WEDC: To organize China trade venture

Contact: Kelly Lietz, 608.210.6858
kelly.lietz@wedc.org


Customized Business Meetings Available for Wisconsin Companies


MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) invites representatives from Wisconsin companies to join a trade venture to China Jan. 8-16, 2016.

The business development trip will include visits to Tianjin and Nanjing. China’s fourth-largest city, Tianjin is located half an hour from Beijing by high-speed train. It is a hub for advanced industries and finance, and is also a major seaport. Nanjing is the second-largest commercial center in eastern China after Shanghai. With a rapidly growing economy, the area’s developing clean energy, advanced manufacturing and health care interests mirror those of Wisconsin.

WEDC’s focus on these up-and-coming markets reflects the growing business opportunities outside the country’s primary commercial centers where investment opportunities have leveled off and access to customers has become more challenging.

“China is investing heavily in infrastructure, health care and environmental initiatives as the country’s middle class purchasing power expands,” said WEDC Vice President of International Business Development Katy Sinnott. “Wisconsin’s leadership in these areas and our well-known manufacturing and research capabilities create exciting business opportunities for globally-minded companies in our state.”

To make the most of the China trade venture, WEDC encourages interested Wisconsin companies to enroll in a customized export acceleration program tailored specifically for the China market. ExporTech™ sessions taking place in Waukesha in November and December will help companies understand China’s geographic and demographic diversity, determine which markets within China are best suited for their products, and develop a strategy for entering those markets. The program’s final session February will allow participants to leverage lessons from January’s trade venture and adapt their strategies to intelligence gained on the ground.

In September, WEDC was awarded a $712,000 federal grant to help Wisconsin companies achieve their export goals. These funds are available to companies that participate in ExporTech and to companies that attend a WEDC-led trade venture.

For more information about WEDC’s China trade venture and ExporTech readiness program, visit InWisconsin.com/China2016.