This March AmCham in cooperation with the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) launched a joint program "Gateway to the USA" with the aim to promote trade and investment between Latvia and the U.S. and to encourage Latvian companies to do business in the U.S. In addition, AmCham signed a cooperation agreement with LCCI in order to strengthen bilateral trade.

"Gateway to the USA" is a joint business network platform aimed at developing and expanding connections between businesses in Latvia and business representatives in the U.S. The program is tailored to the needs of individual companies, members of AmCham and LCCI.

The first step was to collect initial responses from the business representatives in the U.S. We are delighted to announce we have received 13 applications so far from across the United States, including from the states of New York, California, Michigan, Illinois, Utah and Florida and from industries such as finance services, business development, engineering, energy, ICT, high-technology, life sciences, automotive, marketing, government relations etc. We hope that the number of the business consultants and industry representatived in the U.S. will grow.

Please note that only members of AmCham Latvia and LCCI are eligible to access the Business Network. In order to be connected with the U.S. representatives, member companies should send in a concise summary of their business development plans in the U.S. and characterize the desired assistance. Once a request from a local member company has been received, they will be reviewed and pre-screened and then connected to those who match their interest and expectations. Prior to applying, we encourage companies to get acquainted with American business culture and prepare a concise business pitch as well as be ready to promptly answer any questions posed by the U.S. business representatives.

Lastly, please note that while there is no fee for members to participate in the program, the U.S. business representatives may require a certain fee for their services. This is to be specified between both parties on an individual basis.

The Guidelines of "Gateway to the USA" are available here. You can read more about program here. 

If you are seeking to start or expand your business activity in the U.S., you are welcome to apply for the program by sending your email to amcham@amcham.lv. For more questions, please contact Ieva Melngaile at ieva.melngaile@amcham.lv or 6721-2204.