Latest News

September 17, 2008
SBEA Founder Marty Duggan Passes Away
Edward “Marty” Duggan, who founded the Small Business Exporters Association in 1989, passed away on Sunday September 14th after a long illness. He was 79. Marty was born in Buffalo, NY, the oldest of seventeen children. He is survived by his wife Mary Lou, as well as three children, four step-children, fourteen siblings, and nineteen [Read More]
August 8, 2008
Congress Fails to Renew Key International Program for Small Business
Congress has left for its summer recess without renewing the charter of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a federal agency that has become a unique and powerful backer of smaller companies in international trade. OPIC’s authority to finance international transactions expired in April. With the additional delay caused by Congressional inaction, the agency is no [Read More]
July 10, 2008
Exporters Must Now File the Government’s Standard Exporting Form Electronically
Exporters must now electronically file the key shipping document required by the federal government. The Shippers Export Declaration (SED), which is required for goods valued at more than $2500 leaving the United States, has been available in both paper and electronic forms for several years. Starting July 2, 2008, however, the Commerce Department required all [Read More]
April 30, 2008
Export promotion by U.S. government could be improved, SBEA tells Congress
More small businesses could be increasing their sales through exports, and the U.S. could be lowering its trade deficit, with better coordination of the government’s export promotion efforts, the Small Business Exporters Association of the U.S. recently told Congress. SBEA testified before a panel of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives [Read More]
April 14, 2008
Opportunities for smaller exporters to be highlighted at upcoming Export-Import Bank conference
Smaller exporters will be helped and honored at the upcoming Annual Conference of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Ex-Im Bank is the federal agency that provides the guarantees and insurance needed to facilitate the commercial financing of exports. At an awards luncheon at its upcoming Washington, DC Conference, Ex-Im will honor some of [Read More]
January 23, 2008
Higher taxes on exporters? Despite trade deficits, some in Congress are considering it
Should Congress target exporters for a tax increase? Despite the record U.S. trade deficits, some in Congress are considering such an action. An effort by Congress last December to raise taxes on smaller exporters was only headed off after an outpouring of protest from the affected companies. And more such efforts may be in store. [Read More]
August 2, 2007
Bill in Congress Would Improve Small Exporter Access to China
Smaller U.S. exporters would have improved access to the Chinese market under legislation introduced in Congress on August 2. The bill (H.R. 3273, introduced in the House by Rep. Rick Larsen, D-WA) includes provisions like these: o China market experts would be posted to U.S. Export Assistance Centers around the nation. o State governments that [Read More]
July 25, 2007
OPIC Improves Access to Trade Finance for Small Companies
If you are a small American company seeking to open a foreign sales office, purchase a foreign distributorship, or buy a foreign warehouse — especially one in a developing country — it can be tough to find financing in the U.S. That’s where the Overseas Private Investment Corporation comes in. And why a recent change [Read More]

EX-IM Bank Shutdown