Vol. 5, Issue 2
Pacific NW Trade eNews
Meeting Face-to-Face in Vietnam
We just returned from making and maintaining in-person business connections for
Trade, Education, and Supply Chain!
Admittedly, as much as videoconferencing has been a game changer for WTC Tacoma small- and medium-size members, there is no substitute for making and maintaining business connections with in-person meetings as we did on our Vietnam Trade and Investment Mission last month.

As shown in the upper two photos, the visit was kicked off with a joint hybrid event with our hosts and partners, the WTC Binh Duong New City (WTC BDNC). WTC Executive Director Mike Fowler is shown presenting from the dais on the upper left. The keynote speaker was Port of Tacoma Commissioner John McCarthy, shown presenting in a larger-than-life high-tech format to a full house in the upper right photo.

The lower left photo shows University of Washington Tacoma Milgard School of Business (UWT MSB) Dean Altaf Merchant accompanied by Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber President & CEO Andrea Reay engaged in an exchange with Dean’s counterpart at the Vietnam Foreign Trade University in Hanoi.

Dean Merchant followed up on an existing memorandum of understanding and held discussions for future and ongoing cooperation and collaboration in a number of areas with multiple universities. The Vietnamese universities were particularly interested and impressed with how the UWT MSB has engaged effectively with our region's business community. UWT MSB's cooperation with the Chamber and WTC Tacoma is one of many examples.

The photos in the lower right are proof that our visit was not all meetings inside buildings. We took a break to get out and see Ho Chi Minh City (night scene) as well as Halong Bay (outside Hanoi).

With the assistance of the WTC Tacoma Vietnam Ambassador Bill Dao, our WTC BDNC hosts, and the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco, meetings were arranged specifically for each delegate.

For those who joined our joint hybrid event virtually and registered their specific needs, we have teamed up with the Washington State Department of Commerce and are now in the process of providing assistance. If you missed out on that opportunity, please contact us and let us know how we can assist you with trade.
Congratulation Griot's Garage!

In an event held at the Port of Tacoma Administration Building in late September, Griot's Garage, was awarded the 2022 WTC Tacoma Globe Award.

This Tacoma-based provider of
premium car care products, including polishes, waxes, cleaners, and detailing supplies, not only thrived through a pandemic, trade war, and supply chain disruptions, but maintained sales and distribution in the UK and Japan and has its sights set on additional markets.

The WTC Tacoma, which assisted with consultation, monitored substantial worldwide demand and growth potential through its Export Store efforts.

In the above photo, Betty Capestany, Director of the Pierce County Economic Development Department, presents the award to CEO Nick Griot.
Upcoming Events
US and China in Africa: A Competition of Competence
Join the World Affairs Council of Tacoma for the captioned event featuring an interview of William A Campbell Sr., Economic Officer, US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya by Sam Kaplan, Center of Excellence for Global Trade and Supply Chain Management and author of Challenging China: Smart Strategies for Dealing with China in the Xi Jinping Era
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 11:30AM via Zoom
The SBA Seattle District Office will feature the Washington Export Outreach Team for "Are You Ready to Export" on December 28, 2022 at 10:00AM
WTC Tacoma Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is an affordable, state-of-the-art service desk of international market-specific experts perfect for:

  • an entrepreneur with a vision needing help putting an international plan into action,
  • a small business seeking to expand internationally, or
  • an established mid- to large-sized company searching out new international suppliers or customers.

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