Welcome to the U.S. Commercial Service in Illinois

The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion agency of the US Department of Commerce and provides export assistance to U.S. exporters. Our Trade Specialists work with your company to help you increase your sales to new global markets. We operate in 108 U.S. cities and nearly 80 countries.

Client Testimonials:

“… The Department of Commerce is a great asset in helping us find new leads and providing reports that aid us in deciding which countries we should target to generate more sales,” notes Mr. Tyson Ely of Midwest Industrial Sales.  Mr. Joe Vinachi, the President of Midwest Industrial Sales, estimates that the firm’s success in export sales has saved at least 3 jobs and added two within the past three years.  In a small company of only 24 employees total, this is significant.”
Midwest Industrial Sales, Joe Vinachi, President

“ShopperTrak continues to build its global business through smart international expansion efforts.  As a result of the trade counseling on local market conditions and market entry strategies provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service, ShopperTrak changed the direction of our international partnering strategy and signed a commercial agreement with a Brazilian trading company to sell an initial order of equipment to setup our Brazilian distribution network.” ShopperTrak, Todd Starcevich, Chief Operations Officer

“The U.S. Department of Commerce has become a trusted and valuable partner as Blistex continues to establish and grow our brand worldwide. We have leveraged their Commercial Service to help us find and select qualified and highly regarded distributors within multiple countries. Their Gold Key Matching Service has made facilitating contacts with international distributors very efficient and cost-effective. Blistex appreciates the thorough, reliable support we receive from this organization.” Blistex Inc., Simone Scavo, International Marketing Manager

“In the past year, the USCS has been an indispensible partner in my company's efforts to expand our export business. We have successfully used the gold key program to identify candidates and secure agreements for representation in multiple international regions. As a small American Manufacturer, we highly value the advice, due diligence, networking capability and professionalism that the USCS brings to our continuing efforts to sell our equipment into targeted foreign markets. We certainly expect to continue to engage with USCS professionals on an on-going basis, as we 'explore' new export opportunities.”
Micro Products Company, William W. Banks, President–CEO

“We have penetrated six countries in five continents due primarily to the dedication of the staff at the Commercial Service. The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service compliments our strategic goals by finding local partners that have been pre-screened by Commercial Specialists with the Commercial Sections of U.S. Embassies and Consulates in nearly eighty countries. As a small manufacturer, we could not begin to locate qualified partners around the world that meet our requirements in as timely and cost-effective manner as the Commercial Service. We appreciate the value they offer in helping us penetrate new overseas markets.” Miner Elastomer, Richard Beranek, President

Our Support for U.S. Exporters Includes:

Export Assistance in Illinois:

Our three Illinois offices are committed to assisting Illinois firms in realizing their export potential. We provide export counseling and advice, information on markets abroad, international partner contacts and advocacy services. During 2009-2010, this assistance resulted in 1053 export successes for small and medium businesses, generating nearly 302 million dollars in export sales for the Illinois economy.

Take the first step into finding new markets! Contact your local Trade Specialist who can help increase your export sales.