Enterprise Greece launches online Export Help Desk to promote Greek extroversion

Enterprise Greece has rolled out a new online platform to support Greek companies entering or expanding into foreign markets as part of national efforts to further the country’s overseas profile and the contribution of exports to Greek economic growth.
With the global financial crisis, increasing numbers of Greek farmers, producers and service providers turned to overseas markets, helping spur an unprecedented export boom and the country’s economic recovery. As a share of GDP, merchandise exports are now equal to about one quarter of Greece’s annual output, effectively double of what they were 20 years ago.
In that time, the country has become globally competitive in a range of products: from food to technology, from chemicals to building products. But in the next decade, Greek merchandise exports could double again as existing exporters expand their reach overseas and, just as importantly, the base of exporting companies widens to include more and more small- to medium-sized enterprises.
The new Export Help Desk offers daily updates to both existing exporters, and those seeking to export, on issues and procedures relating to foreign trade, news about training programs and seminars, business and consulting contacts, as well as a range of data bases with information and advice concerning foreign markets.
The new online service is designed to complement the agency’s other export promotion activities, which last year included the organization of trade delegations to 33 international exhibition and 10 business missions, facilitating more than 80,000 B2B contacts, hosting training seminars, export market focus events and a special Exports Academy among other things. Last year alone, Enterprise Greece managed over 900 export business requests, from 28 industries involving 61 countries, while holding 59 personalized counseling sessions for new exporters.