Doing Business in International Markets
The Office of Commercial and Business Affairs (CBA) plays a major role in coordinating trade and investment matters in support of U.S. firms doing business overseas. Our mission is to ensure that private sector business concerns are fully integrated into U.S. foreign and economic policy, and engages U.S. government resources to assist and promote U.S. business interests overseas. This office covers the following key initiatives:
- Entrepreneurship:
In President Obama’s announcement on June 2009 in his Cairo speech, “A New Beginning,” and on the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in April, the focus on global entrepreneurship is a growing element in our foreign economic and development policy. CBA incorporates this message with the Global Entrepreneurship Program (GEP), a vehicle to catalyze, consult and coordinate with partners (non-government partners such as NGOs, universities, foundations and companies), as well as to leverage existing U.S. government programs, principally with Department of Commerce, USAID, OPIC, SBA and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
- Global Women’s Business Initiative:
Promoting Gender Equity for Prosperity GWBI was launched to promote the success of potential high growth, high impact women-owned enterprises to foster growth in GDP and jobs globally. The African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP at AGOA) is an initiative developed to encourage women entrepreneurs in 38 AGOA countries, and their networks in Africa, to become part of their national and the global supplier network, and to advocate with the 38 AGOA ministers to promote more inclusive legislation and practices. The Pathways Women’s Certification Program, created in Lima, Peru, is a second key initiative created to certify and integrate women-owned businesses into the supply chains of major American corporations. The third initiative is the APEC Women’s Leadership Network, an annual event to be held in Tokyo this year, where U.S. delegation of women entrepreneurs, corporate executives, NGOS and academics join to support trade with APEC member nations.
| Lorraine Hariton
Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs
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Lorraine Hariton is the Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs, sworn by Secretary Clinton in September 14, 2009. Prior to her assignment to Washington, Ms. Hariton worked for more than 25 years in the information technology sector in Silicon Valley. Her experience in innovation and entrepreneurship provides a unique perspective in addressing our global economic growth challenges. She is responsible for State Department outreach to the business community and commercial advocacy efforts. She will work with the business community worldwide to ensure that commercial diplomacy efforts support U.S. foreign policy objectives. Ms. Hariton holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences from Stanford University.
