International Marketing Specialist
Sarah Ellis (512) 463-7462
sarah.ellis@TexasAgriculture.gov

The Texas Department of State Health Services' (TDSHS) Bureau of Food and Drug Safety (BFDS) issues an official document called the Certificate of Free Sale and Sanitation (CFSS). This document is a declaration of wholesomeness. Certificates are only issued for products only that are regulated or inspected by the BFDS. To receive a CFSS and/or a Certificate of Origin, you must be a food manufacturer/distributor, medical device manufacturer/distributor, frozen dessert manufacturer/distributor, milk processor/distributor and/or wholesale distributors of drugs. Cosmetic companies are not licensed, but can obtain a CFSS upon inspection by the BFDS. Certificates for meat and poultry products which have been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), can only be issued to distributors of those products. To obtain this export document, please click on this link to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) web site, www.dshs.state.tx.us/dmd/default.shtm or call (512) 834-6626.

The USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) issues a comparable document named FSIS Form 9060-5 - Export Certificate of Wholesomeness (ECW). Your FSIS inspector can provide this export certificate. The FSIS is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry and egg products is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged as required by the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act. For more information about FSIS, please click on this link to the FSIS web site www.fsis.usda.gov/ or call (888) 674-6854.

The FSIS negotiates with foreign governments all rules and regulations that govern the import of U.S. meat and poultry products, and is responsible for issuing only the ECW and no other export document. There have been several instances when a foreign government continues to ask for the CFS. When this occurs, FSIS suggests that you contact your local Chamber of Commerce to obtain a CFS. Please visit the FSIS Export Information page at www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/export_information/index.asp to view specific foreign country import documentation requirements as negotiated agreed by FSIS.

If you continue to have problems with an importer, or have further questions please contact goglobal@TexasAgriculture.gov.

To take an export readiness test online, click here.

Reimbursable activities include: advertising, trade shows, travel and per diem cost related to foreign trade shows, promotions and labeling.

MAP 2010 Fiscal Year: January 1 - December 31, 2010

Deadlines
Applications will be accepted as long as funding is available. Contact Sarah Ellis for more information at (512) 463-7462 or sarah.ellis@TexasAgriculture.gov.

Basic Eligibility Criteria
* A company must be considered a small business based on Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations (this is based on North American Industry Classification System Codes (NAICS).
* A company can find out its NAICS code by visiting www.sba.gov/services/contractingopportunities/sizestandardstopics/tableofsize/index.html.
* A company must have a product that is at least 50 percent U.S. agricultural, excluding water and packaging (salt is not considered agricultural by FAS rules).
*A company must have total gross sales (domestic & export) in the previous. calendar year exceeding $100,000.
*The product must be a branded product, not bulk.

To see if your company qualifies for the MAP Branded program, visit www.susta.org/services/map.html.

Additional Requirements
* There is a $200 non-refundable application fee that is payable to SUSTA and is due at the time the application is submitted.
* A 6 percent administrative fee is required upon approval (this 6 percent is based on the amount the company is allocated)
* The minimum application request is $5,000 (since this is a matching fund program, the total budget must be $10,000 at a minimum).
*Maximum requests:
First-time applicants with no export experience: $25,000
First-time applicants with at least one year export experience: $50,000
After the first year: $250,000

Applying
Sarah Ellis manages the program for Texas and will be happy to assist you with your application. For questions about the MAP Branded program or the application process contact her at:

P.O. Box 12847, Austin, TX 78749
Phone: (512) 463-7462, Fax: (888) 223-5735
E-mail: sarah.ellis@TexasAgriculture.gov

 THE MINORITY EXPORT TRAINING PROGRAM (MET)
The MET Program is a year-long educational program designed to provide export training to small, new-to-export agricultural growers and processors. The training will prepare you for your first export experience (e.g., a trade show, a trade mission, an international sale). It will help you develop an international business plan and teach you the basics of exporting, including marketing your product, locating interested buyers, preparing your contract, financing your sale and shipping your product. This program is a joint project between the Texas Department of Agriculture, the San Antonio Small Business Development Center - International Trade Development Offices, and the Southern U.S. Trade Association.

When and Where? The MET program is conducted at your place of business. Your training will be hands-on and designed specifically to prepare your business for the export market. The Foreign Agriculture Service has approved funds to extend the program for an additional year. However, training will be limited to 15 companies.

To qualify for the MET program, companies must have:
*a business that is woman or minority-owned
* exportable food or agricultural product(s)
* a product already available in the domestic market
* sales figures for the last three years
* printed marketing materials available for the product(s)
* less than one year of active export experience
* staff willing to commit to actively entering an export market within one year
* the drive and desire to commit to the work requirements and full attendance in the training
program
* 500 or fewer employees (if you are a processor) or 100 or fewer employees (if a producer)
* $750,000 dollars in sales

For more information on Minority Export Training contact:
Sarah Ellis
International Marketing Specialist
(512) 463-7462
E-mail: sarah.ellis@TexasAgriculture.gov

GO TEXAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (GOTEPP) TEXAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (GOTEPP)
TDA's GO TEXAN Partnership Program can be utilized to offset international marketing expenses such as trade show participation, in-store promotions, point of sale materials and more. Contact Debbie Wall at (512) 463-7731 or debbie.wall@TexasAgriculture.gov or www.gotexan.org:81/gt/channel/render/items/0,1218,1670_1710_0_0,00.html for more information.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
To help Texans respond to international opportunities, the Texas Department of Agriculture:

1. Works with industry groups such as commodity associations and producer/processor organizations to create cooperative, industry specific marketing programs.

2. Works directly with producers and processors to provide export guidance and consulting, including helping identify appropriate federal assistance programs.

3. Helps foreign buyers source Texas products and matches them with appropriate suppliers.

4. Conducts a variety of trade activities to help Texans gain entry into the global marketplace.

U.S. Suppliers List - a searchable database of over 3500 U.S. exporters and their products. The list is distributed by FAS' overseas offices to potential customers.
Web site: http://fas1.agexportservices.org/apps/storefronts/search.asp

Foreign Buyers - FAS' overseas offices have made key contacts in foreign markets to develop a buyer list for U.S. agricultural products. Database containing over 25,000 foreign buyers of food, farm, fish, seafood and forest products in 80 countries.
Web site: www.fas.usda.gov/agexport/forbuy.html

Market Access Program (MAP) - The Market Access Program, MAP, uses funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), to help U.S. producers, exporters, private companies, and other trade organizations finance promotional activities for U.S. agricultural products. The MAP encourages the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial export markets for agricultural commodities. Activities financed include consumer promotions, advertising, design and production of labels, and trade servicing. Please see Branded MAP section under the "Export Assistance and Training - State" of this web site for more details.

Export Enhancement Program (EEP) - Helping products produced by U.S. farmers meet competition from subsidizing countries, especially the European Union.
Web site: www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/eep.asp

CCC Export Credit Guarantee Programs (GSM) 102/103 - Encourage exporters to buy in countries where credit is necessary to maintain or increase U.S. sales but where financing may not be available without CCC guarantees.
Web site: www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/exp-cred-guar-new.asp

Supplier Credit Guarantee Program - Guarantees a portion of payments due from importers under short-term financing that exporters have extended directly to the importers for the purchase of U.S. agricultural commodities and products.
Web site: www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/scgp-new.asp

Quality Samples Program (QSP) - Assist U.S. entities in providing commodity samples to potential foreign importers to promote a better understanding and appreciation for the high quality of U.S. agricultural commodities. To go directly to the sight click here http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/qspfact.html

Facility Guarantee Program (FGP) - Provide payment guarantees to facilitate the financing of manufactured goods and services exported from the United States to improve or establish agriculture-related facilities in emerging markets.
Web site: http://www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/facility-new.asp

Visit the FAS export Programs webpage at http://www.fas.usda.gov/export.html.

Collectively, the member state departments of agriculture work together to conduct a wide variety of food and agriculture promotions and to recruit for the Market Access Program (MAP) for branded products. SUSTA is funded by the Foreign Agricultural Service and its member state departments of agriculture.

Web site: www.susta.org/index.html

AgLink
Worldwide AgLink is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program with the goal of promoting U.S. trade and investment activities with emerging market countries while enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of foreign managers.

Country Specific Search Engines
The Search Engine Colossus offers you links to search engines from 342 countries around the world.

European Yellow Pages
The European Yellow Pages is a simple searchable business directory.

Federation of International Trade Association
FITA offers a comprehensive searchable database of international trade web resources. More than 8,000 links to international trade/import-export websites are annotated and indexed.

Food Trader
This Web site allows buyers to register and sell their product in over 180 countries.

Foreign Agricultural Service
The Foreign Agricultural Service works to improve foreign market access for U.S. products. FAS operates programs designed to build new markets and improve the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace.

Freightquote.com
Freightquote.com is an online freight logistics company that provides instant rating, scheduling and tracking of truckload, LTL and expedited shipments. Businesses may select carriers by mode, price and carrier preference or transit time for traffic throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Global Business Directory
Kompass is a global business-to-business search engine. You will find listings for 2.6 million companies throughout the world that are interested in buying hundreds of different types of products.

International Trade Administration (ITA)
The user-friendly ITA Web site provides information about trade events, statistics, tariffs and taxes, market research, NAFTA Rules of Origin, key policy initiatives, export documentation and export financing. This is especially useful for the new-to-export company.

International Trade Data Network (ITDN)
The International Trade Data Network is a web-accessible database application, making vital information available to small businesses seeking to export. The ITDN offers easy access to a myriad of databases to assist companies in researching and developing an international marketing strategy.

International Trade Data Systems (ITDS)
ITDS is a project for the development of a system to collect all information for the federal processing of trade that crosses U.S. borders. ITDS is being developed to improve trade procedures, trade promotion, trade policy development and trade statistics to benefit both the public and the government.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA, a branch of the U.S. Department of Labor, maintains a website that informs readers about OSHA's job safety and health programs. A special section on agriculture is available.

Office of Foreign Asset Control
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorism-sponsoring organizations and international narcotics traffickers based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals.

Strategis Canada
This Canadian Web site is for people who want to take an inside look at the Canadian market. The purpose of the site is to help the Canadian industry become more competitive and knowledge-based. It offers guides on how to start a business, financing, exporting, market research, managing people, suppliers, partners and customers.

Thomas Global Register (TGRNET)
TGRNET is a complete, up-to-date directory of worldwide industrial product information. On TGRnet.com, you can search for over 700,000 manufacturers and distributors, organized by 11,000 products and services categories, in nine languages and from 28 countries.

U.S. Census Bureau
The Census Bureau strives to be the pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. Exporters and importers will find the Schedule B Section of the website particularly useful to identify the 10-digit export code for any potential export product.

U.S. Commercial Service
The U.S. Commercial Service offers valuable assistance to help your business export goods and services to markets worldwide. From this site you can access a global listing of trade events, international market research and practical tools to help with every step of the export process.

U.S. Customs
U.S. Customs regulates all U.S. borders and points of entry. It's website gives detailed information about trade issues, U.S. ports and points of entry, customs documentation and enforcement issues.

U.S. Exporter Assistance - Trade Events
Trade Events provides links to international and U.S. trade show information and calendars.

U.S. ITC 2000 Tariff Database
The Tariff Database includes planned staged tariff reductions (where applicable) and 3-year import data.