Visit these web sites for important information about international trade:

The Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS)
Export Administration Regulations.  The Denied Persons List.  Export license application and policy guidance.  National defense programs.  Links to other government export control sites.

CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of US Government officials, and the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Federal Maritime Commission
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) was established in 1961 as an independent government agency, responsible for the regulation of shipping in the foreign trades of the United States.

International Business Training (IBT)
IBT provides a comprehensive collection of resources designed to help novice and experienced international trade participants learn more about the import process.

International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce is charged with creating prosperity by strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements.

International Trade Data System
ITDS is a project for the development of a system to collect all information for the US Federal processing of trade that crosses our borders. The ITDS system is being developed to improve trade procedures, trade promotion, trade policy development, and trade statistics to benefit both the Public and the Government.

NAFTA Customs Website
The NAFTA Secretariat, comprised of a Canadian Section, a Mexican Section and a United States Section, is responsible for the administration of the dispute settlement provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration, established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses. Last year, the SBA offered management and technical assistance to more than one million small business owners.

Trade Information Center
The Trade Information Center (TIC) is a comprehensive resource for information on all U.S. Federal Government export assistance programs.

U.S.A. Trade Center
The USA Trade Center is a "one-stop" shop for U.S. companies pursuing export opportunities. The Center provides basic export guidance, one-on-one business counseling, detailed country-specific market information, commercial trade leads, information on Development Bank opportunities, resources for technology-based program applications, market research, and export control and licensing advice.

U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics
Current and past trade statistics, data and research.  On-line search engine for Schedule B Commodity Classification Codes.  Automatic Export System (AES).

U.S. Customs Service 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). CBP combined the inspectional workforces and broad border authorities of U.S. Customs, U.S. Immigration, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the entire U.S. Border Patrol.

U.S. Department of Agriculture
The USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) offers programs to help new and experienced exporters.

U.S. Department of State
The mission of the U.S. Department of State is to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.

U.S. Department of Treasury
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorism sponsoring organizations and international narcotics traffickers based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals.

U.S. International Trade Commission
The U.S. International Trade Commission is an independent, nonpartisan, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices, such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement.

U.S. Trade Representative
The U.S. Trade Representative is America's chief trade negotiator and the principal trade policy advisor to the President. In this role, the USTR and the Agency's staff are responsible for developing and implementing trade policies that promote world growth and create new opportunities for American businesses, workers and agricultural producers.

Venture Information System (VISCO)
The Venture Information System is designed to provide a comprehensive view of the financial and logistical information that is the lifeblood of your importing business. That translates into many things, but the three chief functions of VIS are costing, supply chain visibility, and customs compliance (generation and management of the documents required for the importation of goods).