This week, the Chamber was invited by the United States Embassy in London, to an evening reception with the Governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts.
The Governor, along with the First Lady, was leading a trade mission to the UK and Ireland along with representatives from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Department of Agriculture, and colleagues from Nebraskan industry.
In discussions with the Governor, our head of International Trade was able to introduce opportunities for Nebraskan companies in Lancashire. The Governor stated that the United Kingdom is a key trading partner for Nebraska, he hopes that this visit will encourage new investment in our regional communities.
The US and UK have a strong trade relationship worth more than $260 billion a year, and a total of $1 trillion invested in each other’s economies. This relationship plays a pivotal role in Nebraska’s economy. The UK is the 6th largest export market for Nebraskan goods and service at a value of £319 million in 2019. The main areas of trade cover aerospace, pharmaceuticals, motor vehicle parts, oilseeds and grains, agricultural machinery and insurance and financial services. Companies based in the UK also employ 4,494 Nebraskans in 21 communities around the state.
We met with Steve Wellman the Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, who is keen to establish cooperation within the beef, pork, corn, and distillers’ grains sectors and would be happy to discuss two-way trade between Lancashire and Nebraska. This was echoed by both the representatives of the Sorghum association and the U.S. Meat exporters association.
Away from agriculture Nebraska is known for the insurance sector, it has a reputation for fair, consistent, and transparent regulation and has drawn investment from domestic and international insurers alike.
The event also allowed the opportunity to meet with various members of the US Embassy team which we hope will result in strengthened cooperation between their commercial team and your Chamber.
From these discussions we expect to see joint events and visits by the Embassy team to Lancashire in the not too distant future.
