Successful partnerships between the Dominican Republic and small U.S. companies are thriving due to expanding export opportunities. The Commerce Department supports these opportunities by furthering the mission of the “Open for Business Agenda” through free trade agreements, conducting trade missions and traveling to key markets for bilateral negotiations on behalf of American business.  Later this month, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker will visit Colombia and Brazil to continue to pursue more open markets within Latin America. As part of the Administration’s strong and sustained engagement throughout the hemisphere, she will meet with business executives and government leaders in both countries focusing on ways to deepen bilateral commercial relations.

 

One company that reaps the benefits of current trade agreements with the Dominican Republic is Telic International. Telic International, a recyclable footwear company established by a long line of shoemakers, recently participated in an Enterprise Florida trade mission to the Dominican Republic as a result of connecting with the Orlando U.S. Export Assistance Center (USEAC), part of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service (CS). “The Dominican trade mission was an excellent opportunity to reach our targets in the Caribbean region and I was glad to be a part of this important business region,” reports Telic co-CEO Terry Stillman. The mission helped Telic greatly with their export plans, and allowed the company to promote their footwear in the region and participate in valuable networking. The small U.S. company also reports that the firm is now looking to expanding its workforce as a direct result of increased demand from export markets.

 

To learn more about how Commerce’s Open for Business Agenda supports expanding exports via the U.S. Commercial Service, visit http://www.trade.gov/cs/.