DED?s BuyUSA opens doors to foreign commerce

The Missouri Department of Eco-nomic Development's Office of Interna-tional Marketing is partnering with the U.S. Department of Commerce to promote Missouri businesses via the BuyUSA program.

According to a DED press release, BuyUSA is an Internet-based program, and its affiliates have access via e-mail to foreign contact lists from around the world. The lists contain more than 17,000 potential foreign buyers.

The focus of the BuyUSA program is business-to-business "matchmaking," between suppliers of U.S.-made products and services, and foreign importers and buyers, which include agents, distributors and users.

The Office of International Marketing is a BuyUSA affiliate, and OIM staff members will receive e-mail requests from the comprehensive foreign contacts list, which enables them to closely target foreign businesses that are seeking to expand or trade. The e-mail lists will be used to cultivate leads and match foreign products and companies with Missouri businesses.

"This is an excellent marketing tool that focuses on global promotion. Our offices will be able to take these leads and make personal calls to companies seeking to expand, which is more effective than cold calling," said Angela Kinworthy, OIM director for the DED. "The BuyUSA program will open a lot of new doors for many businesses in Missouri."

"This program will offer numerous opportunities for us to assist our business partners in attracting trade and expansion from foreign markets," said DED Direc-tor Joseph L. Driskill.

Driskill added the department is pleased to be working with the U.S. Department of Commerce and is looking forward to helping Missouri companies broaden their economic development efforts.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has staff in 90 countries and 160 overseas locations at which staff members are qualifying foreign buyers and making contact information available to BuyUSA program affiliates.