Are there particular types of companies that Trade Development wishes to serve most?
While we assist all U.S. companies that need our service, we have a special mandate to assist small and medium-sized companies, which tend to need our help more than larger firms. This is especially important in the environmental sector, in which 99 percent of the companies we serve are categorized as small businesses (that is, have fewer than 500 employees). Q: In the environmental technologies sector, what do you see as key objectives for the International Trade Administration? A: The environmental technologies sector plays a vital role in strengthening the economies of developing countries. A clean, safe environment is key to addressing health and other quality of life issues for these countries. Once these issues are addressed, these countries are better able to attract investment. That is why we are focused on enhancing the international competitiveness of the U.S. environmental technologies industry and on increasing its exports. I believe we are achieving this goal. During the 1
