• Mentor local businesses
• Identify export financing sources
• Sponsor programs to create export awareness in the community
• Identify issues that impact export trade
• Encourage international trade education
• Build local export assistance partnerships
• Work through organizations such as SCORE and SBA

There are 56 councils in the U.S. with over 1,800 volunteers representing businesses, universities, and government. Members are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce based on their knowledge and professional experience with trade. Activities of individual DEC’s are tailored to address community needs. DEC’s establish committees for specific international trade topics and priority objectives of local business and the Commerce Department. This includes establishing speakers’ bureaus and speakers kits, conducting export seminars and workshops, organizing export promotion programs, and sponsoring trade missions or hosting international buyers’ delegations.