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Data Solutions
Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition
The Census Business Builder is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use format.
Export Solutions
Classification Search Tool
One of the first questions companies have when they export products, is what is the classification of my product. We have a classification search engine that helps companies with this process. Another great feature about this tool, is that it's a learning search engine. Previously a user wouldn't be able to search on "ipod" or "iphone", but now the tool tracks searches to help provide companies with more accurate results.
Connecting You to Global Markets
Learn how to export, connect with foreign buyers, handle trade challenges and expand operations in new markets. These 12 Export Solutions give you advice, tools and market intelligence for a successful international sales strategy.
Commercial Diplomacy
International offices help U.S. firms overcome trade obstacles to successfully enter international markets.
Global Market Finder
This tool is one of the more recently developed visualizations. This is a tool companies can use to identify potential export markets for their products and visualize commodity exports globally. For example, if you export fresh apples, you can find annual data on unit prices for each country and growth rate. The tool immediately provides the top 5 countries for a product, but provides analysis for all countries where a product was exported.
Introduction to Export Controls
Export regulations apply to organizations of all sizes, including one-person operations and private individuals exporting items to family and friends. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) regulates exports of most commercial items and some defense items through the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
USA Trade Online
Many companies are looking for information about foreign markets as possible opportunities to enter for their product. In addition, companies are also interested in learning about foreign competition from products being imported into the country. The USA Trade Online tool allows companies to do a deeper dive into the trade data, allowing users to search on country of destination, importing country, classification, ports of export, value, quantity, etc. Users can sort on growth rate to find the newer markets for their product.
U.S. Commercial Service
If you're looking for export assistance local to you, start with a U.S. Commercial Service trade professional in more than 100 U.S. Commercial Service offices nationwide and in more than 70 international offices.
Intellectual Property
General Information Concerning Patents
Commonly asked questions about intellectual property and patents are answered in this guide.
IP Awareness Assessment
In conjunction with the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”), the USPTO offers an intellectual property awareness assessment for entrepreneurs and business owners. This approximately twenty minute survey asks questions about what products are being sold, where and what current intellectual property protection measures are in place, so the user can identify what intellectual property they may have and future steps to protect their IP.
USPTO Search Engine
Before dedicating capital to an invention, many inventors find it helpful to search and see what is already out there. The USPTO Full Text and Image database offers searching of every patent database based on text queries.
Minority Business Growth
MBDA Business Centers
Minority-owned firms seeking to penetrate new markets — domestic & global — and growing in size and scale, can access business experts at a MBDA Business Center. Locate an MBDA Business Center near you.
