By Linda Spencer
 SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting addresses attendees of the 2019 SEMA Export Fair at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California. |
SEMA members gathered recently at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, for the fourth biennial SEMA Export Fair featuring two days of tips and best practices on globally promoting and protecting their products. The sold-out program also offered networking opportunities with top trade buyers from six overseas regions and countries, including Latin America, Canada, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Australia.
Time was set aside each day for one-on-one meetings between SEMA members and visiting buyers seeking new suppliers of performance, off-road, street-performance and styling products. Participants attended eight panels covering such topics as the cost and steps to enhance the global protection of their trademarks and patents, led by legal experts; how to check whether counterfeits of their products are being sold on popular e-commerce sites, led by Alibaba officials; and a run-down of the latest list of messaging platforms used by overseas buyers, including WeChat, WhatsApp, Link and Telegram, which are typically preferred by overseas customers over other means of electronic communication, including email.
The SEMA Export Fair was co-sponsored with the U.S. Department of Commerce, which used the event to announce an extension of the SEMA Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) grants providing funds to defray the cost for qualified participants on SEMA overseas trips, including the March 31–April 7 Middle East Business Development Conference in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. More information on the trip to the SEMA Middle East Business Development Conference is available online or by contacting Linda Spencer, SEMA’s senior director, international and government affairs.
 Participants attended eight panel discussions led by legal experts and Alibaba officials, among others. |  Time was set aside each day for one-on-one meetings between SEMA members and visiting buyers seeking new suppliers of performance, off-road, street-performance and styling products. |
 The SEMA Export Fair was co-sponsored with the U.S. Department of Commerce, which used the event to announce an extension of the SEMA Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) grants providing funds to defray the cost for qualified participants on SEMA overseas trips. |  Buyers form Peru, Colombia and Argentina provide an overview of the off-road and racing markets in Latin America and the opportunities for U.S. manufacturers. |