Business and Trade

(Archive)

Developing regional trade ties and expanding U.S. business opportunities in northern Europe go hand in hand. The region, itself a direct market of close to 60 million people and a potential stepping stone to the much larger markets of Russia and central and eastern Europe, is ripe with such opportunities. U.S. embassies there have developed a number of programs to support American companies interested in investing in and trading with the Baltic and Nordic states and northwest Russia. Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) offices throughout the region work directly with businesses and local U.S. Chambers of Commerce. The Central and Eastern Europe Business Information Center (CEEBIC) has staff in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn who develop trade leads and counsel U.S. companies concerning trade and investment opportunities. In Washington, the Department of State's Office of Commercial and Business Affairs provides information on export opportunities, and CEEBIC trade specialists provide support services to U.S. companies and hold business outreach programs. The private sector dialogue of the Partnership Commission established under the U.S.-Baltic Charter enables the business community to discuss its needs directly with U.S. and Baltic economic decision-makers. The Baltic-American Enterprise Fund (BAEF), established in 1994 with $50 million in U.S. funds, provides capital in all three Baltic states for small- and medium-sized companies and for residential mortgages. Through these and other efforts, the U.S. seeks to promote increased trade and investment, a key part of building a region of prosperity and stability.

For businesses interested in investing in or trading with the Baltic States, a U.S.-Baltic business-to-business dialogue was established in 1998 in the framework of the U.S.-Baltic Partnership Commission. This dialogue produced a set of recommended actions* for U.S. and Baltic governments to take to promote U.S. investment in the Baltic States and U.S.-Baltic trade. Many of those have been acted upon; a follow-up business-to-business meeting was held in spring 2000 in conjunction with annual high-level economic consultations. For more information, contact the NEI Coordinator at nei@state.gov. More information on business opportunities in northern Europe can be found in the following:

• The Baltics Mean Business!*
• Country Commercial Guides*
• Links for Businesses

*Please note that these publications at present reside on the Department of State Archive site; use the Back button on your browser to return to this page.