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Businesses looking for export as-sistance may find what they want with these new online resources:
Now a place exists where you can receive all the benefits of a trade mission but none of the costs. Go to BuyUSA.com, a virtual trade show where U.S. and foreign entrepreneurs can list their company information, services and logos for perusal by international firms as well as establish a link to their businesses' Web sites. The annual subscription fee is $300, and you have the option of adding your own online catalog for $600 for the first year and $475 annually thereafter.
Companies can also pay an additional fee to gain exposure at real trade shows when there are U.S. officials in attendance. Computer terminals displaying the company's site are set up at events, and the fee varies depending on the occasion.
The Regional Business Partnership, a business organization serving the Newark, New Jersey, region, has created njexports.com, a Web site that aims to connect New Jersey entrepreneurs who export products or services with foreign buyers. Business owners can list contact information and SIC codes for free; they can also link the listing to their businesses' Web sites for a fee yet to be determined.
The New York U.S. Export Assistance Center's site posts the answers to frequently asked questions and allows companies in New York and New Jersey to download export documents for free. They can also post inquiries and search for information on countries, industries and companies. The site is jointly developed by the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Export/Import Bank of the United States and the SBA.
