Government trade loans: where to go to fund your import export business.

Uncle Sam wants you to sell your wares abroad, and now he's willing to help you pay for it. The U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Agency for International Development have teamed up to counsel and provide financial assistance to export companies.

As part of the Federal Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, the quartet will be responsible for helping to implement President Clinton's National Export Strategy. The committee will also work with foreign trade partners.

Small businesses can't tap the capital resources that big businesses can draw on to finance their export transactions. "American companies recognize that our economic strength depends upon being competitive in world markets . . . [The centers] eliminate the guesswork and enable U.S. businesses to easily tap into the vast government resource network," says Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.

According to the SBA, small business accounts for 96% of enterprises involved in direct merchandise exporting. The SBA will use its loanguarantee program to help small businesses obtain financing. The workingcapital guarantee program helps exporters obtain financing for the sale of specific merchandise. The SBA also offers medium- and long-term financing to exporters through its international trade-loan and regular businessloan programs. To find out more, call the Office of International Trade at 202-205-6720.

There are also export assistance centers, such as the Minority Enterprise Growth Assistance Center (MEGA) in Chicago. MEGA assists small, minority-owned export businesses by crafting the mandatory business-loan proposal. The center covers the greater Chicago area and nine other states, including Wisconsin, Nebraska and Kansas.

The international arena is attracting curiosity seekers, but serious exporters must do their homework and learn about foreign currency, international transactions and business customs before seeking capital, advises Steve Johnson, MEGA Center administrator.

A company with up to $100,000 in sales is charged $10 per hour for a custom plan. Firms with $100,000 to $300,000 in sales are charged $20, and firms with up to $1 million pay $30 an hour. On average, a basic business loan package takes at least 80 hours to draw up.

Additional export business assistance can be obtained through the Minority Business Development Agency. To find out more, call the MBDA at 202-482-5741.

Along with export loans, the U.S. Export-Import Bank (800-565-3946) offers a capital-guarantee program that covers the entire amount of a capital loan. The federal agency also offers an export credit-insurance program to protect exporters in case a foreign buyer defaults on a payment.