The Foreign Service Journal, February 2011

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31 trade shows in the United States, to which they can lead a delegation of host-country buyers. Other success- ful proposals have funded a USA Trade booth in major local trade shows, allowing missions to meet host-country businesses and identify potential importers. Resourceful economic officers also work closely with partner posts to use the 108 FCS offices in the United States to spread the word about key tenders, privatizations and investment opportunities in the host country. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency also funds reverse trade missions in selected markets, by which local decision-mak- ers are invited to the United States to meet with American firms in key industry sectors. First-tour and second-tour ECON and FCS officers would be well advised to take the “Business Council for In- ternational Understanding” course at the Foreign Service Institute to learn more about each other’s tradecraft and gain a better understanding of the broader trade and economic portfo- lio. And, despite likely bureaucratic resistance to such an idea, rotations placing FCS officers temporarily in ECON jobs and vice versa will clear up the occasional confusion about what each section contributes to the mission. In summary, increasing globalization has very practical implications for every mission’s trade and economic port- folio. More American companies will ask for embassy sup- port to meet overseas business opportunities and chall- enges. Washington and host governments will negotiate to lift technical barriers to trade, and use the trade and in- vestment component to build additional pillars for the bi- lateral relationship. By working with other sections of the mission, ECON and FCS can be more than the sum of their individual parts — if coordination, cooperation and communication are the rule. F O C U S Partnerships between embassies facilitate virtual support of non-FCS posts. Help AFSA Go Green and Save Some Green t Please make sure we have your e-mail address! As AFSA prepares to institute more environmentally friendly practices, significantly reducing our consumption of paper, we are asking our members to please ensure that we have their valid e-mail addresses on file. This will allow us to contact you by e-mail rather than cluttering up your home with paper mail, and it also leads to significant savings in postage. We ask our active-duty members to give us their “.gov” e-mail addresses, as those are unlikely to change throughout your career. For all others, any valid e-mail address works! Thanks for helping us go green — and save some green! You can submit your e-mail address either by sending it to member@afsa.org or visiting www.afsa.org/addresschange.cfm. American Foreign Service Association www.afsa.org Art:iStockphoto.com