The South Dakota International Business Institute
(SDIBI)
Mission Statement
Developed as a cooperative effort between
the state of South Dakota and Northern State University, the South Dakota
International Business Institute (SDIBI) supports the Governor's Office of
Economic Development (GOED) in facilitating and enhancing international trade.
International trade creates jobs which corresponds with GOED's mission of
creating quality job opportunities for South Dakotans.
Company
Consultations SDIBI
offers free-of-charge consultations to companies interested in learning more
about international trade or companies who need assistance with specific
international business issues.
Educational
Programs SDIBI
offers exciting and timely educational programs to help businesses acquire the
skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to successfully compete in the
international marketplace. Program schedules outlining topics and dates
can be obtained on our web site: http://www.sd-exports.org
or by contacting SDIBI.
Export
Finance South
Dakota exporters now have better access to trade finance assistance through
SDIBI, the Trade Acceptance Group, Ltd., and the Export-Import Bank of the
United States. Trade finance assistance includes, but is not limited to, the
following programs:
- Working Capital Guarantee:
assists businesses in obtaining working capital to fund their export
activities. This guarantee can be used for pre-export activities such as the
purchase of inventory, raw materials, or the manufacture of a product.
- Export Credit Insurance:
protects an exporter against failure to pay their credit obligations for
commercial or political reasons; encourages exporters to offer foreign
buyers competitive payment terms; supports an exporter's prudent penetration
of higher risk foreign markets; and because the proceeds of the policies are
assignable to a financial institution, it give the exporter greater
financial flexibility in handling overseas accounts receivable.
- Direct Loans and Guarantees:
Ex-Im provides direct loans and guarantees of commercial financing to
foreign buyers of U.S. capital goods and related services.
International
Trade Resources SDIBI
maintains international databases, international networks, and an Internet site,
http://www.sd-exports.org, to provide South
Dakota companies with access to a wide array of international research
resources. Included on the Internet site is the International Trade
Directory, which lists exporters and service providers in the state of South
Dakota. The directory offers a direct link to the web sites of the
companies listed. In addition, companies not yet on the Internet can
choose to have SDIBI design and host a web site for them, at a very affordable
price.
Additionally, SDIBI maintains a
database outlining South Dakota international trade statistics, an international
events calendar, and other useful links and information regarding international
trade.
South
Dakota Foreign Trade Zone SDIBI
assists South Dakota companies in determining if and how the South Dakota
Foreign Trade Zone can financially benefit its import activities. Additionally,
SDIBI assists companies in securing sites within the General Purpose Zone or
with the application for subzones outside the General Purpose Zone.
Trade
Lead Generators SDIBI
maintains a trade lead system to match foreign buyers to South Dakota companies.
The leads are accessed from a variety of sources including: U.S.
Department of Commerce Trade Opportunity Program, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and buyers who contact GOED directly or SDIBI directly.
SDIBI maintains an updated South
Dakota Exporter Directory, which is distributed in hardcopy and electronic
format. This directory lists the companies in South Dakota who export, along
with the contact and product information for each company.
For more information and additional comments:
