The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) mandates that CBP educate small and medium businesses on their compliance regarding importing and exporting into the U.S. This requirement is met by CBP’s Office of Trade Relations (OTR), who through various outreach efforts, raises awareness of resources available.
OTR has a national and regional partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA). We are responsible for managing CBP's outreach and communications with the international trade community, including the small and medium sized business community. OTR ensures that the trade community and the public understand that trade is an integral part of CBP's mission; making America safer, stronger, more prosperous, and economically competitive. As we continue to focus on economic growth, OTR has partnered with SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman and other small business entities to educate small and medium business owners on trade facilitation and compliance as it relates to importing, exporting and the global supply chain.
OTR’s outreach efforts to the small business community come in various forums; webinars, in-person roundtables and Small Business Trade Days.
Topics covered include a variety of information, such as:
- CBP’s role in Trade imports and exports - Automation and Partnership
- What small business owners need to know and what they should avoid when importing into the U.S.
- The role of the Broker in imports and exports, and how they can help.
- Resources available to the small and medium businesses (SBREFA, SBA Programs and DHS/CBP Contract Opportunities)
Upcoming Events
September 5-7, 2023: ASBDC Annual Conference - Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center in Nashville, TN
September 10-13, 2023: National Association of Foreign Trade Zones (NAFTZ) Annual Conference - Loews Miami Hotel in Miami Beach, FL
October 3-4, 2023: NASBITE International 2023 National Small Business Exporter Summit - Virtual
October 25-29, 2023: Pacific Coast Council West Coast Cargo Conference (WESCCON) - Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, CA
Past Events
June 20, 2023: El Paso Small Business Roundtable - Minority Women's Enterprise Diversity Center in El Paso, TX
May 1-4, 2023: SelectUSA Investment Summit - Gaylord Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, MD
April 19, 2023: 2023 Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security (TFCS) Summit - Small Business Roundtable in Boston, MA
April 12-14, 2023: Small Business Expo - Boston, MA
March 28-30, 2023: NASBITE International Conference - Graduate Hotel in Annapolis, MD
If you have any questions or would like to discuss an opportunity to collaborate with CBP in our outreach efforts, please contact OTR at (202) 344-1440 or cbpsbrelations@cbp.dhs.gov.
