PA Offering In-State Businesses Opportunity to Gauge, Enter Growing Chinese Market
Meetings with International Trade Rep Latest Effort to Boost Successful Business Development Program
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania companies will have an opportunity to explore business opportunities in the fast-growing Chinese market through April 23, when the commonwealth's trade representatives from Beijing and Shanghai will visit the state for a series of regional meetings.
"China, with its approximately 1.5 billion people, is widely considered to be the world's largest and fastest-growing emerging market and it represents a huge opportunity for Pennsylvania manufacturers and service providers," said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary George Cornelius. "These one-on-one business meetings and briefings are a terrific opportunity for Pennsylvania's businesses to determine the potential market for their goods and services in China, and to establish contacts with a network of trade experts."
The meetings are hosted by DCED's Center for Trade Development and its regional export network partners. DCED contracts with 24 overseas trade representatives to provide in-country assistance and market intelligence. They help to identify overseas partners for Pennsylvania companies, and offer knowledge and technical assistance which may be outside their experience or resources, including market intelligence, export counseling, compliance support, business contacts and trade promotion programs.
China is Pennsylvania's third largest export market, with $1.54 billion in exports in 2009, including machinery, chemicals, computers/electronic products and primary metal products.
"By helping to forge new relationships, we are providing Pennsylvania companies with opportunities to move into new markets that often result in new jobs," Cornelius said. "These in-state meetings will make it even easier for small and mid-sized companies to get information and technical assistance about a potentially huge new market."
DCED's Office of International Business Development helped to increase the commonwealth's exports at a significantly faster rate than the national average, prior to the recession: Pennsylvania's exports in 2002 totaled $15.3 billion; in 2008 they were $34 billion, 18 percent higher than in 2007.
In the fiscal year that ended June 30, the office directly facilitated $455 million worth of exports, a 25 percent increase over the previous year. Last year, the office directly assisted more than 1,200 companies.
The commonwealth is now working with its trade representatives on the Envoy program, created to provide ongoing services overseas to Pennsylvania companies beyond what is already offered at no cost by DCED.
Pennsylvania's trade center in China has entered into 17 Envoy contracts since the program's inception in 2007. While each contract is different and customized, the Envoy service has been used in two primary ways: to provide executive office services for an in-country company representative or to offer a turnkey solution, essentially outsourcing a company's China development to a team built and managed by the trade center.
The program has proven beneficial for two Pennsylvania-based companies now doing business in China. West Chester-based Weston Solutions used the Pennsylvania business center in Shanghai to quickly establish its China headquarters -- a wholly-owned entity staffed by a Weston executive. Reading-based Carpenter Technology made use of the Envoy program in 2008 to establish its presence and conduct initial business affairs as its formal office was being prepared.
For more information on Pennsylvania's successful international business development efforts, visit www.newpa.com.
Editor's Note: The itinerary for the meetings with Pennsylvania's trade representatives from Beijing and Shanghai follows. Interested companies should call the contact listed below to reserve a spot.
April 13 – State College
Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County
200 Innovation Blvd.
Suite 150
State College, PA 16803
DCED regional partner: Susquehanna Economic Development Association
Contact: Noelle Long, 570-524-4491
April 15 – Bethlehem
Lehigh University
621 Taylor St.
Bethlehem, PA 18015
DCED regional partner: Lehigh University Small Business Development Center, Lehigh Export Network
Contact: Cora Landis, 610-758-4350
April 16 – York
Four Points Sheraton
1650 Toronita St.
York, PA 17402
DCED regional partner: World Trade Center of Central Pennsylvania
Contact: Tina Weyant, 717-843-1090
April 19 - Latrobe
St. Vincent College
300 Fraser Purchase Road
Latrobe, PA 15650
DCED regional partner: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Contact: Rena Liu-Belshe, 412-391-5590
April 20 – Grove City
Carnegie Alumni Center
Grove City College
100 Campus Drive
Grove City, PA 16127
DCED regional partner: Northwest PA Regional Planning and Development Commission
Contact: Dorte Heffernan, 814-677-4800
April 21 – (North Central PA)
Site visits TBD
DCED regional partner: North Central PA Regional Planning and Development Commission
Contact: Christine Perneski, 814-773-3162
April 23 – Philadelphia
World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia
Two Penn Center
1500 JFK Blvd.
Suite 305
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1733
DCED regional partner: World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia
Contact: Dino Ramos, 215-586-4246
For more information, call 1-866-466-3972 or visit www.newpa.com.
Media contact: Steve Weitzman, 717-783-1132
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
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