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D R A F T
Resolution Regarding Survival Issues
Of the U.S. Commercial Service
2006 National District Export Council Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana
November 1, 2006
Whereas, the Commercial Service of the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce has been mandated under OMB directive A-25 to institute “full cost recovery” on its services to U.S. exporters, which would result in an instantaneous increases of up to 300-400 percent, and though Congress has exempted the Commercial Service for the current Fiscal Year;
And, whereas the avowed mission of the Commercial Service is to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and that this “full cost recovery” increase would decimate the ranks of SMEs seeking to export;
And, whereas the Capital Security Cost Sharing (CSCSP) provisions for State Department-imposed charges on the Commercial Service offices overseas would result in massive personnel reductions and thus greatly diminish the services available to SME’s;
And, because these actions in concert threaten the actual survival of the Commercial Service, and thus its assistance to SME exports with the consequent loss of jobs;
Now therefore, it is the consensus of the 2006 National District Export Council Conference:
To urge the House/Senate Conference Committee to permanently exempt the Commercial Service from the OMB directive A-25 that mandates full cost recovery;
To eliminate the $8,000,000 withheld from the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce that assumes that this sum will be required in fees charged for services;
To maintain an affordable fee structure for SME’s using the Commercial Service programs;
To allocate additional funds to the Commercial Service to pay the costs of the new security requirements mandated by the State Department’s CSCSP.
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