Ten businesses in Wisconsin are about to embark on a trade mission to Europe to grow their export portfolio – food processors are among them.
“This trade mission will underscore Wisconsin’s manufacturing, health, scientific, and food processing industries in a region where consumers with 60 percent of the European Union’s purchasing power live within 300 miles,” says Gov. Tony Evers, who is leading the delegation along with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
Ten Wisconsin companies will attend the mission, which will feature stops in Brussels in Belgium, Amsterdam and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Katy Sinnot is the vice president of global trade for WEDC. Her team put together this mission. She says the region is especially beneficial for food processors.
Belgium was among the top 10 destinations for Wisconsin exports in 2021, and the Netherlands ranked 11. When treated as a single market, the Benelux region purchases more Wisconsin exports than Germany, Wisconsin’s fourth-highest export destination.
“Wisconsin already has valuable partnerships with companies in the region, and this mission will allow us to solidify those relationships and build new ones,” says WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “Home to Europe’s two largest ports, Antwerp and Rotterdam, Belgium and the Netherlands are considered a gateway for Wisconsin entrepreneurs looking to export to Europe.”
The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of food, just after the U.S., and the U.S. is the sixth-largest agricultural supplier to the country. Many U.S. food products are exported from the Netherlands after being processed there.
More upcoming trade ventures:
- Poland, Nov. 11-18, 2023, centered in Warsaw
- India, Dec. 2-9, 2023, with stops in Mumbai and Delhi
- Mexico, Jan. 28-Feb. 2, 2024, with stops in Monterrey and Mexico City
- United Arab Emirates, Jan. 27-Feb. 1, 2024, centered in Dubai
- China, March 9-16, 2024, with stops in Shanghai and Beijing
- Canada, April 7-12, 2024, with stops in Toronto and Winnipeg
- Germany, April 6-13, 2024, centered in Munich
Register: https://wedc.org/programs-and-resources/global-trade-ventures/
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