International Trade Center

About

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center (ITC) provides information, counseling and training to existing and new to-export companies interested in pursuing international trade opportunities. Since 1989, the ITC has assisted over 1,100 companies and has been credited with supporting over $1bn in export sales. The success of the ITC was recognized when it received the U.S. President’s eAward – the country’s highest honor in recognizing export success.

The ITC receives a combination of funding from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and matching funds from Bradley University. This funding allows us to provide this assistance at no cost to our clients (although special projects with extensive research and in-house training may have a minimal fee).

Evaluation of a company’s readiness to export
Access to foreign market information
Automated trade leads
Linkages with trade representatives
Identifying potential export markets, foreign buyers and distributors
Assistance with foreign market entry
International business planning
Export documentation training and assistance
Trade-lead matching from US embassies
Financing export growth and foreign receivables insurance
Trade compliance support including product classification and FTA rules of origin
Seminars, forums, workshops and in-house training

Request Assistance

SEA Change

The ITC has been awarded a U.S. Department of Education BIE grant for our SEA Change project to assist companies with increasing exports to Southeast Asia (SEA). As countries, companies, and consumers look for solutions due to supply chain issues and ongoing trade disputes, this region will become even more crucial to central Illinois businesses’ international success.

Preparing Central Illinois businesses for Southeast Asia’s expanded role in the global economy.

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at Bradley University (ITC) has been awarded a U.S. Department of Education BIE grant for our SEA Change project to assist Illinois companies with export development through 2023. The project focuses on Southeast Asia (SEA), due to the region’s current importance as a target for Illinois exports. SEA comprises Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

This grant will allow us to improve our research and counseling capabilities to increase the competitiveness of our companies in the region through:

access to timely data, sector briefings and in-depth market research
participation in seminars and webinar series on countries and opportunities in SEA
access to country and sector-specific expertise at the state, federal and international levels
training in negotiations and the cultural and business environments of the region;
participation in customer and partner matchmaking, trade shows and an Illinois trade mission to SEA
financial support for overseas activities through the ISTEP program

If you are interested in pursuing opportunities through the SEA Change project, or would like to learn more, please contact the Project Director, Jim Ryan, at [email protected].

Trade Mission to Southeast Asia

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at Bradley University is leading a trade mission to Thailand and Vietnam that will include business-to-business matchmaking meetings with pre-screened buyers, agents, distributors and joint-venture partners with options for vetted matchmaking in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Mission dates are March 8-16 (dates will vary depending on the countries you visit).

Summary of Costs & Activities

The mission will be participating in the US Commercial Service’s Trade Winds Forum https://www.trade.gov/trade-winds. This is the U.S. government’s largest overseas business development forum and will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand from March 13-15. On March 10th, there are options for matchmaking in Singapore, Vietnam or the Philippines. On March 16th, there will be matchmaking in Indonesia or Malaysia.

All eligible companies will receive 50%-75% reimbursement of approved travel costs and participation fees through the Illinois STEP program.

As an optional program separate from Trade Winds, we will be offering an additional day and a half of business-to-business and business-to- government matchmaking in Vietnam (March 8-9) and Thailand (March 12th), including matchmaking for sourcing and manufacturing options. *Sourcing options are not included in the Trade Winds program. If you are interested in other countries for this option, just let us know. The fee for this program is $1,400 per country.

For companies in need of more in-depth service to identify distributors, we have the SEA Change Distributor Search Program for $4,725 per country. This program is conducted by Orissa International and begins with identifying up to 25 distributors that meet your needs and will be narrowed down to a final selection of prequalified candidates for in-country introductions and up to six meetings.

In addition to the career foreign service officers that will be at the Trade Winds forum and matchmaking meetings in each country, we have assembled an impressive team that will be on the ground to advise you and help you make crucial connections.

Due to the booming economies of Southeast Asia, the current US focus on expanding trade with the region, unprecedented pent-up demand due to the pandemic, and the need to mitigate risk from over-focusing on China, this is a trade mission you don’t want to miss! Contact the SEA Change Project Director, Jim Ryan, at 309 363-5803 or [email protected].

SEA Change is supported by a U.S. Department of Education BIE grant.

About

SEA Change

Trade Mission to Southeast Asia

I CHOSE TO DREAM BIG

I CHOSE BRADLEY