US trade mission targets Glasgow and Edinburgh as key cities

Business leaders in Scotland will meet with a US business secretary next month to promote transatlantic trade, it was confirmed yesterday.

Rhode Islands secretary of commerce Stefan Pryor

Stefan Pryor, secretary of commerce for the State of Rhode Island, will visit the UK in September as the head of a trade mission comprising seven US businesses and a team of commerce and tourism officials, with Edinburgh and Glasgow named among the key target cities.

The trade mission, which has been organised by the Chafee Centre for International Business at Bryant University, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and the US Department of Commerce, will see Pryor and his team talking to UK businesses about the latest incentives and support available for British companies planning to set up an operation in Rhode Island, which is said to be increasingly seen by UK businesses as a first landing place in the US.

Pryor said: “Companies with UK roots, including Finlays and Virgin Pulse, have chosen to plant their flag in our state, and we look forward to exploring opportunities with other companies that are looking to expand in America.”

Visiting Edinburgh on 17 September, the mission will also take in the “Northern Powerhouse” cities of Leeds, Hull and Manchester. US firms on the mission include intellectual property law specialist Feeney Law and sea floor mapping company Inspire Environmental.