By Butler Cain, Alabama Public Radio
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wual/local-wual-471574.mp3
Think Global Alabama -- Thursday Report
Tuscaloosa, AL – For Alabama's small- and medium-sized businesses, entering into international economic partnerships can seem like an intimidating prospect. But in our continuing series on globalization and Alabama, Butler Cain reports that these businesses do have the opportunity to get some help in establishing foreign exchanges.
The Alabama International Trade Center in Tuscaloosa helped three hundred small- and medium-sized businesses establish foreign trade agreements last year. The non-profit group assists with import and export agreements. Robert Stackpole is a specialist with the organization.
"So, for example, if you have a widget, and you don't know where to sell it or who's going to buy it, what we can do is we can come in, we can help you find out which markets are best for your widget."
The Alabama International Trade Center will also help businesses find distributors, learn tariff rates and determine if the product will actually sell. Stackpole says the group tries to take the intimidation factor out of the equation. International trade is relatively easy, he says, once you learn the rules.
"And the good thing is, there's so many companies out there doing it that when you see your next door neighbor that you thought 'no way is he importing from China, or exporting to Brazil' and all of a sudden he is, you feel like you can do it, too."
Stackpole says there are about six thousand businesses in Alabama, and about a third of them are trading internationally.
For the Alabama Report, I'm Butler Cain.