Industry News

New Executive Action: Made in Rural America

March 3, 2015


    President Obama released a list of eight new executive actions to support his “Made in Rural America” initiative on February 26, 2015, which are designed to assist rural Americans to export their products to foreign markets.  According to a White House Release, this plan is based on a series of workshops held by the White House Rural Council that were designed to “connect rural leaders and businesses with resources to expand exports and to identify barriers to exporting for rural businesses.”  To support the economic growth of rural America, similar events will bring together Americans with foreign businessmen to “facilitate access to additional foreign markets.”  The White House hopes to increase the number of rural businesses partaking in the international trade events twofold.  The announcement also reveals President Obama’s plan for a National Rural Export Innovation Team to assist with events, information, and export procedures.  Banks will be educated in order to support “the needs of rural exporters and the federal export resources available to them and their customers.”  In conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service, the White house is supporting a program that will teach local businessmen to file customs documents online and calculate export costs.  Some of the executive aid will support facilities and infrastructure that will assist with the exportation process, such as bridges and water supply systems.  The program will also encourage rural businesses to engage in entrepreneurial ecosystem mentorship programs as well as the “i6 Rural Challenge, which will focus on providing funding to rural communities to build capacity for commercializing technology by collaborating across agencies and providing funding to Challenge winners.” 

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