export Assistance Center. Registration for the webinars will be on the Center’s website www.export.gov/connecticut and additional webinar topics will be announced in the spring. More than 800 Connecticut companies participated in the various international trade programs sponsored by the U.S. Commerce Department Export Assistance Center in 2012.
“Connecticut continues to break records exporting our products and services all over the world,” said Secretary Merrill, Connecticut’s Chief Business Registrar. “This dynamic state-federal partnership will help our businesses expand their overseas sales, growing profits and creating jobs at home. Even in a challenging economy, Connecticut companies exported more than $16.2 Billion in goods and services in 2011, and we want to encourage the growth of this market as much as possible. There are many consumers all over the world waiting for the high quality products manufactured right here every day, and Connecticut companies can compete globally armed with the knowledge, skills and connections that these webinars and trade events bring.”
“During the three international trade missions I have led with the U.S. Department of Commerce, I have worked to open international markets to eastern Connecticut companies,” said Congressman Courtney (CT-2). “At businesses like Aerocision in Chester and BNL in Vernon, the connections we made on those trade missions are already yielding new business and spurring additional hiring and growth. Thanks to the webinars spearheaded by Secretary Merrill, other Connecticut companies can learn from those successes and tap into previously-inaccessible international markets.”
Secretary Merrill has committed to using the resources of her office to assist the Commerce Department’s outreach to Connecticut businesses by directly contacting more than 120,000 businesses registered with the Secretary of the State’s office to inform them of the opportunities available through the webinars. Information about the exporting opportunities will also be posted on the Secretary of the State’s CONCORD business registry website online at www.sots.ct.gov
The schedule of the export webinars is as follows:
Webinars
Canada: Agriculture Opportunities and Challenges 1/15/2013 20 participants
