PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, was awarded one of 10 new Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) awards announced by Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Under Secretary for International Trade, Joseph Semsar. The partnership funding creates or sustains U.S. jobs by increasing or maintaining the export of American goods.

“Collaborations like this, between the government and the manufacturing sector, help our members and the packaging and processing industry as a whole, address trade barriers, enhance industry competitiveness and generate exports that create and sustain American jobs,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. 

Under the Department of Commerce’s 2020 MDCP, the 10 awardees will leverage more than $2.7 million in financial and technical assistance from the International Trade Administration (ITA) to reduce barriers to U.S. products in foreign markets. 2020 MDCP awardees will invest at least $8.5 million of their resources and collaborate with ITA staff worldwide to remove key trade barriers in their industries. 

An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and an American non-profit industry group. Each MDCP award includes financial and technical assistance from the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) to reduce barriers to U.S. products in foreign markets.  

PMMI will match the MDCP award with an investment of $1 million. Each MDCP awardee pledges at least two-thirds of the project costs and agrees to sustain its project after the initial MDCP award period ends. 

The whole list of award winners include:

The 2020 awardees are: 

• American Association of Independent Music (New York)
• Association of Equipment Manufacturers (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
• Auto Care Association (Bethesda, Maryland)
• Evergreen Building Products Association (Tacoma, Washington)
• International Code Council (Washington, D.C.)
• Modification and Replacement Parts Association, Inc. (Washington, D.C.)
• PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (Herndon, Virginia)
• RV Industry Association, Inc. (Reston, Virginia)
• Specialty Equipment Market Association (Diamond Bar, California)
• United Natural Products Alliance, Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah) 

MDCP awards ultimately benefit individual U.S. businesses and the U.S. workers they employ. MDCP projects generate $359 in American exports for every $1 of MDCP awards made. In an average year MDCP projects create or sustain over 17,000 American jobs. For more information about the Market Development Cooperator Program, please visit www.trade.gov/mdcp.