FedEx Survey Shows Small Business Support of International Trade

FedEx released the results of its second Trade Index, a national survey of small business leaders, finding that the majority supported more global trade.

The survey found that 84% of small business leaders agreed that expanding international trade was a good thing, up from 77% the year before. Similarly, 80% of small business leaders said that increasing global trade would improve the U.S. economy overall. The FedEx Trade Index surveyed over 1,000 small business leaders to track the impact of international trade on the small business segment of the U.S. economy.

“These results show even more American small business leaders support expanding trade than last year,” said Raj Subramaniam, executive vice president, chief marketing and communications officer, FedEx Corp. “One thing is certain – small business leaders continue to view the growth of global supply chains and trade as beneficial to American workers.”

As many as three out of four small businesses felt that increasing international trade would also create more job opportunities in the U.S., and nearly a majority felt that it was necessary to keep the U.S. competitive.

Nearly 90% of survey respondents also said the U.S. must do a better job of retraining its workforce to meet the needs of the current economy. More than half of small business leaders surveyed represented companies with fewer than 20 employees, with the rest evenly split between companies with 20-99 and 100-500 employees.

“Retraining U.S. workers is a critical part of keeping the American economy expanding and competitive in global markets,” said Subramaniam. “FedEx is a strong supporter of continued efforts to strengthen job retraining programs throughout the United States.”