Kamlager-Dove Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Funding for the International Trade Administration (ITA) to Help CA-37 Businesses Export Internationally
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) and Congressman John James (MI-10) led 7 of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to House and Senate Appropriators urging them to fund the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) at the Senate mark of $637 million in the final fiscal year 2024 funding package. International exports are an integral part of the U.S. economy, especially for California’s 37th Congressional District. Roughly $29 billion in exports pass through the Port of LA each year. The ITA’s export assistance services make international trade accessible to small businesses, including those that are owned by immigrants and diaspora communities, enabling them to grow and thrive. At the same time, helping U.S. companies do business overseas provides much needed investment into emerging economies in Latin America and Africa that are asking for greater U.S. engagement. This letter is part of a major push by lawmakers to secure the critical funding that will go directly toward helping businesses back home, growing the economy, and deepening our foreign partnerships. “The ITA and its Global Markets unit provide U.S. businesses with the services they need to export internationally and expand into foreign markets. International Trade Specialists and Commercial Officers across 100 cities and rural communities and in 80 strategically selected countries provide American companies with global market intelligence, counseling, and programs that strengthen their ability to compete in the global economy. ITA also engages in commercial diplomacy to reduce barriers to foreign markets, win foreign government procurements for U.S. companies, and attract inward investment into the United States. These are federal programs that work directly to grow the economy, support U.S. businesses, and create American jobs.” the lawmakers wrote. “The International Trade Administration enables American businesses to take advantage of international market opportunities while advancing the global economic engagement that is necessary to deepen our foreign partnerships,” continued the lawmakers. “Given the rising demand for ITA’s services and present staffing constraints, ITA requires adequate resources to effectively carry out its mission. We ask the Committee to adhere to the Senate mark and make the necessary investments in the ITA that will pay dividends for the U.S. economy and our foreign policy priorities.” Members who joined Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove and Congressman James in sending the letter include: Reps. Dina Titus (NV-01), Troy Carter (LA-02), Stacey Plaskett (USVI), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Colin Allred (TX-32), and Madeleine Dean (PA-04).
As you work to finalize the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Commerce, Science, and Justice appropriations bill, we respectfully request that you support the Senate mark of $637 million for the International Trade Administration (ITA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Such funding would enable ITA to help small and medium-sized companies access export opportunities, supporting local businesses nationwide while advancing U.S. economic engagement abroad. The International Trade Administration’s export assistance services enable many U.S. companies to do business overseas, which simultaneously advances U.S. economic engagement worldwide. Not only does this work grow the U.S. economy, but it is also pivotal to countering the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which increasingly targets emerging economies in Latin America, Africa, and the South Pacific. A greater U.S. economic presence is urgently needed in these strategic regions to meet the demand from partner nations for a U.S. alternative to PRC-subsidized business arrangements. Funding ITA at the Senate mark will ensure the agency is adequately resourced to help American businesses grow their presence overseas and advance our strategic interests abroad. The ITA and its Global Markets unit provide U.S. businesses with the services they need to export internationally and expand into foreign markets. International Trade Specialists and Commercial Officers across 100 cities and rural communities and in 80 strategically selected countries provide American companies with global market intelligence, counseling, and programs that strengthen their ability to compete in the global economy. ITA also engages in commercial diplomacy to reduce barriers to foreign markets, win foreign government procurements for U.S. companies, and attract inward investment into the United States. Two ITA programs, in particular, provide specialized services that leverage opportunities in the global economy to benefit American workers and businesses. The SelectUSA program facilitates foreign direct investment into the United States, with an ever-growing focus on bolstering domestic industries of strategic importance, such as technology and energy. SelectUSA has made a tangible impact on local economies across the country, facilitating more than $200 billion in investment that has created or retained over 200,000 American jobs. Additionally, ITA’s Advocacy Center helps U.S. companies that are competing against foreign firms to win foreign government contracts, helping American businesses grow their presence globally and secure export opportunities. The Advocacy Center has contributed to over $787 billion in U.S. exports and supported approximately 4 million U.S. jobs. These are federal programs that work directly to grow the economy, support U.S. businesses, and create American jobs. The International Trade Administration enables American businesses to take advantage of international market opportunities while advancing the global economic engagement that is necessary to deepen our foreign partnerships and counter the PRC’s malign influence. Given the rising demand for ITA’s services and present staffing constraints, ITA requires adequate resources to effectively carry out its mission. We ask the Committee to adhere to the Senate mark and make the necessary investments in the ITA that will pay dividends for the U.S. economy and our foreign policy priorities. Thank you for considering this request. Members signing the letter: Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), John James (MI-10), Dina Titus (NV-01), Troy Carter (LA-02), Stacey Plaskett (USVI), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Colin Allred (TX-32), Madeleine Dean (PA-04) ### |