Public PolicyIt’s Time For Trucks and Trade to Move ForwardBy Tom Donohue, President & CEO, US ChamberAmericans take pride in living in a country that keeps its word,but sometimes we fall short. Last year, Congress voted to terminatethe U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking program that wasagreed to as part of NAFTA. Under this agreement, the UnitedStates and Mexico were to grant highway access to safe, properlyinspected trucks from the other country. The idea was to facilitatethe flow of goods, increase trading opportunities, and reduceshipping costs.When trading partners don’t keep their commitments, bad thingshappen. Mexico retaliated against America’s reneged promise byplacing tariffs on 89 products, from strawberries to sunglasses,potentially costing more than 25,000 U.S. jobs. With unemploymentnear 10%, that’s the last thing our workers need right now.There used to be a Washington consensus in favor of trade becauseit creates jobs, increases consumer choices, and saves Americansmoney. Trade still delivers all those benefits, but the consensus hasbeen destroyed by partisan politics, special interest agendas, and afear of competing. We need to get back on track.If our elected officials are serious about <strong>creating</strong> good jobs, theymust revive and advance a comprehensive trade agenda that willbenefit all Americans. They can start by enacting--at long last--pending agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.These deals have already been negotiated, and the terms are incrediblyfavorable to the United States. Our foreign competitors--including the European Union and Canada--will soon enact theirown accords with these countries. The U.S. Chamber estimatesthat more than 380,000 Americans will lose their jobs if we fail toenact our own agreements while our competitors move forward.In addition, lawmakers should reject policies--such as Buy American--thatwould put us on a path toward economic isolationism.Beyond our borders you will find 95% of the world’s customers,87% of its economic growth, and 73% of its buying power. Weshould break down the barriers that keep our companies out ofthese markets.Finally, we must do more to support small businesses that areready to do business overseas. While a quarter-million small andmidsize companies currently export, that’s just one in every 100U.S. small businesses. Many more should be pursuing opportunitiesabroad.The case for increasing American exports is rock solid--of the 5.9%increase in GDP that we enjoyed in the fourth quarter of 2009,2.32% of it was due to exports. It’s time to build on this successby pursuing a trade agenda that can jump-start the economy andcreate the jobs we so desperately need.Small Business’ Connection to AnswersJeff Baana has an ambition. He recently left his job to start his own business.He hopes to manufacture log beds and complete other remodeling jobs. Notsurprising, he has plenty of basic questions about how to get his business off theground. And he faces the specific challenge of being short $2,000 for supplies.Enter BusinessConnection. This service, free toall Minnesota businesses, is intended to be asingle-entry point to help businesses connectwith private and public resources to solveeveryday business problems, particularlythose related to state and local government.This project of Grow Minnesota! was developed jointly and is co-sponsored withthe Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. GrowMinnesota! is the private-sector business retention and economic developmentinitiative of the Minnesota of Commerce, the state’s largest business advocacyorganization. The resource is available online via mnbizconnect.com and at (888)MINN-BIZ.BusinessConnection provides a bridge, connecting companies and the businessassistance services provided by a myriad of public and private entities. Our goal isto provide complete answers quickly. Individuals have a couple of options. Theycan do a keyword search at our online portal. They can also search the website byviewing its most frequently asked questions. Or they can contact us directly viaemail that’s available through the website or the toll-free number.The “new economy<strong>”</strong> is resulting in many new business initiatives. So it’s notsurprising that our most frequent questions pertain to business start-ups includingfunding and licensing. Our assistance is not limited to starting a business. Weare a go-to service for information ranging from how to expand or sell a businessto securing permits and patents to providing direction on human resources andmarketing issues. When asked about issues specific to an organization, Business-Connection does the research with key contacts across Minnesota, especially localchambers of commerce. BusinessConnection got its beginning about two yearsago as an outgrowth of Grow Minnesota!, the Minnesota Chamber’s initiative thatfocuses on job retention and creation. The focus of Grow Minnesota! is businessretention visits. We did almost 900 of them last year. Our conversations with businessowners or managers are twofold: first, we thank them for their investmentin Minnesota and, second, we see if there are problems related to doing businessin our state that we can help solve. What we hear from these businesses alsohelps identify economic trends and shape the Minnesota Chamber’s public policyagenda.Grow Minnesota! visits, though tremendously successful, underscored two facts.We were fielding more and more requests for business assistance. And we recognizedwe were reaching only a fraction of Minnesota companies. There are over100,000. We see less than 1,000 per year. BusinessConnection was launched.Our marketing focus is the 99,000+ businesses that didn’t have the opportunityto visit last year.As for Baana, we did not directly have the $2,000 he needs. But we were familiarwith “The Guide to Starting a Businesses in Minnesota,<strong>”</strong> a great resource producedby the Department of Employment and Economic Development. We identifiedpotential funding sources, then forwarded contact information for the Small BusinessAdministration, Urban Initiative Program and other organizations. And, ofcourse, Baana knows we’re a resource for other everyday business problems thathe encounters. We’re only a telephone call or keystroke away.Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce • 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • Website: www.epchamber.org7
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