President Robbyn Wacker and Associate Vice President of the Center for International Studies Shahzad Ahmad joined with St. Cloud State University students, faculty and staff in support of the Governor’s Trade Mission in London.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz are visiting the UK and Finland this week for the Governor’s Trade Mission, which supported by state government leaders and more than 30 businesses and higher education institutions. The mission focuses on increasing state exports, promoting Minnesota as a site of business investment and strengthening existing ties in the region.
The trade mission is happening now through Nov. 19 with stops in the major business centers of London and Helsinki. It will have four tracks of concentration: MedTech and Health, Environmental Technologies, Agriculture and Food, and Higher Education. Wacker and Ahmad joined the mission as Gov. Walz networked in London at events focused on increasing trade nd business between Minnesota and the United Kingdom.
Both the United Kingdom and Finland are important trade partners for Minnesota. The United Kingdom was the state’s 8th largest export market in 2020. More than 70 UK-based companies operate at more than 180 business locations in Minnesota, and more than 60 Minnesota companies operate at about 150 business locations in the U.K. Total trade between Minnesota and Finland was valued at $58 million in goods in 2020 – where Minnesota imported $39 million from Finland and exported $19 million to Finland.
