Commerce Announces Non-Profit Partnerships to Address Trade Barriers on American Goods

For Immediate Release
September 29, 2020
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809

WASHINGTON – Today, Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade, Performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Under Secretary for International Trade Joseph Semsar announced 10 new partnerships designed to create or sustain U.S. jobs by increasing or maintaining the export of American goods. The 10 awardees under the Department of Commerce’s 2020 Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) will leverage more than $2.7 million in financial and technical assistance from the International Trade Administration (ITA) to reduce barriers to U.S. products in foreign markets.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Commerce is working to further American prosperity by producing free, fair, and reciprocal trade and empowering U.S. companies to compete in international markets,” said Semsar. “Through these partnerships with non-profit industry trade groups, the MDCP awardees are able to address trade barriers, enhance industry competitiveness and generate exports that create and sustain American jobs.”

An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and an American non-profit industry group. The 10 2020 MDCP awardees will invest at least $8.5 million of their own resources and collaborate with ITA staff around the world to remove key trade barriers in their industries.

The 2020 awardees are:

American Association of Independent Music (New York, New York)
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Auto Care Association (Bethesda, Maryland)
Evergreen Building Products Association (Tacoma, Washington)
International Code Council (Washington, D.C.)
Modification and Replacement Parts Association, Inc. (Washington, D.C.)
Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (Herndon, Virginia)
RV Industry Association, Inc. (Reston, Virginia)
Specialty Equipment Market Association (Diamond Bar, California)
United Natural Products Alliance, Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah)

MDCP projects generate $359 in American exports for every $1 of MDCP awards made, and, in an average year, MDCP projects create or sustain more than 17,000 American jobs.

For more information about the Market Development Cooperator Program, please visit www.trade.gov/mdcp.