SAN DIEGO – (Sept. 29, 2010) WORLD TRADE CENTER San Diego (WTCSD) has received the Market Cooperator Program (MDCP) award from the International Trade Administration (ITA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. WTCSD will receive over $141,000 per year for each of the next three years, or a total of $425,000, for work related to encouraging the use of U.S. technology to solve water issues in the Middle East, North Africa and India. . It was one of five awards totaling $1.85 million from the ITA in 2010.

The award was announced at a news conference held here today at WTCSD by Nicole Lamb Hale, Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing Services, for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

World Bank predicts that per capita water availability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will fall by at least 50 percent by 2050 and warns of "serious social and economic consequences if countries do no adapt their current water management practices."

Belle Heule, president and CEO of WTCSD, said the award will enable WTCSD to use workshops and trade missions to help countries and companies develop solutions to water management issues in each region. WTCSD will host individual counseling sessions, workshops and webinars by visiting ITA experts. WTCSD will match U.S. companies with expertise in water technologies with interested countries and also help counsel all companies on developing new work relationships and dealing with possible trade roadblocks along the way. A key goal for all these efforts is the stimulation of growth and jobs in the U.S. and to build successful export relationships with countries in the area.

"This award will connect U.S. manufacturers with potential buyers, which should help our country increase its overall market share in the global water technologies industry," Heule said.

The WTCSD plans to organize groups to bid for larger government contracts, which often require engineering, construction, equipment supply, operations management, finance and local partners. The WTCSD will take the most promising companies on trade missions to participate in trade shows and match-making meetings in target markets.

The ITA estimates the nationwide program will enable U.S. companies to compete more smartly for overseas water contracts using American technology and labor, generating an estimated $27 million in export sales that create jobs in the U.S. WTCSD receives $425,000 award from International Trade Administration Page 2 of 2

According to the ITA website, "MDCP awards include financial and technical assistance from the ITA to support projects that enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. industries. An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and non-profit industry groups such as trade associations and chambers of commerce. The first MDCP awards, totaling over $2 million, were given out in 1993."

About WORLD TRADE CENTER San Diego

WORLD TRADE CENTER San Diego (WTCSD) is a non-profit trade association that provides comprehensive international trade services and key global contacts to facilitate and expand trade for regional worldwide clients. Leveraging its global network of World Trade Centers and affiliate partners, WTCSD is the proven forum for international information, communications and connections. WTCSD is licensed by the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) in New York City and is affiliated with an international network of over 1 million international members and patrons.