INTERNATIONAL trade consultant OCO Global has signed a new contract with US state of Colorado to boost state exports to the European markets of France and the UK.
The Belfast-based firm has been selected by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) as its trusted partner to help it grow exports in core sectors such as aerospace, biomedical products and advanced industries (Colorado’s goods exports to the UK and France already amount to $500m).
It follows other recent contracts for OCO with the states of New York, Delaware, Virginia and South Carolina, and caps a successful 12 months, with the company opening an office in Shanghai and its expansion in the US with the hire of six senior staff and plans to open an office in the Silicon Valley area of California.
Gareth Hagan, the consultancy's commercial director, said: “Colorado is a major trading hub and this new contract represents another significant milestone in our US expansion plans.
“We now provide services to nearly a third of all the states in the US, many of whom have economies as large as individual EU nations.
“The UK and France are already leading destinations for Colorado exports, and we see the potential for further growth as market access increases over the coming years.”
“With a new US-UK trade deal on the horizon and a more EU-orientated US President in Joe Biden, we can expect to see a rise in exports from the state of Colorado.
“Our role will be to reduce some of the market barriers, support product placement and ultimately increase trade between Colorado and the two markets in France and the UK.”
He added: “Over the course of the pandemic we have seen the challenges faced by exporters throughout the world with market disruption and logistical challenges. During this period we have been continuously adjusting our services to support clients in navigating such challenges with our market insights and analysis.”
“The implementation of this contract will require cross-Atlantic collaboration between our teams in the US, France the UK and here in Northern Ireland to support Coloradan companies navigate the international business complexities when bringing a product to a foreign market.
“When a company in a market begins export it ultimately results in enhanced economic opportunities and we look forward to working closely with our partner’s in Colorado to support growth in the state.”
