Consumers Forced Into Corporate/Gov't Trade Pact

http://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2014/02/26/us-department-commerce-and-ebay-inc-announce-partnership-promote-us-e

Yesterday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and eBay Inc. CEO John Donahoe announced a partnership to promote U.S. trade and investment expansion. The joint effort will focus on increasing awareness of the economic benefits of trade, specifically the important role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) can play in growing America’s export economy. The partnership was introduced via a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed between the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and eBay Inc. 

Secretary Pritzker made the following statement: “In a globally-connected economy, American companies have to consider the entire  marketplace as they look to grow their businesses and create jobs. The fact is, 95 percent of worldwide consumers live outside U.S. borders. Whether they are large or small, American businesses cannot afford to limit their options when it comes to selling their goods and services. The Obama Administration is committed to ensuring that SME exporters are aware of export opportunities and federal resources that are available to help them establish a foothold abroad, increase their exports, and support additional good-paying American jobs. We look forward to working with eBay Inc. to help America’s small and medium-sized businesses thrive at home and around the world.”

This partnership advances the Obama Administration’s National Export Initiative, an ambitious plan to sell more American goods and services into foreign markets. Working together, this agreement between eBay and the Department of Commerce will build out U.S. government export programs to provide more inclusive tools for technology-enabled traders and educate these businesses on export-focused products and services already available to them.