Overseas businessmen have said they would never come to the US again after receiving rude treatment from visa processing officials, a trade association told a US congressional hearing this month.

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) president Dennis Slater testified at a hearing of the House Committee on Government Reform that focused on the business impact of visa-approval delays and made recommendations for reform.

Slater encouraged the US government to implement more business-friendly policies to encourage overseas customers to the US to buy US-made products. AEM operates some of the largest trade expos in the US, like the CONEXPO-CON/AGG show and the ICUEE-The Demo Expo.

"Our international attendance at recent shows would have been much higher, but many qualified business prospects encountered significant problems obtaining visas.

"Some became so discouraged over delays and perceived rude treatment that they dropped out of the process. They told us they would never come to the US again to spend their money but would go to trade shows in Europe or Asia instead," Slater said.

AEM's recommendations to the House Committee included differentiating business visa applicants from general ones and implementing more time-saving processes for frequent international business visitors.

Slater said small and medium sized exhibitors at AEM-run exhibitions were particularly affected by visa delays.

"It's not feasible for smaller companies to ship a piece of equipment overseas for a pre-purchase inspection or fly in many potential customers themselves," he said.

There was a focus among AEM members to attract Chinese and Indian customers to its exhibitions, Slater told the House Committee. Despite efforts by AEM staff in the US and China to facilitate the visa application process, potential show visitors still encountered problems.

The AEM suggested more staff be trained to process the high number of applicants and applicants be given better preparation for visa interviews.