Small Business Trade Barriers Include Tech, Which Also Can Help, Report Chamber, Google

The U.S. should collaborate with state governments, industry and other stakeholders to help small businesses use technology for exporting, encourage tech providers to distribute digital tools to reduce barriers for small business exports and prioritize negotiations of trade deals that open markets for small businesses, said a study released Wednesday by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Google. Pressing obstacles include unclear privacy rules and liability risks of foreign regulations, they said after surveying 3,800 small firms. “Many of the barriers that impede small business exports can be reduced and mitigated through digital tools,” the study said. “However, many U.S. small businesses are unaware of these tools, and in other cases, these tools are not optimized for small businesses.”