The North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO), in collaboration with the North Dakota Department of Commerce, engaged in eleven meetings with key consulates, country-specific partners, and a handful of associations last week. The primary focus was international trade and investment.
It was wonderful to visit and reestablish relationships with partners and create new connections after living with the pandemic restrictions for the past several months. In most cases, the North Dakota team was the first state delegation to visit their offices in person since the beginning of the pandemic and our new and old friends were thrilled to hear that North Dakota was open for business.
During the meetings, we showcased many of the exciting things happening in our state in the agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and other key industries. One area of focus was a briefing on carbon capture and storage initiatives happening in North Dakota. Throughout all the meetings, one common tread was that our partners are excited to explore future synergies and connect with North Dakota producers and service providers with their constituents in a variety of industries.
North Dakota continues to take the lead in several industries, and potential customers and partners are lining up to take advantage of the numerous trade and investment opportunities our state has to offer. Small but mighty, our state will be one to watch as the world emerges through the challenges of the pandemic.
-Drew Combs, North Dakota Trade Office Executive Director