Former ambassadors discuss strategies for boosting international trade

— Two former U.S. ambassadors say Wisconsin should leverage cultural, diplomatic and academic ties with other nations in order to strengthen international trade.

“I don’t think we take advantage of the extraordinary asset we have in the University of Wisconsin System,” said Mark Green, a former Republican Wisconsin lawmaker and Congress member from the Green Bay area who served as ambassador to Tanzania. “It lets them know that the state has a commitment to investing in technology but also in workforce, that they’ll be able to tap into the programs and initiatives that the UW System offers.”

He joined Tom Loftus, a former top Dem legislative leader from Sun Prairie who served as ambassador to Norway and as a UW System regent, in a virtual discussion. The event was hosted by WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com as part of an ongoing trade policy event series.

“One thing people do not think about that much are the UW alumni clubs and associations in these countries,” Loftus said. “We have an alumni association in Beijing, Singapore, South China, Shanghai and Taipei — that means all these people have gone to the University of Wisconsin, are back home, are in business.”

He framed these alumni groups as “important entry points” for businesses and local governments looking to expand private investment and other international trade opportunities. Loftus and Green agreed on the potential for embassies in foreign nations to develop new trade opportunities, since all have commercial services tasked with fostering these relationships.

Green said that business liaisons at embassies “oftentimes they don’t know what they have,” and urged trade leaders to reach out to embassies to get the ball rolling. He also stressed the importance of face-to-face trade diplomacy and developing personal relationships.

“Talk about what it is that you have, what it is that you bring to the table, and then let them go to work for you,” he said. “I do think trade delegations are a good idea.”

The conversation also touched on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s recent nomination to the position of U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, highlighting the importance of the country as a “strategic crossroads” for trade in Europe.  He would be the latest in a long string of U.S. ambassadors from Wisconsin if confirmed.

“You can use your connections as an ambassador to leverage the interests of the United States,” Loftus said.

See the full story here.

Watch a video of the discussion here.