New Hampshire Governor Leads Trade Mission to Turkey

On June 23rd, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan led a group of seven state businesses and state staff on a trade mission to Turkey in order to promote international trade and explore opportunities in emerging sectors in the country. The trip also aimed to help strengthen and increase U.S.-Turkey trade overall through dialogue and partnerships. The mission was organized in partnership with the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) and the Turkish Cultural Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. Also joining Governor Hassan on the trip was State Commissioner at the Department of Resources Economic of Development, Jeffrey Rose.

The delegation traveled to Istanbul and Ankara where they met with senior businessmen and businesswomen in Turkey. The group also met with leading private banks and senior-level executives from top companies seeking to expand into the United States. The trip concluded with discussions on international trade and government processes with Members of the Turkish Parliament. According to Governor Hassan, the purpose of the mission was to “help businesses enter new markets through trade and increase New Hampshire exports.” In addition, the Governor maintained that the trade mission would “emphasize the Turkish people and Turkish businesses and help in increasing economic growth and job creation.”

Turkey is New Hampshire’s 12^th largest partner. According to Commissioner Rose, New Hampshire exported more than $79 million in goods and services in 2013 to Turkey alone and plans to increase investment opportunities in key sectors such as education, tourism, health, energy and defense.

TUSKON president Rizanur Meral called for Turkish companies to explore investment opportunities in innovation, research and development and other key sectors. President Meral also noted that the trade volume between the U.S. and Turkey has extended to $19 billion, with $6.5 billion coming from Turkish exports alone.

TUSKON is an umbrella organization for 7 regional federations and 202 business associations with over 52,000 members and 140,000 firms in Turkey. TUSKON’s goal is to build economic partnerships in the global economy, particularly among states with emerging economies, to join together and achieve exceptional economic success. TUSKON is headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, and maintains offices in Washington, D.C., Brussels, Beijing, Moscow and Addis Ababa.