Does Virginia help companies with export development?
Yes, our international trade group runs two programs. There’s AIM [Accessing International Markets], a one-year introductory course for first-time exporters and VALET [Virginia Leaders in Export Trade], a more intensive two-year program for experienced exporters. [For more information about these programs, go to ]http://www.ExportVirginia.org] During your long career in international trade, what are the some of the biggest changes you have seen? If you go back … companies were excited about doing business internationally. They saw nothing but potential. Beginning about 1992, when NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] was signed, there’s been a lot of unfortunate and not fair criticism that international trade is taking away U.S. jobs. So, I think there has been an angst associated with the global economy … It’s not the international that’s causing you to lose the job. It’s the fact that you’re no longer competitive. We saw what happened in the textile industry … You need to look
