FedEx and France launch new initiative to promote French trade
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5176324 MEMPHIS, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 26, 2006–FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), and the French Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs (FOECA), have joined forces to expand trade and investment between France and the United States. The skills and resources of FedEx and FOECA will be made available to small- and medium-sized French and U.S. businesses that want to import and export.
Through this alliance, U.S. and French businesses will have increased opportunities to find international buyers and receive the training and assistance necessary to enter new markets.
"This initiative is a boon for small- and medium-sized businesses," said Jean Francois Boittin, minister counselor of Economic and Commercial Affairs for France. "By tapping into the expertise of our network of experts across the country, occasional exporters will have a chance to grow in the U.S., and grow FedEx business as well."
The FedEx role in the initiative will be to generate awareness among its customers about the benefits of the FOECA export assistance network present in six cities within the U.S.–Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The initiative also includes joint export promotion that links customer seminars, sales force training and direct marketing campaigns.
"As part of our international growth strategy, FedEx has forged an alliance with FOECA in order to strengthen France-U.S. export volume," said Michael Ducker, president, FedEx International. "Already an average of more than US$1 billion in commercial and financial transactions take place between the two countries every day. We plan to grow that number by using the FedEx and FOECA portfolio of resources and expertise to help small- and medium-sized businesses build their export markets."
FedEx developed a similar alliance in 2004 with the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Services to promote U.S. small business exports through marketing and educational programs.
"The initiative with FOECA adopts the same logic we applied in our agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce," added Ducker. "Both programs benefit our clients by providing an expanded support network."
About the French Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs (FOECA)
The French Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs, the French counterpart of the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Services, is a network of 90 experts located in six cities across the U.S. While monitoring the U.S. market, these specialists help American companies to do business in France by providing business contacts, organizing buyer meetings and business trips to France, and helping French companies find the right importers and buyers in the U.S., build the right networks, and invest when necessary to increase their customer base.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of US$32 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 260,000 employees and contractors to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit www.fedex.com.
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