The New Jersey
 World Trade Council

• Promote global commerce for the State of New Jersey.
• Foster close ties with the diplomatic community of the New York metropolitan area to strengthen international relations.
• Serve as a professional networking organization for international trade executives to support New Jersey’s economy.
• Support international trade education to demystify the barriers to cross border trade and investment.

The Council’s Board of Directors is comprised of representatives of leading New Jersey organizations and academia involved in international trade and economic development. These include multi-national corporations, law firms, accounting firms, media, state and federal governmental agencies and universities.

For more that 35 years, the Council has pursued these goals. The efforts of the Council are best seen in the two annual events it hosts. The first event each year is the Annual Diplomatic Reception. This event is held at the University Club in New York City and is usually attended by eighty to one hundred members of the New York metropolitan area diplomatic community. These are the official representatives of their respective countries, assigned to serve in the New York metropolitan region. Typically it is the Consul General and/or the senior Trade Counselor of each Mission that attends. The Consul General and Trade Counselor are the principle contacts for doing business with or in their country.

The event serves several purposes. It provides a venue to introduce the diplomats to New Jersey. The fact that New Jersey is a major component of the economy of the New York metropolitan area is made directly to the attending diplomats. The New Jersey Commerce Secretary usually delivers that message. Those diplomats who are newly accredited to their New York posts are welcomed individually and presented with a lifetime honorary membership in the New Jersey World Trade Council. This is intended to establish a lasting connection with New Jersey.

The Reception also provides the occasion to promote the other annual event hosted by the Council, The New Jersey World Trade Conference. As each World Trade Conference revolves around a featured country, the featured country for that year is announced before an audience of peers and the media. This serves the purpose of promoting the current year’s event as well as developing future interest on the part of other countries.

The second event, the New Jersey World Trade Conference, takes place in mid to late April. The New Jersey World Trade Conference is essentially two thirds of the business day. The morning is devoted to conference style presentations covering the essential components of how to do business with, and in, the featured country. Presentations and panel discussions cover legal, cultural, financial/banking and other economic aspects of trade and investment. In addition, there is an exhibit area where various organizations such as banks, airlines, economic development agencies, the Chamber of Commerce and companies from the featured country and New Jersey provide further insight into the interests of trade and investments.

The highlight of the program is the international luncheon at which New Jersey’s Governor joins the US ambassador of the featured country, and perhaps one other prominent speaker, in presentations that recognize mutual interests, progress and opportunities. Just prior to the luncheon a private VIP reception is held to provide the opportunity for featured speakers and officials to meet informally and take selective interviews with the media in attendance. During this time, conference attendees take part in a reception in the exhibit area. The conference typically enjoys an attendance of 400 – 500.

In addition, the Council meets on a regular basis to plan, and improve these activities and to consider how it can most effectively participate in and influence international trade and investment agendas in New Jersey.