IFA Member and The UPS Store Franchisee Offers Small Business Policy Recommendations on Trade in House Testimony

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Matthew Haller, 202-662-0770

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IFA MEMBER AND THE UPS STORE FRANCHISEE OFFERS SMALL BUSINESS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRADE IN HOUSE TESTIMONY

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2013—“The Administration must negotiate and enforce fair international rules in services and customs procedures that would allow small businesses to infiltrate foreign markets,” said Mariana Huberman, member of the International Franchise Association and The UPS Store franchisee, during testimony today before the House Committee on Small Business during a hearing entitled, “Ready to Export: Small Business Policy Recommendations for USTR.”

“Around the world, U.S. firms are not able to compete fairly because of entry barriers, discriminatory treatment and general failure to keep international rules aligned,” Huberman said. “Small businesses are least able to cope with these barriers and outdated rules.”

Committee on Small Business Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) said small firms face a variety of trade barriers that constrain their participation in the global market. Earlier this year, the Committee drafted a set of trade policy principles aimed at identifying solutions to assist small business exporters.

Huberman maintained that the digital revolution has made it possible for small businesses to provide services to foreign countries. However, she stated that firms “do not always have the resources to break down the barriers we may face.”

Fortunately, she explained that there are several international negotiations underway. The negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) on “trade facilitation” would give way to more efficient and speedy custom processes between the U.S. and its global trading partners. The U.S. has also teamed up with other countries to negotiate the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), which would increase access to international markets for services firms and establish new rules for services. These negotiations now include 50 countries accounting for over 70 percent of the world trade in services.

Huberman explained that as small businesses remain the lifeblood of the American economy, these policies will bring much needed attention to the importance of these issues and go a long way toward further improving the economic environment for the business community.

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The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 50 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 825,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.

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