Office of Trade & Investment Programs & Services Brochure

Illinois in the International Marketplace

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Trade and Investment (OTI) will be holding a series of export seminars for small business owners who are interested in growing their exports or in entering  the export market.  The seminars will feature information on DCEO-OTI’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant program that provides financial and technical export assistance to Illinois SMEs.  The STEP program is a 3-year pilot program initiative authorized by the federal Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.  DCEO-OTI’s STEP program for year two will continue to focus on providing SMEs with financial and technical export assistance.  Representatives from local, state and federal governments will present information on Illinois’ STEP and other Export programs that are available to help small businesses succeed in the international marketplace. Click Here for seminar dates, locations and registration information: 

For information on our Trade Missions, Export Seminars, STEP Program and Illinois' Export Advisory Council, please visit http://exports.illinois.gov.

National Export Initiative
In President Obama’s State of the Union Address on January 27, 2010, he announced the National Export Initiative (NEI), a critical new effort that will lead to long-term, sustainable economic growth for the United States.  The President has a goal of doubling exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million American jobs.  For the first time, the United States will have a government-wide export-promotion strategy with focused attention from the President and his Cabinet. 

Read more at:  http://trade.gov/nei/