FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Email: publicaffairs@trade.gov
Phone: 202-482-3809

WASHINGTON - Between May 10-17, 2024, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago will lead more than 120 U.S. businesses to Europe and Eurasia for the 14th annual Trade Winds, the U.S. government’s largest annual trade mission and business development forum. Under Secretary Lago will lead the trade missions to Istanbul, Türkiye (May 13-15), and Warsaw, Poland (May 16-17).

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), this year’s Trade Winds centers around a three-day business forum from May 13-15 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The forum will feature tailored business-to-government meetings with U.S. commercial diplomats and trade experts based in over 30 countries across Europe and Eurasia, as well as plenary sessions and networking events.

Under Secretary Lago will meet with government officials in both countries to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening our bilateral trade and investment relationship and continued collaboration on energy, climate, and commercial issues. In Warsaw, Under Secretary Lago will deliver keynote remarks at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and meet with the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland to discuss potential commercial opportunities.

Participating U.S. companies will also have the opportunity to join Commerce Department officials for optional stops in Italy and Romania (May 9-10), as well as Denmark, Poland, and Kazakhstan (May 16-17). At each stop, participants will meet directly with foreign government officials, market experts, and potential business partners pre-screened by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Additionally, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman will meet with Kazakh government officials in Astana to discuss bilateral and regional commercial relations before leading a delegation of U.S. companies to Almaty to explore business prospects in Central Asia’s largest country.

Since its inception in 2008, Trade Winds has directly supported nearly 600 separate deals valued at more than $3.7 billion. With the participation of over 1,000 U.S. companies and sponsors to date, Trade Winds has helped U.S. businesses conduct over 4,500 pre-screened business-to-business meetings around the world.

###

About the International Trade Administration
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce is the premier government resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. Operating in more than 100 U.S. locations and 80 markets worldwide, ITA promotes trade and investment, assists U.S. businesses and workers to export and expand globally, and ensures fair trade and compliance by enforcing U.S. trade laws and agreements. For more information on ITA, visit www.trade.gov.