REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS Regional development commissions are established by statute to coordinate and conduct regional planning activities for the counties, cities and towns which comprise the region. The commissions are responsible for preparing and adopting a regional development plan which prescribes the policies, goals, standards, and programs for the orderly development of the region. By statute, the plan must address the physical, economic and social needs of the region, including land use, parks and open space, access to sunlight for solar energy systems, airports, highways, transit facilities, hospitals, libraries, schools, housing and public buildings. The commissions review applications for federal and state loans and grants, conduct urban and rural research, coordinate civil defense, community shelter planning and flood plain management within the region and may contract to provide services and technical assistance to local units of government in the conduct of local planning and development activities. A list of the regional development commissions, the counties they include, and the office addresses can be found in the Resource Directory section of this Guide. EXPORT / IMPORT ASSISTANCE The U.S. Commerce Department, U.S. Commercial Service; Small Business Administration (SBA), Export Assistance Centers; U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States are resources for information on federal export finance programs, exporting training and publications. SBA Export and Trade Assistance SBA provides small businesses with the resources needed to expand into trading and exporting Export products U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) Will teach you about the exporting process at centers across the country.
Additional resources include the Minnesota District Export Council (DEC) and the Minnesota Trade Office (MTO). Contact information for these resources is located in the Resource Directory section of this Guide.
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