MBSTL Business - Growing a Business - Exporting & Support: Home

Country Commercial Guides (CCGs)

These guides are written by U.S. Embassy trade experts worldwide. An excellent starting point for everything you need to know about exporting and doing business overseas.

Top Market Reports

A Market Assessment Tool for U.S. Exporters; it helps U.S exporters determine their next export market by comparing opportunities across borders.  Each report ranks future export opportunities by country within a particular industry.

Market Reports (Canadian Trade Commissioner Service)
More than 200 reports with analysis of specific industry sectors.

Market Analysis Tool (International Trade Center)

The data is available to all countries to conduct up-to-date market analysis; provides Trade Map, Market Access Map, Investment Map, Trade Competitiveness Map, Standards Map, and Procurement Map.

Country Profile

• BBC Country Profiles
• CIA World Factbook
• Doing Business In... (World Bank)
• Global Competitiveness Report (World Economic Forum)
• Business Environment Snapshots (World Bank)

Exporting Statistics

• USA TradeOnline (U.S. Census)
• State Trade Data (U.S. Census)
• State Export Data (U.S. Department of Commerce)
• Exporter's Database (U.S. Department of Commerce)

• Starting Your International Business: What You Must Know and Where to Find It (SCORE Webinar)
• Going Global (SCORE Webinar)
• SBA Export Business Planner A hands-on exporting  preparation guide and roadmap for creating your Export Business Plan, exploring foreign markets, developing a Marketing Plan, exploring financing, costing your product, and more.
• Explore Exporting (SBA)
• International Shipping 101: How to Take Your Business Global (SCORE Webinar)
• Basic Guide to Exporting (Export.gov)
• Small Business (Business USA)
• Global Edge (Michigan State University)

• Trade Leads (export.gov)
• Import & Export Trade Leads (Fita.org)
• Trade Lead System (USDA)
• Trade Leads (Global Edge - Michigan State University)
• Trade Leads (Southern United States Trade Association)
• International Trade Leads (Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association)

• Basic Importing and Exporting Laws and Regulations (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
• Country Commercial Guides  
• Export Legal Assistance Network (ELAN)

Loans

SBA Export Finance Programs 
Offers financing up to $500,000. It is the simplest export loan product offered by the SBA and allows participating lenders to use their own forms and procedures. The SBA determines eligibility and provides a loan approval in 36 hours or less.

The Export Working Capital Program 
Provides advances for up to $5 million to fund export transactions from purchase order to collections. This loan has a low guaranty fee and quick processing time.

Project and Structured Financing Loans (U.S. Export-Import Bank)

Grants

State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant (SBA via Maine International Trade Center)

The STEP Financial Assistance Award provides eligible Maine companies with reimbursements of up to $8,500 per year toward specified costs associated with business matchmaking services, trade show participation, and export skills and compliance training.

Maine International Trade Center
Provides customized counseling and information for manufacturers and service providers.

Maine Export Assistance Center

A federal government agency dedicated to helping small-to-medium sized companies with their exporting strategies.

Foreign Export Trade Assistance (the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry)

Food Export

International U.S. Commercial Service Offices

Export Legal Assistance Network (ELAN)

Contact Us

Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469
fogler.mbstl@maine.edu
Reference Desk: 207-581-1673