USAID to Continue its Support of Small and Medium Enterprises’ Exports
February 1, 2008

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The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will continue its support to expand Salvadoran exports in 2008 by collaborating with El Salvador Export Promotion Agency (EXPORTA) in small and medium enterprise (SME) participation in 15 international trade fairs; 13 commercial missions for services, food and multisectoral products; and five specialty coffee commercial missions.

This support was confirmed on January 17 during the presentation of the 2008 International Trade Fairs and Commercial Missions Plan, which will be carried out by EXPORTA.

The presentation in San Salvador, was attended by representatives of SMEs, the Fund for Productive Development (FONDEPRO), El Salvador Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIES), donors and the media.

EXPORTA Fairs and Commercial Missions Adviser Francisco Martinez defined a commercial mission as a prearranged visit to a specific market to hold a series of roundtable business meetings.  For Salvadoran SMEs, he said, the benefits of participating in both trade fairs and commercial missions worldwide include reduction of participation costs, increased brand visibility and the opportunity for participating firms to access promotional services.

USAID’s Project Manager, Carlos Arce, said that during 2008 and part of 2009, USAID’s Export Promotion Program will continue working closely with EXPORTA, CCIES and FONDEPRO to provide technical assistance for SMEs to improve their operational processes, comply with market entry requirements, establish business links, develop new products, and improve competitiveness in international markets.    

For 2008, the USAID program will support the development of a new e-commerce platform to offer Salvadoran products through the Internet.  In addition, a mentoring program supported by graduate students and successful entrepreneurs will be launched.  Moreover, the program will continue supporting SMEs to establish trading companies, reduce export costs and strengthen their capacity to increase sales and exports to new markets.

Since 2003, USAID’s Export Promotion Program has helped about 1,000 SMEs to increase their exports by approximately $70 million.  SMEs, in turn, have been able to create around 5,000 new jobs in El Salvador.