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SEMA awarded federal grant to increase exports of automotive aftermarket products

Diamond Bar, Calif., trade organization SEMA, which represents the automotive specialty equipment market, has been awarded part of a $2.2 million federal grant to expand exports of automotive aftermarket products into foreign markets including Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and China.

The grant, under the Market Development Cooperator Program within the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA), will assist SEMA in its efforts to provide exporting opportunities for its more than 6,800 members by conducting new yearly fact-finding and sales missions to Russia; working with government officials to seek pro-industry regulations that allow U.S. products equal market access; and organizing overseas vehicle measuring sessions in key emerging markets.

The measuring sessions allow member companies to study and measure vehicles to develop quality products and accessories consumers can use to personalize and customize their cars, trucks, and SUVs. The $300,000 portion of the grant allocated to SEMA will enable the association to expand the program overseas and hold such measuring sessions in each market, augmenting its three-year program of importing non-U.S. vehicles to the SEMA Garage at its Southern California headquarters under special exemption.