The Opportunity:

• Thanks to the Internet, small and micro-businesses have more access to global markets than ever. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt estimates that the entire world population (7 billion people) will be online by 2020, just five years from now
  
  
• This will mean billions more people shopping online, creating a huge opportunity for small- and micro-businesses, and for the world economy
  
  
• There is no reason why large corporations offering cheap, mass-produced products should be the only ones to benefit from this massive opportunity
  
  
• Trade agreements could reduce the export barriers small maker businesses face, creating opportunities to expand globally, create jobs, and make the world a better place by increasing market share of products that represent universal human ideals: e.g. creativity, joy, freedom of expression, quality, human rights, environmental stewardship...to name a few

The Problem:

• Exporting overseas is extremely challenging for small- and medium-sized business owners. Goods may be subjected to restrictive import rules, get stuck at the border, or incur unexpected fees. Many small business owners are too time- or resource-constrained to navigate these challenges.
  
  

• Above all else, small businesses would benefit from every country raising their de minimis customs exemptions. That’s the value under which imports are not subject to customs or duties. So for example, the US de minimis customs exemption is currently $200, which means any item shipped into the US under $200 isn’t subject to customs or duties.
  
  

• Small business would benefit if all countries increased and harmonized their de minimis thresholds, eliminating many of the challenges they face shipping goods across borders.
  
  

• Trade agreements offer a great opportunity to accomplish that goal. Congress is debating several bills related to trade, including something called Trade Promotion Authority, or TPA, which authorizes the Obama Administration to negotiate trade agreements, and the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, which takes steps to reduce bureaucracy at the US border.
  
  

• Now is the time to encourage lawmakers to prioritize small business issues--specifically de minimis customs thresholds--when negotiating these larger trade agreements.
  
  

• Trade agreements are not the only thing we need to seize the global trade opportunity. Far from it.  We also need: lower international shipping costs, better global market data, and removal of logistical hurdles to export.  However, this is an important starting point and a highly visible opportunity to make the views of consumers and small-and medium-sized business owners heard.

Take Action:

1)   Sign this petition!

The more people who sign, the more likely Congress will prioritize small business issues in trade bills.

2) Make an I Make / I Export Selfie  

Snap a photo and use the Over app  to tell the world that you make, you export, and you support trade. Share your selfie on social media with #sharetrade. More details on how to here.

3) Join our “Share Trade” Etsy team

Help build this campaign with other makers around the world.

Share Trade is NOT about the U.S. dominating other countries. It is about democratizing access to products that express our universal human ideals, and about leading ourselves and our friends overseas out of poverty and towards a more peaceful, compassionate world.

Thank you!

- Sabrina Moyle, Co-founder, Hello!Lucky

www.shopsharetrade.com
twitter: @shopsharetrade