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201 W. Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707-7970

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Scott Walker
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IMPORTANT: As of July 1st, 2011, functions once performed by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce have been moved to other state agencies and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The former Commerce web site will continue to exist for the next several months as resources are moved to new web site locations. We will make every attempt possible to direct our users to the new locations as web resources are moved.

Bureau of Export Development
PO Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707-7970
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Vol. 8 #6, July 2009

Assistance in Getting the Most from Free Trade Agreements
When the United States enters into a free trade agreement with another country, the potential problems of getting product smoothly to market do not miraculously disappear.  Sometimes new regulatory mandates or licensing requirements are invoked to stem the flow of new imports.  U.S. companies can call upon the International Trade Administration’s Trade Compliance Center (TCC) to ensure they receive fair access to markets and the full benefits of all trade agreements signed by the United States and its trading partners.  TCC experts are currently assisting clients in approximately 480 specific foreign trade cases, many of which may affect entire industries.

TCC teams can assist in removing or reducing discriminatory trade barriers related to customs, rules of origin, government procurement, investment, services or standards testing, licensing, and certification requirements, among other issues.  The team can also assist with intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.  TCC uses bilateral consultations with counterparts in foreign governments as well as multilateral negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) to achieve results.

TCC draws on the resources and expertise of approximately 400 of the Commerce Department's country, industry, and trade agreement specialists, as well as hundreds of relevant experts from the U.S. Commercial Service’s domestic offices and foreign posts and other U.S. Government agencies.

In a recent trade complaint, TCC, in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service in Mexico City, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the local American Chamber of Commerce, helped to defeat substantial new restrictions on investments in all sectors of the Mexican economy.  The restrictions appeared to be inconsistent with Mexico’s NAFTA obligations.  In another example, TCC marshaled its expertise and leveraged its resources to eliminate a tariff on electronic decoders imposed by the Canadian government.  The WTO Information Technology Agreement required Canada to provide duty-free treatment for this equipment.

The Trade Compliance Center can serve as a single point of contact for U.S. firms facing trade barrier issues.  TCC staff will identify which arm of the federal government can be of most assistance in resolving a dispute.  The Program will do that for you, and will follow up to ensure your problem is addressed.  Moreover, there are no charges for the Program’s services.  Visit the TCC website for more information.