Wal-Mart Starts Export Business in Bentonville

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced on Feb. 14 that it had opened an office at its Bentonville headquarters to promote exports of United States-made goods to its nearly 1,300 international stores.

The retailer — which has stores in countries including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Britain, Germany, and China — said it would use the office to help open new markets and draw attention to trade barriers to U.S. products.

The office, part of a global procurement unit that Wal-Mart formed last year, will look for U.S. manufacturers to produce goods for sale at its stores outside the U.S.

Wal-Mart has been criticized by some labor groups for its heavy reliance on imported goods, which the groups say are often made by low-paid workers.

A Wal-Mart spokesman said the retailer does look for “attractive products” made outside the United States, but the pipeline should work both ways. Wal-Mart’s international division has been outperforming the U.S. operations in recent months.

The office will also help manufacturers navigate restrictive import regulations in foreign countries, Wal-Mart said in a statement.

“We want to sell American products globally, but we will also need to work with the U.S. government to break down barriers that we encounter,” Ken Eaton, Wal-Mart’s senior vice president of global procurement, said in the statement.