LAtest News
Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Commerce (the Department) is pausing for approximately 90 days the issuance of new export licenses involving certain firearms, related components, and ammunition
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Accepting Applications November 1, 2023 – January 19, 2024What is the “E” Award?This prestigious award was created in 1961 by…
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District Export Councils are organizations of business leaders from local communities, appointed by various U.S. Secretaries of Commerce, whose knowledge of and expertise in international business provides a source of professional advice for their region's local firms. Closely affiliated with the U.S. Commerce Department’s Export Assistance Centers and the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, the 59 DECs that exist throughout the country support the U.S. Government’s export promotion efforts. The two Ohio DECs are responsible for the creation of this website.
Currently there are approximately 1,500 DEC members who volunteer their time and specialized expertise to assist small and medium-sized businesses in their local communities establish or increase export sales, thus promoting our country’s economic growth and creating new and higher-paying jobs for their communities. DEC members also sponsor and participate in numerous trade promotion activities, as well as advocate for effective trade policy positions.
DEC ACTIVITIES
District Export Councils encourage and support exports of goods and services that strengthen individual companies, stimulate U.S. economic growth and create jobs. Export expansion activities are accomplished by working with the U.S. Commercial Service Offices to provide opportunities to promote greater export activity at the local level while developing a trade assistance network.
The mission of the District Export Councils is supported through activities such as:
• Counseling and mentoring of local businesses in exporting;
• Identifying export financing sources for businesses;
• Creating greater export awareness in the business community locally;
• Identifying issues affecting export trade and implementation of suggestions for improvement;
• Advocating trade policy and legislation supporting exporters and the U.S. export sector;
• Supporting programs and services of the U.S. Commercial Service;
• Building local export assistance partnerships with other trade-related organizations;
• Providing export training and education through Cleveland State's GlobalTarget Program and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce's Export Success Program.
While DECs and individual DEC members engage in legislative advocacy and outreach regarding trade issues, DEC members are prohibited from being registered lobbyists and neither DECs nor DEC members engage in any activity which requires lobbying registration.
The Ohio DEC focuses on promoting other non-profit organizations. One of the resources the Ohio DEC provides is a calendar for all surrounding non-profit events and/or conferences.
In 1960, the President asked the Secretary of Commerce to enlist the efforts of the U.S. business community in enlarging export opportunities for American firms. Responding to this challenge, the National Export Expansion Council was formed.
Meet Our Board of Directors
David Bowen
Kimberly Smith
Gary Ellerhorst
