Marcos Gonzalez, executive development officer for Bernalillo County, welcomed Celeste Nunez Salcedo, director of international business for the New Mexico International Trade Alliance, to a county "Biz Moments" segment to discuss resources for New Mexico businesses that want to sell abroad.

"The Trade Alliance is primarily an export assistance organization. Our goal is to help New Mexico companies sell their products abroad, and so we try to serve as a 1 stop shop for any kind of questions about international trade," Salcedo said. She told local businesses they do not need to be current exporters to seek help and described services that range from free company consultations to organized trade missions.

Salcedo said initial support includes no-cost consultations to assess a company's product and likely export markets, preliminary market research using a trade representative based in Mexico City, and educational events that provide market intelligence. For more advanced needs, the Trade Alliance organizes trade missions and helps companies exhibit at foreign trade shows.

The program administers the New Mexico STEP (State Trade Expansion Program) grant through the New Mexico Economic Development Department; Salcedo said the STEP grant is federally funded through the U.S. Small Business Administration and can offset costs such as market research and export training. She also noted an eligibility threshold commonly applied to STEP: companies with fewer than 500 employees.

Salcedo identified partner organizations and staff who assist Trade Alliance clients, including the International Trade Administration and state trade representatives; she named Marco Galvan as the trade representative in Mexico City and Ethan Chen as the state's trade representative in Taiwan. She cited examples of businesses the alliance has helped, including a wine company that made a sale in Taiwan and companies in medtech and food-and-beverage sectors such as a salsa producer.

For businesses seeking assistance, Salcedo gave a contact route: "The best way for them to contact me is to please visit our website at nmtradealliance.org. You'll find information about what we do, what we're passionate about, our contact information, and you'll also be able to submit a request form so that you can meet with us." Gonzalez closed the segment by thanking Salcedo and wishing local companies success.

The segment provides a concise overview of export assistance available to New Mexico firms, including grant support, market research and coordinated trade missions. Businesses seeking more detail or eligibility guidance should contact the Trade Alliance through the website listed above.