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European Trade Mission Opportunity – Space is Limited! Register by Feb. 16
Dear Michigan exporters,
Join the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Michigan Europe Trade Center for a trade mission to London, United Kingdom and Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 27 through May 4, 2024. Participants will receive customized schedules of B2B meetings with prospective buyers, partners and distributors. The mission also includes a cultural excursion, welcome reception and negotiated group hotel rates.
The STEP grant may be available to offset 50% of the participation fee, airfare and lodging for qualified SMEs.
Why the United Kingdom?- Sixth largest economy in world by GDP and second largest in Europe
- A population of 67+ million
- As an island, the UK is heavily reliant on trade and is a major international trading power
- The small geographical size of the UK makes it easy to manage for U.S. exporters, and our business processes are perfectly aligned
- Among the key sectors for prospective Michigan exporters: aerospace, automotive, electronics, health care and medical devices (also medtech), life sciences and biopharma, ITC, energy and renewable energies, advanced materials, telecommunications, food and drink, construction and safety/security equipment.
- The UK leads Europe in these sectors, and is a global force in many.
- The UK has cutting edge technology and, through revolutionary research, is leading the race towards net zero; any U.S. companies that can help in reaching this goal and offer green and sustainable solutions will be of interest to UK companies.
Why the Netherlands?- A geographically small, densely populated (17m people) country; over 170m consumers (more than a third of the EU’s population) reside within a 300-mile radius of the Netherlands.
- Ranked no.6 in the world by the World Competitiveness Ranking 2022; ranked one of the least complex countries to do business in; and consistently placed by Forbes in the top 4 Best Countries for Business list.
- A strategic location in Europe with advanced infrastructure geared towards the transportation of goods, people and data.
- The location at Europe’s front door provides the perfect springboard into the European market – with access to 95% of Europe’s most lucrative consumer markets within 24 hours; the country has capitalized on its location and advanced economy to become one of the top trading nations in the world. Consequently, many distributors have a much wider reach into other European regions.
- Boasting supportive legal and tax structure to set up operational businesses, as well as a highly educated, multilingual workforce and a superior logistics and technology infrastructure, has meant that a vast number of small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 leaders have chosen the Netherlands as their gateway to Europe.
- The Netherlands has a thriving economy and many goods enter the EU through it. It is culturally similar to the UK, making it an ideal test market for products from overseas looking at a first EU market.
Matchmaking Opportunities- The included B2B matchmaking service begins with a conference call to understand businesses' export and market-entry strategies and trade show objectives.
- MEDC's Europe trade center then performs pre-mission market research specific to the business's industry and goals.
- Upon arrival, businesses receive a customized schedule of B2B matchmaking meetings with prospective buyers, partners and/or distributors.
Registration Deadline: Feb. 16, 2024
Date and Time
Friday Feb 16, 2024
Contact Information
Weiwei Lu, CGBP
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