THE Department of Trade and Industry has set up a special task team to assist local companies export goods into the United States market. This will kick into action once the new African Growth and Opportunities Act comes into effect. Faizel Ismail, the department of Trade and Industry’s deputy director, said that the team’s task was to ensure that every business sector interested in penetrating the US market can actively use the opportunities presented by the new act. One of the team’s first tasks will be to ensure that local companies adhered to the August 9 deadline to give notice of plans to offer submissions to the US committee deciding which sectors benefit from the law. The team is made up of representatives of several businesses sectors and government departments. The Act will boost export opportunities through offering 1900 products duty free to the US markets.