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Content current as of 04/02/25

International Business Opportunities

The City works with many partners to promote direct investment and international trade. We encourage you to take advantage of their services to help expand your business globally. Accessing Washington’s local and international trade experts, funding assistance programs, and market research tools to help make international trade easier for you.

International Business Resources

Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the City of Tacoma, the MBDA Business Center – Tacoma assists certain minority-owned businesses with funding, consulting and contracts.

Frank Boykin

The World Trade Center of Tacoma (WTC) is a non-profit located in downtown Tacoma that helps local businesses connect to the global economy.  WTC Tacoma is part of the 330-city, 100-country World Trade Center Association.  It offers training, counseling and connections for Tacoma-area companies that want to trade internationally.

Gary Brackett

Export Washington provides export assistance and counseling for small businesses from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Whether your company is new to exporting or looking to expand to new markets, the Export Readiness Centers, located in Seattle and Spokane, can assist you with one-on-one no cost advise for your business.   Our Trade Specialists have nearly 100 years of international experience to help you successfully grow your export capability.  Start today by taking our Export Readiness Assessment or check out our Export Process page to start your research and developing a plan.

The Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington (EFACW) was created by the Washington State legislature in 1983 to provide export finance counseling assistance to small and medium-sized exporters or prospective Washington-based exporters.

The experienced Seattle-based US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Specialists will help you: Identify and evaluate international partners, navigate international documentation challenges, create market entry strategies and provide other export related guidance.

Other international trade resources are available through the U.S. Department of Commerce-based International Trade Administration. ITA’s mission is to create prosperity by strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and investment, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. Trade.gov provides you access to ITA’s valuable information and services regarding U.S. international trade policy. For those businesses wanting to expand their export markets, visit the U.S. Government Export Portal.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) offers financial assistance to small to medium-sized firms in more than 140 countries. Ex-Im Bank is the official export credit agency of the U.S. government offering financing opportunities worldwide, whose mission is to support U.S. jobs through exports. Its trade financing support enables U.S. companies to successfully compete in the international marketplace through the use of export loans, guarantees, and credit insurance.

John Brislin, Export Finance Manager

The City of Tacoma has 15 Sister Cities, all of which have aspects similar or complementary to Tacoma’s economic character. The goal of the program is to promote deeper cultural understanding, international visitation, and hospitality that leads to long lasting relationships.

Debbie Bingham