The Oklahoma Department of Commerce helps to strengthen the state's economy by helping business to grow and expand through exporting and attracting foreign investment. Commerce provides one-to-one counseling to businesses that are ready to expand into global markets. Our agency supports businesses with basic exporting information and tools, workshops and seminars, referrals for financial and governmental assistance, market research, and protocol issues. Through international trade offices in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, China, and Mexico, we facilitate exports, foreign investment in Oklahoma, and educational exchanges with Sister Cities and Sister States. Contact our Global Business Services team today at 800-879-6552 or info@okcommerce.gov to learn more about how we can help your business expand to global markets.
2nd Annual North Africa Trade & Investment Conference Oct. 22
What: 2nd Annual North Africa Trade & Investment Conference When: October 22 Where: JW Marriott Hotel
Cairo, Egypt Registration: Click here to register
July 2, 2009 -- This event will highlight new business and trade opportunities emerging from the latest phase of market deregulation for international, regional and local investors throughout North Africa, as well as issues of liquidity, legal and regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructure development, improving supply chain processes, better cash management, and risk mitigation.
Santos Offshore Oil & Gas Expo and Conference Coming Oct. 20-23
What: Santos Offshore Where: Santos, Brazil When: Oct. 20-23 For More Information: Contact Erika Lucas with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce
June 30, 2009 -- With the discoveries of the Pre-Salt in Santos, Petrobras has approved a director plan for developing the production of natural gas and oil in the Santos Basin with investments of approximately $18 billion over the next ten years. The director plan expects to raise around twelve million cubic meters/day in the supply of gas to the Southeast market, from the second half of 2008. Until the end of 2010, the volume should increase to 30 million cubic meters/day of gas.
Santos Offshore will be the stage for releasing machines, equipments, and other supplies used by the oil and gas industry and as a showcase and motivator for finding technological innovations for the whole industry.
OPIC to Hold Minority and Women-Owned Business Workshops in Boston and St. Louis This Fall
June 2, 2009 -- The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) will conduct workshops for minority- and women-owned businesses in Boston and St. Louis this fall.
The Boston workshop will be held September 24 at the Westin Hotel at Copley Place. The St. Louis workshop will be held October 22 at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott.
Tulsa-Based FreshBerry Opening 120 Stores in Middle East
May 15, 2009 – According to the Tulsa World, the owners of Tulsa-based FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Cafe have signed a deal to put 120 restaurants throughout the Middle East.
Owned by Tulsa-based Beautiful Brands International, the chain has reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia-based United Food Co. for exclusive rights to putting the restaurant in eight Middle Eastern nations.
The company owns other restaurant concepts including Camille's Sidewalk Cafe and Coney Beach.
New Updated Trade Finance Guides Available for Oklahoma Companies
April 13, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce has published an updated version of the Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters. This concise and easy-to-understand tool was specifically developed to help U.S. small- and medium-sized enterprises learn quickly how to get paid from their foreign customers in the most effective manner.
The Trade Finance Guide continues to garner overwhelming interest by the exporting community. Since its release of the first edition in April 2007, over 75,000 copies of the Guide have been distributed, in print and electronically, to the public during the past two years.
Oklahoma Businesses Honored for Export Success at 26th Annual Oklahoma World Trade Conference
April 9, 2009 - The Oklahoma Department of Commerce was among several agencies honoring the winners of this year's Export Achievement Awards as well as the Governor's Award for Excellence in Exporting.
Export Achievement Certificate Winners:
The Export Achievement Award recognizes small and medium-sized enterprises that successfully enter the international marketplace for the first time or that successfully enter a new market.
Ely Energy-Gary Eaton, Managing Director
Based in Tulsa, Ely Energy designs, manufactures, and installs systems and subsystems for niche markets in the energy, environment, and edible oil sectors.
Beam's Industries-Ed Pope, Account Manager
Beam's Industries, based in Oklahoma City, produces seatbelts and restraint systems for a variety of on-road and off-road vehicles. Although the company sold products to Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Europe, it didn't have a focused, strategic exporting plan that targeted specific countries for doing business.
Oklahoma Exports Top Five Billion In 2008
March 6, 2009 -- Oklahoma's exports reached $5.05 billion dollars in 2008, up from $4.5 billion in 2007. According to data collected by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, international exports in Oklahoma grew by 10% in the past year and over the past five years, Oklahoma exports have grown by more than 58%.
"The export figures prove that Oklahoma companies are succeeding in today's global economy," says Natalie Shirley, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism. "Oklahoma's international success is critical to the development of some of the state’s most exciting small and medium sized businesses."
Video Details Free Export Services, Trade Opportunities
Make instant contact with potential partners, distribution agents, or suppliers around the world;
Get a customized international business strategy that meets your company's needs;
Find new markets where your products and services are in demand;
Attend key international conferences and trade shows to market your company worry free and at reduced costs. Let Commerce handle all in-country travel arrangements, provide translation services, and set up meetings with industry decision-makers ready to do business with your company.
A new online course called Creating and Increasing International Sales and Profits is designed for people in small or medium-sized firms wanting to explore the potential of improving sales and profits and people in large firms who need to better unerstand all disciplines in international business. Click the link for the course brochure.
Trade Talk, a free online publication, includes comprehensive articles on events shaping U.S. trade policy, quick facts, and upcoming events. To sign up, visit www.ustr.gov and click on "Receive USTR e-mail updates" on the right side of the home page. Your e-mail address is all that's required to receive the twice-monthly electronic publication.
Featured Links
Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters Written to help U.S. companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), learn the fundamentals of trade finance to turn their export opportunities into actual sales. Eleven concise, two-page chapters offer the basics of numerous financing techniques, from open accounts, to forfaiting, to government assisted foreign buyer financing.
International Trade Statistics 2006
Provides comprehensive, comparable and up-to-date statistics on trade in merchandise and commercial services worldwide.
Protecting Intellectual Property
Learn how your company can protect its trademarks, patents, and copyrights overseas, or to file an intellectual property-related trade complaint.
The Global Top 20
The Foreign Policy Globalization Index assesses the extent to which the world's most populous nations are becoming more or less globally connected.
Do You Need Export Control Documentation for your Product? The Bureau of Industry and Security offers local seminars to help companies understand critical US export control requirments. Click here for the 2007 seminar schedule to find an event near you. Click Here
Are You a Defense Product or Services Exporter?
Need help understanding U.S. goverment ITAR regulations? Visit the Directorate of Defense Controls website for Licensing and Registration requirements.
FITA - The Federation of International Trade Associations
The FITA website provides excellent online and free resources on doing international business including information on featured countries, trade news and statistics, and access to an online business-to-business marketplace. Sign up for their bi-weekly e-newsletter at www.fita.org.
Buyusa.gov - USDOC Gateway to Worldwide Business Information
Buyusa.gov features regularly updated individual web pages on all the countries served by the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service as well as links to market research and other useful services. If you're looking for more information on a new market, this site is an excellent resource. http://www.buyusa.gov/home/
U.S. Government Export Portal
From current trade news and information on the basics of exporting, to trade events, trade leads and market research tools, the U.S. Department of Commerce is a convenient and reliable source of information. Go to the main portal page at www.export.gov.
