Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, small and medium-sized manufacturers contribute greatly to our Nation's economic growth, creating thousands…”

“Mr. Speaker, small and medium-sized manufacturers contribute greatly to our Nation's economic growth, creating thousands of new jobs each year and providing all Americans with quality manufactured goods. The emergence of electronic commerce has the potential to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers develop new products and markets, interact more quickly and efficiently with suppliers and customers and improve productivity by increasing efficiency and reducing transaction costs and paperwork. Despite the benefits electronic commerce has to offer, small and medium-sized manufacturers face significant challenges in integrating electronic commerce into their operation because of the complexity of multiple technologies, expensive deployment costs and the lack of interoperability standards. H.R. 4429, the Electronic Commerce Enhancement Act of 2000, helps to assist small and medium-sized businesses to successfully integrate and utilize electronic commerce technologies and business practices.”