The Foreign Service Journal, April 2005

C O V E R S T O R Y A P R I L 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 21 ing tools for client use. This service allows U.S. firms, espe- cially those in rural areas, to meet with potential trading part- ners without the expense of international travel. 1996 The Commercial Service opens its first post in Hanoi. As the globalization phenomenon creates a new trading ethos, the Commercial Service helps U.S. businesses enter this and other developing markets. 1998 For the first time, an ambassadorship is offered to a member of the Commercial Service. George Mu, a senior com- mercial officer, accepts the position of ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire in 1998. 1998 The Commercial Service moves aggressively into the Internet world when it broadcasts its first webcast, “Mexico and Canada: Doing Business with our Friendly Neighbors.” Webcasting becomes a popular method for delivering timely information to Commercial Service clients. 1998 The Embassy Nairobi bombing in August kills many people, and blinds Commercial Service Officer Ellen Bomer. 1999 The first Export Assistance Center located on Native American Tribal lands opens in Ontario, Calif. The San Manuel tribe sees the EAC as a “future for our children.” The partner- ship with the tribe is one of many efforts to assist underserved groups. 2000 The Commercial Service celebrates 20 years of suc- cessful U.S. export promotion. 2000-2004 Increasing U.S. Exports Through Trade Promotion: From 2000 to 2004 the USFCS helps companies create a yearly aver- age of 11,613 export transactions. Of these successes, 90 per- cent are generated by small and medium-sized businesses. The USFCS Advocacy Center helps U.S. businesses generate an annual average of $134 million in export sales during this period. New Markets, New Challenges: USFCS responds to the changing global economy by focusing its resources on where U.S. companies want to be now, and where they need to be in the future. New offices are opened in Iraq, China, Central America and sub-Saharan Africa. New One-Stop Shop for Trade Promotion at Commerce: In 2004, the USFCS assumes responsibility for all Commerce Department trade promotion activities. As a result of this reor- ganization, the USFCS now directs the Advocacy Center; the Trade Information Center; and Business Information Centers for China, the Middle East, the Newly Independent States and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Thanks to this con- solidation, the USFCS network is now able to offer U.S. busi- nesses a broader array of information and support services in the emerging markets of today. Source: U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce port and advance our current commercial diplomacy program. Both leaders realized that after 25 years, the absence of a formal mechanism to consult and plan was a major obstacle to a more effective worldwide program to advance U.S. commercial interests. The FCS operates in our 81 most important markets while the State Department maintains sole responsibility for the com- mercial function in another 90 countries, making close coordination an ever-more-essential component of the commercial diplomacy program. The new FCS-State program has three essential com- ponents. First is the creation of a joint planning com- mittee to strengthen current strategic and operational planning processes. Second is a proposal to leverage regional FCS resources through improved technology and a partnership post program so that posts can offer a more robust commercial program. Finally, the two departments will work more closely in the human resource area, in particular on improving joint planning in training and with regard to officer consultations. In the pre-1980 period, the State Department coordi- nated closely with Commerce on the implementation of commercial programs overseas. When FCS was trans- ferred to Commerce in 1980, no new planning and coor- dination platform was created. Over time this has meant that U.S. business has received less efficient and more uneven global support. As a result of these new arrange- ments, however, FCS will be able to expand its network through a more intensive partnership with State. Additionally, this new partnership will allow both agen- cies to discuss issues related to the division of labor between embassy economic and commercial functions. A Revival of Interest Commercial diplomacy was a key component of our foreign policy and the work of American embassies around the world from the founding of the country until World War II. But because we emerged from that con- Charles Ford, a Foreign Service officer since 1982, has served in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Guatemala, Lon- don, Caracas and Brussels (at the U.S. Mission to the E.U.). From 1993 to 1994 he was the Acting Assistant Secretary and Director General of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service. Currently he is AFSA Vice Presi- dent for the Foreign Commercial Service.