Bush Discusses Strategy to Strengthen Economy and Open New Markets Release Date: 03/25/2004 NFIB Yesterday President Bush addressed small-business owners at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, outlining his administration's strategy to strengthen the economy and help American small businesses compete globally. "Five percent of the world's population is right here in America," Bush said. "It means 95 percent of potential customers are elsewhere. Ninety-seven percent of all U.S. exporters are small or medium-sized businesses. It's a pretty interesting statistic, isn't it? A lot of people in America think, export; they think, big guys. The facts are that small businesses export a lot." To help small businesses be successful exporters, Bush turns to his six-point economic growth plan, which includes permanent tax cuts, relief from federal, state and local regulations, legal reform to help protect small business against frivolous lawsuits, and affordable health care for small-business owners. "By making the playing field more level, there is a greater opportunity that the small businesses around the United States will be able to find new markets and sell additional products, and goods and services, which means somebody is more likely to find a job," Bush said. The president also said he wants the United States to engage in more trade agreements with foreign countries. Bush recently signed trade agreements with Singapore and Chile and finished negotiating with Morocco, Australia and a group of countries in Central America. The United States has come a long way in proving itself as a world economic leader, Bush said, but more needs to be done to preserve its status. "We improved, we changed, we're flexible," he said. "Our education systems began to work better. The entrepreneurial spirit remains strong. We're the greatest economy in the world now. And it's important that we keep it that way with good policies."