The U.S. Small Business Administration’s guide to exporting has been translated into Spanish and is now available on its Web site. 

The guide, called “Breaking into the Trading Game: A Small Business Guide to Exporting,” helps small- to medium-sized enterprises prepare to engage in international trade.

The availability of the new translation was announced after a panel discussion at the second annual Americas Competitiveness Forum, which was held in Atlanta from Aug. 17-19.

About 1,000 business leaders and government officials from more than 20 countries around the Western Hemisphere shared best practices on trade and community development at the forum.

Another hemispheric endeavor, the Small and Medium Enterprise Congress of the Americas on International Trade, or SME Congress, is partnering with the Argentina Chamber of Exporters to disseminate the guide to all Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas.

The chamber spearheaded the translation of the guide for the SME Congress, a network of support agencies that promotes participation in international trade among small business owners.

On the whole, exports have risen in Latin America over the past five years as developed countries import higher-priced raw materials from countries like Argentina, Brazil and Chile, Dennis Bruce, president of the Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta, told GlobalAtlanta.

But some small business owners new to exporting might have difficulty breaking into global markets and setting their products apart, he said.

They also may not understand how selling to a broad range of markets can help shield them from the effects of economic downturns in places where the majority of their buyers live, said Mr. Bruce, who is also president of Tangonet Business Solutions, an advisory firm that often deals with market entry issues.

“Let’s take Latin America for example.  Internal markets tend to be underdeveloped or they do have a tendency to have bouts of instability. If you can diversify your markets by geography, you’re better protected against one or more markets going soft on you,” he said.

Although she hasn’t reviewed the guide at length, Terri Denison, director of the SBA’s Georgia district office, said that interest in exports at the SBA has increased from foreign business owners in Atlanta.

“They come here and they see opportunities here for exporting back to their home countries,” she said.

The guide will help them navigate challenges like government regulations and cross-border financial transactions, she said.

Sandy Baruah, the SBA’s acting administrator, said at the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Atlanta that national prosperity will in the future increasingly be tied to regional competitiveness.

The SBA’s guide will be a significant tool in boosting international trade, which creates economic development and jobs in the Spanish-speaking world, he said.

“We are very pleased that this translation will make this invaluable tool available to thousands of businesses in our hemisphere, including the many Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in the U.S.,” he said.

Mr. Baruah’s appointment as SBA administrator is pending confirmation by the Senate.  He has been a staunch advocate of three free trade agreements pending in the U.S. Congress. 

The SBA is part of a steering committee leading the SME Congress, which drew 75 representatives from 12 countries to its first conference in ReAaca, Chile, in 2004.  A 2006 event in Mexico City had twice the attendees and added five more countries.

A third event is being planned for 2009.

Click here to go to the SBA’s export guide.  The Spanish version is available in a downloadable PDF here.