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Contact Us or Apply for Services
Learn more below about how you can apply for the U.S. Commercial Service's Rural Export Center research service, and contact a REC staff member.

Rural Contact

Qualifying, rural exporters can request a free research consultation. Contact us by emailing rural@trade.gov. Please provide the following information:

  • Name
  • Company
  • Address (Must be a U.S. address. Contact us at rural@trade.gov to determine eligibility.)
  • Email Address/Phone/Website
  • A brief explanation of your international research goals
  • A brief explanation of the type of international research you are seeking

Rural Export Center Staff

Our dedicated Rural Export Center team members are here to help. Contact a REC staff member below if you have any questions about how we can help you take your company global!
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Heather Ranck
Director
(701) 552-0792
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Kate Best
Program Manager, Contractor
(701) 526-8700
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Bryce Ciccaglione
Research Analyst, Contractor
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Summer Kerksick
Research Analyst, Contractor

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Elizabeth Krekel
Research Analyst, Contractor
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Andrea Nisely
Research Analyst, Contractor
(701) 997-4561
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Darin Stromstad
Research Analyst, Contractor
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Ashley Wills
Research Analyst, Contractor

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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