eBay Inc. CEO John Donahoe became the newest member of the President’s Export Council Thursday after President Barack Obama appointed Donahoe to the prestigious advisory committee on international trade. In this role, Donahoe will advise the president on policies and programs that affect U.S. trade, including opportunities to expand cross border trade opportunities for businesses that use eBay Inc. products and services.

Protecting small businesses from the onerous burdens of the Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA) has been one of the main concerns for policymakers in the Internet sales tax debate. Unfortunately, the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy released a report recently that does not provide any new research about the bill's impact on small businesses. In fact, many observers have pointed out significant flaws in the study's methodology and findings. Here are some of the concerns being highlighted about the SBA study:

With Thanksgiving upon us and the holidays right around the corner, it is the perfect time of year to give thanks to everyone who made this yet another successful year.  The eBay Inc. government relations team would like to thank our customers, who are the backbone of eBay Inc.’s continual success. 

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) toured eBay’s San Jose campus Tuesday to see how eBay is helping small businesses break down international trade barriers and enabling a new era of global commerce.

As a former attorney with experience in customs law, Owens is a leading voice on trade and customs issues in the House of Representatives. He is the co-chair of the House Northern Border Caucus, a congressional body that works to promote stronger border security and trade opportunities for states like New York that share a border with Canada.