ABJ - Setember 22 - Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank has announced $1.9 million in financial assistance to support projects that increase U.S. exports, create jobs and strengthen American global competitiveness.

The funds will be awarded to five non-profit industry organizations and are expected to generate $1.96 billion in U.S. exports in the next three years, ranging from attracting foreign students and tourists to promoting clean truck technology and medical technology exports.

“Through the partnerships created by these awards, we’ll help more U.S. firms sell more of their goods and services to the 95 per cent of the world’s consumers who live outside our borders,” Blank said in a statement. “The increase in exports that will result from these five new projects will create or support more than 10,000 U.S. jobs.”

The Commerce Department’s Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) awards include financial and technical assistance from the International Trade Administration (ITA) to support well-defined business plans aimed at increasing exports and U.S. competitiveness within certain industries.

An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and non-profit industry groups to help strengthen global competitiveness and create jobs through exports.