Tag: WTCSD

Mayor Todd Gloria to lead Netherlands trade mission to strengthen economic ties with EU

By Bree Burris,

WORLD TRADE CENTER SAN DIEGO CONVENES REGIONAL LEADERS TO HELP SAN DIEGO BUSINESSES EXPAND GLOBALLY, CREATE LOCAL JOBS

In order to foster vital global economic partnerships, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD), an affiliate of San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC), are leading a delegation to the Netherlands. During the September 26—29 trade mission, business and civic leaders will promote San Diego’s key industries, establish and strengthen business relationships, and explore best practices in urban mobility, climate action and sustainability, and technology and science innovation.

Against the backdrop of severe supply chain disruptions, shifting geopolitics governing the development of critical strategic technologies, and accelerating climate action and affordability mandates, San Diego leaders have made economic resilience by way of global competitiveness a top priority.                                          

“San Diego is an undeniable force in the global marketplace, and we must seize opportunities to tell our story and maximize investment from partners around the world,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “As we work to address our region’s biggest challenges—affordability, urban mobility, climate change, and more—I’m proud to join World Trade Center San Diego in the Netherlands to learn from like thriving, global cities.”

Home to Europe’s largest port and fourth busiest cargo airport, the Netherlands is a hub for global trade and business. With shared expertise in knowledge-intensive industries, including personalized medicine, wireless communications technology, and artificial intelligence, and a societal commitment to sustainability, climate action, and social innovation, the Netherlands is among the top 10 countries for foreign direct investment into San Diego (#6 in 2015—2020). Netherlands-based companies directly employ 5,000 San Diegans, predominately in the innovation economy at companies like ASML and Philips. By deal count, the Netherlands is the #9 country investing venture capital into San Diego, in line with Denmark and falling closely behind Japan, France and India (2015—2020). Further, Dutch firms invested nearly $318 million into San Diego’s economy in 2021 alone.

Learn more on the two regions

“On the heels of a pandemic that changed the world, WTCSD is grateful to be taking San Diego global once again,” said Nikia Clarke, executive director of World Trade Center San Diego and senior vice president at San Diego Regional EDC. “As the economy continues to transform around us, it is increasingly important for metro leaders to advance a compelling vision that keeps us ahead of the curve, and no one can tell the San Diego story better than Mayor Gloria and this cross-sector delegation.”

Over the three-day trade mission in cities Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and Leiden, San Diego will look to bolster public-private partnerships and business expansion through various sessions with Dutch companies and institutions.

Agenda items include:

  • The grand opening/ribbon cutting of Qualcomm’s AI Research Lab, which has formalized a partnership with the University of Amsterdam to support a pipeline of engineering talent.
    Read more →
  • Amid massive pressure for expansion, a meeting and tour of ASML—the global leader in semiconductor manufacturing machines (lithography)—at its Veldhoven headquarters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its investment in its San Diego-based Cymer site.
    Read more →
  • Local, minority-owned small businesses Trabus Technologies and Nano PharmaSolutions will pitch to the Port of Rotterdam and Leiden University Medical Center respectively.
    Read more →
  • Mayor-to-Mayor meetings with Todd Gloria and the Mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam to strengthen relationships between our regions
  • Formal meetings and tours of several companies considering investment into San Diego and California as led by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria

Delegates will participate in upwards of 15 meetings over the course of the trade mission, sharing best practices and driving business connectivity across many verticals. The two dozen San Diego delegates include representatives from Qualcomm, ASML, Mitsubishi Electric, Trabus Technologies, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Gafcon, Arup, HomeFed Corporation, Townshend Venture Advisors and more. Also in attendance are delegates from key San Diego agencies, universities and civic organizations such as Port of San Diego, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, San Diego Association of Governments, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and others.

The trade mission is organized by World Trade Center San Diego, an affiliate of the San Diego Regional EDC, with assistance and support provided by the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, the Consulate of the Netherlands, and sponsorship by ASML, Lufthansa and Qualcomm.

 “With shared commitments to sustainability and innovation, more than 76,000 jobs in California are supported by U.S.-Netherlands trade. This trip is one example of how we can work together across borders to remain competitive in a global economy,” said Consul General Dirk Janssen, Consulate of the Netherlands in San Francisco.

Follow along with us next week during the trade mission: #SDinNL

WTCSD.org

Thank you to our Thriving Cities Trade Mission sponsors:

A note on what’s to come from our CEO

By Mark Cafferty,

Looking ahead…

Dear Board Members, Investors, and Partners:

I truly hope this message finds you well and enjoying a wonderful summer. I also hope that you are as excited about the Padres’ recent moves as we are at EDC. Being Downtown the last several days, you can already feel the energy.

Recognizing August as a month where many people are finishing up their summer travel and families are preparing to get their children back to school, EDC historically foregoes our regularly scheduled board meeting and executive committee meeting to make sure everyone has the extra time they need. But as we gear up for the final four months of 2022, I wanted to share a bit of what’s to come—because in many ways, our team is busier than ever.

Our World Trade Center team is in the throes of planning our first international trade mission since 2019, bringing dozens of our region’s top business, community, and civic leaders (including San Diego Mayor Gloria) on a fast and furious trip to the Netherlands in late September. This trip will help us expand business, trade, and academic connections within the market while also learning from some of the world’s smartest and most sustainable cities and economies.

True to Mary Walshok’s vision, and with the help of board member Tom Turner of CBRE, we have signed a lease and will be moving into UC San Diego’s Park & Market space, an exciting new addition to the Downtown landscape that promises to “bring people together who might not otherwise have crossed paths.” The building will serve as a homebase for a collection of organizations seen as “multidisciplinary and boundary spanning”—connecting art and science, culture and technology, civic engagement, lifelong learning, etc. With a new office and a new brand identity to come, you can expect an invitation to a reception and other gatherings before year’s end. Stay tuned.

As always, we will work hard to make sure that all EDC board and committee meetings continue to embrace the moments that we are living and working through. In addition to our continued healthcare and employment law updates at our monthly board meetings, we stay committed to digging deeper into the talent, workplace, and human resources-related challenges, opportunities, and discussions that dominate our interactions with local businesses. We will also continue to balance these topics with presentations from our region’s largest, leading, and most cutting-edge businesses. And most importantly, we will work to ensure that all of these efforts continue to guide us toward meeting our 2030 Inclusive Growth goals of growing the number of skilled workers, quality jobs, and thriving households in all corners of our region.

While we have more new names and faces on our board roster than ever before, you all know that it is your investment in our work that allows us to do what we do. Our priorities, strategies, activities, goals, and workplans fully reflect your leadership, direction, feedback, partnership, and support. We look forward to continuing to share this year with all of you as we best position the San Diego economy and community for all that lies ahead.

In closing, I want to share the words sent to me after our last in-person board meeting by EDC board member Bob Rief, executive director and co-founder of San Diego Sport Innovators:

“The EDC meetings are so provocative…virtually every one is a reminder about how much more every citizen, specially me, can do.”

Know that we draw the same inspiration from and share the same admiration for all of you. Look forward to seeing you all in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Mark Cafferty
Mark Cafferty

President & CEO

More news and events from edc

WTCSD’s Q3 Global Brief: International travel returns, San Diego’s newest exporters, and more

By Caroline Murray,

Each month, World Trade Center San Diego delivers the latest global news and updates straight to your inbox, sponsored by Lufthansa Group.

In Q3 2022, here’s what you need to know about San Diego’s global trade, investment, and engagement. ➝ Get WTCSD’s Global Brief each quarter.

MetroConnect VI: Meet the cohort

In February, WTCSD announced the sixth cohort of its MetroConnect program, helping 15 small and medium-sized businesses expand international operations and export pipelines. This year’s cohort spans key regional innovation industries, including tech, life sciences, and consumer goods, highlighting San Diego’s continued global growth and diverse innovation economy.

➝ Meet the Companies

Spotlight: Lufthansa Group keeps San Diego going global

A long-time partner, Lufthansa Group continues to work collaboratively with WTCSD and the San Diego Regional Airport Authority to offer a trusted gateway from the San Diego region into Western Europe. Lufthansa’s new nonstop flight to Munich, among other efforts, is helping San Diego return to international travel and expand global connectivity—including WTCSD’s upcoming trade mission to the Netherlands.

➝ Read More

Real Dog Box launches local shopping partnership program

Meet Real Dog Box, a San Diego startup and MetroConnect VI company dedicated to creating single-ingredient treats that enhance dogs’ lives and health. Via nine local partnerships, Real Dog Box’s new Pawsport program helps San Diegans support dog-friendly businesses and win big.

➝ Read More

San Diego News

Events

Grow your company in san diego↓

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies—free of charge—to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego.

  • Export Specialty Center: For small companies interested in learning about exporting and international growth.
  • MetroConnect: For small and medium-sized companies ready to export and grow internationally.

Plus: Get WTCSD’s Global Brief, monthly global news and updates delivered straight to your inbox.

You might also like:

For COVID-19 recovery resources and information: Visit this page, or see how we can help your company free of charge.

Investor Spotlight: The Lufthansa Group

By World Trade Center San Diego,

As a non-profit, San Diego Regional EDC is supported by investment from nearly 200 private organizations, companies, and public agencies. With their support, EDC provides direct services to help companies grow and thrive in San Diego and, through its affiliate World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD), leads global initiatives to enhance the region’s recovery and resilience.

We sat down with Lufthansa Group, WTCSD’s preferred European airline, to discuss its partnership with and support of key efforts to connect San Diego’s business community to Europe. Check out the investor spotlight below!

Tell us about Lufthansa Group and its commitment to global connectivity.

The Lufthansa Group is one of the world’s leading aviation groups, as well as the market leader in Europe’s airline sector. The airlines of the Lufthansa Group—Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Eurowings Discover—fly business and leisure passengers to more than 300 destinations around the world via hubs in Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, and Zurich. Passengers enjoy a premium product and a comprehensive route network, combined with the highest level of travel flexibility. In its 2022 summer schedule, the Lufthansa Group carriers will offer flights from 30 North American gateways to the various home market hubs, Europe-at-large, and the world.

From San Diego to Germany, and beyond 

A long-time partner, Lufthansa continues to work collaboratively with WTCSD and San Diego Regional Airport Authority (SAN) to offer a trusted gateway from our region into Western Europe.

In March 2022, Lufthansa launched its nonstop service to Munich, opening an opportunity for San Diego companies to partner with German and other EU innovators.

WTCSD’s 2021 Annual Report and the Go Global 2025 Report showed the San Diego business community is eager to return to international travel and expand global connectivity—and Lufthansa’s direct Munich flights have enjoyed positive feedback and frequent use since its launch.

Thriving Cities: A trade mission to the Netherlands

In September 2022, WTCSD will take a delegation of San Diego business leaders to the Netherlands via Lufthansa’s new direct flight to Munich. Over the course of a week, trade mission delegates will broaden international connectivity between San Diego and Western Europe with topics ranging from mobility, sustainability, to life sciences and tech.

In collaboration with Lufthansa and the Consulate of the Netherlands, WTCSD aims to drive increased investment between the two regions.

Are you a senior leader at a San Diego innovation company interested in joining the delegation? Contact Caroline Murray, listed below, for details.

From San Diego to the world

WTCSD looks forward to continuing its partnership with Lufthansa and collaborating on opportunities to help San Diego companies access new international markets through programs like:

  • MetroConnect
  • Future Trade missions
  • Reliable connectivity to Germany and beyond

Stay in touch

Read more about EDC’s investors in our investor spotlight blog series. Or, join Lufthansa Group and become a member of EDC.

Contact our team:

Caroline Murray
Caroline Murray

Manager, World Trade Center San Diego

MetroConnect VI: Meet the Consumer Goods companies

By Javier De Leon,

This February alongside San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo and program underwriters JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Procopio, World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD) welcomed the sixth cohort of San Diego companies to its MetroConnect export accelerator.

Since the program’s debut in 2015, the 80 small- and medium-sized (SMEs) companies in MetroConnect have collectively added 269 new regional jobs, signed more than 543 new contracts, and set up 22 new overseas facilities. On average, cohort companies grow their exports by an average 63 percent and revenues by 40 percent as part of the program. Notable alumni include Blue Sky Network, Aira (acquired by Blue Diego Investment Group), Scientist.com, Modern Times, Dr. Bronner’s, Cypher Genomics (acquired by Human Longevity Inc.), Planck Aerosystems, Bitchin’ Sauce, White Labs, and dozens more.

Now, WTCSD is pleased to welcome the newest group of MetroConnect companies representing the diversity of San Diego’s innovation economy. Below, meet the Consumer Goods companies:

Access Trax

  • Location: La Mesa, CA
  • About: Access Trax is a women-owned social impact business on a mission to make the outdoors accessible for all. The company empowers people of all physical abilities to easily access outdoor terrain such as sand at the beach with their ADA compliant portable access mats.
  • Hopes for program: Create strategic export plan, glean insight on export logistics, identify international buyers

Critter Technology

  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • About: Critter Technology specializes in the development, manufacture, and commercialization of specialized coatings with unique functionality. Its marquee product AntCant is an easy to apply coating that produces a surface that ants and potentially other insects cannot adhere to and gain traction.
  • Hopes for program: Navigate international liability insurance, understand tax law in foreign markets and how to export goods classified as hazardous materials

Golden Coast Mead

  • Location: Oceanside, CA
  • About: As the first meadery in Southern California, the company leads the reawakening of Fermented Honey Libations. Golden Coast Mead has helped launch over 20 different meaderies, including ones in Africa and Jamaica, to aid in remote communities’ ability to create jobs and economies.
  • Hopes for program: Find effective channel partners

Real Dog Box

  • Location: National City, CA
  • About: Real Dog Box complements any diet and any budget and teaches pet owners how to incorporate fresh food into their dog’s lifestyle. A few dollars a day spent on real food can prevent six out of the 10 most common dog vet visits – that’s why the company makes and delivers a monthly box of fresh dog treats and chews to prevent food-related illnesses.
  • Hopes for program: Form relationships with partners in target markets

Shop My Porch

  • Location: Poway, CA
  • About: Shop My Porch is a social shopping platform – including a mobile app, website, and series of social media groups – that matches home-based artisans with people looking for home crafted goods on a hyperlocal basis. The Shop My Porch platform not only allows makers to post goods for pickup, home delivery, or shipping but also allows shoppers to request custom products.
  • Hopes for program: Understand tax law in foreign markets, language translation, develop an action for target markets

Target markets for the MetroConnect VI cohort

The map below outlines countries that the sixth cohort is pursuing through their export strategy.

Next up for MetroConnect VI

The cohort will gain access to a suite of resources to support expansion into international markets, including executive workshops, flight discounts, language translation, and up to $30,000 in grant funding.

“Programs like MetroConnect help ensure the world knows just what San Diego is made of—innovative, high-impact products and services across a wide range of industries,” said San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo. “I’m proud to support and welcome WTCSD’s new cohort, and look forward to seeing the companies’ impact on a global scale.”

Interested in growing your business internationally?

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies – free of charge – to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego. Whether your small company is interested in learning about exporting and international growth, or your SME is ready to export and grow internationally, WTCSD is here to help.

Ready to get involved? Click here to receive our quarterly Global Brief Newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

 

MetroConnect VI: Meet the Tech companies

By Javier De Leon,

This February alongside San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo and program underwriters JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Procopio, World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD) welcomed the sixth cohort of San Diego companies to its MetroConnect export accelerator.

Since the program’s debut in 2015, the 80 small- and medium-sized (SMEs) companies in MetroConnect have collectively added 269 new regional jobs, signed more than 543 new contracts, and set up 22 new overseas facilities. On average, cohort companies grow their exports by an average 63 percent and revenues by 40 percent as part of the program. Notable alumni include Blue Sky Network, Aira (acquired by Blue Diego Investment Group), Scientist.com, Modern Times, Dr. Bronner’s, Cypher Genomics (acquired by Human Longevity Inc.), Planck Aerosystems, Bitchin’ Sauce, White Labs, and dozens more.

Now, WTCSD is pleased to welcome the newest group of MetroConnect companies representing the diversity of San Diego’s innovation economy. Below, meet the Tech companies:

Benchmark Labs

  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • About: Benchmark Labs is a Techstars-backed agricultural and IoT technology company that uses IoT sensors to assist farmers in implementing more sustainable practices and help them save natural resources by using in-situ environmental forecasts.
  • Hopes for program: Target market research, e-commerce strategy

GigaIO

  • Location: Carlsbad, CA
  • About: GigaIO democratizes Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing architectures by delivering the elasticity of the cloud at a fraction of the price.
  • Hopes for program: Identify distribution partners in target markets, create strategic export plan

Primo Energy

  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • About: Primo Energy was founded in 2013 to design and build hybrid distributed energy platforms using wind, solar, and battery storage. Distributed power can provide energy for remote locations, island territories, disaster relief, and back up power, and urban areas that have no power available. The company has installations across the globe, from the Bahamas to the Arctic and from California to Spain.
  • Hopes for program: Identify distribution partners in target markets, create strategic export plan

The Good Face

  • Location: La Jolla, CA
  • About: The Good Face enables companies to formulate, create, launch, and grow demand for transparent, compliant, and competitive products. Its platform features the fastest growing formulation and regulatory compliance SaaS solution, Good Face Formulator, which is used in R&D and catalog management by brands, manufacturers, and retailers in personal care and cosmetics. The Good Face Formulator has been adopted globally (France, Switzerland, UK, Canada, USA, Brazil, Philippines, S. Korea, Japan, China, Australia) and its customers include industry leaders such as L’Oreal, Target (Private Label), Grove Collaborative, JC Penney, and KDC-One.
  • Hopes for program: Determine target markets, identify effective channel partners

Trabus Technologies

  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • About: Trabus is a minority-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) with portfolios including Wireless Technologies, AI & Data Science, Cybersecurity, Maritime Transportation, and Environmental Informatics.
  • Hopes for program: Identify effective channel partners, adapt products for international markets

 

 

Next up for MetroConnect VI

The cohort will gain access to a suite of resources to support expansion into international markets, including executive workshops, flight discounts, language translation, and up to $30,000 in grant funding.

“Programs like MetroConnect help ensure the world knows just what San Diego is made of—innovative, high-impact products and services across a wide range of industries,” said San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo. “I’m proud to support and welcome WTCSD’s new cohort, and look forward to seeing the companies’ impact on a global scale.”

Interested in growing your business internationally?

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies – free of charge – to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego. Whether your small company is interested in learning about exporting and international growth, or your SME is ready to export and grow internationally, WTCSD is here to help.

Ready to get involved? Click here to receive our quarterly Global Brief Newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

 

MetroConnect VI: Meet the Life Sciences companies

By Javier De Leon,

World Trade Center San Diego (WTCSD)’s MetroConnect awards companies with matching funds, connects them with relevant export-oriented partners and resources, and arranges specialized workshops to increase their knowledge and awareness of global export trends and regulations.

Since the program’s debut in 2015, the 80 small- and medium-sized MetroConnect companies have collectively added 269 new regional jobs, signed more than 543 new contracts, and set up 22 new overseas facilities. Notable alumni include Scientist.com, Dr. Bronner’s, Cypher Genomics (acquired by Human Longevity Inc.), Planck Aerosystems, White Labs, and more.

Now, WTCSD is pleased to welcome the newest group of MetroConnect companies representing the diversity of San Diego’s innovation economy. Below, meet the Life Sciences companies:

Meet the four Life Sciences companies going global with MetroConnect:

 Nano PharmaSolutions

  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • Description: Nano PharmaSolutions’ NanoTransformer™ technology turns insoluble drug molecules to nanoparticles so they can be more effectively absorbed.
  • Key bottlenecks: Building out international marketing plan, outreach to identify prospects

Sparsha Pharma USA

  • Location: Oceanside, CA
  • Description: Sparsha Pharma, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, creates transdermal drug delivery system and orally dissolved film products.
  • Key bottlenecks: Understanding regulatory landscape in target markets. Identify partners and distributors

 iAssay

  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • Description: iAssay®’s Point-of-Care Test (POCT) diagnostics solution tests patients wherever they are. Multi-tech/format POCT cartridges commercialized by hundreds of companies are used with iAssay® designed adaptors. Its AWS Cloud validates devices before testing can start, captures raw data, and offers time/date stamped results available through internet portals.
  • Key bottlenecks: Building out international marketing plan, outreach to identify prospects

Solecta

  • Location: Oceanside, CA
  • Description: As manufacturers deal with variable raw material quality, rising costs for energy, and increased quality standards for their finished products, Solecta helps improve separations processes through membrane solutions like microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis filtration products.
  • Key bottlenecks: Effective outreach to potential clients, targeted market research, local language barriers, understanding of local regulatory requirements

 

 

What’s next?

The 15 MetroConnect VI companies will gain access to a suite of resources to support expansion into international markets, including executive workshops, flight discounts, language translation, and up to $30,000 in grant funding.

“Programs like MetroConnect help ensure the world knows just what San Diego is made of—innovative, high-impact products and services across a wide range of industries,” said San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo. “I’m proud to support and welcome WTCSD’s new cohort, and look forward to seeing the companies’ impact on a global scale.”

Interested in growing your business internationally?

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies – free of charge – to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego. Whether your small company is interested in learning about exporting and international growth, or your SME is ready to export and grow internationally, WTCSD is here to help.

Ready to get involved? Click here to receive our quarterly Global Brief Newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

 

WTCSD’s Q2 Global Brief: Ukraine impacts, Tijuana talent, and more

By Caroline Murray,

Each month, World Trade Center San Diego delivers the latest global news and updates straight to your inbox. ➝ Get WTCSD’s Global Brief each quarter.

In Q2 2022, here’s what you need to know about San Diego’s global trade, investment, and engagement:

The crisis in Ukraine and its impact on San Diego businesses 

The conflict in Ukraine has major implications for Russia’s relationship with Western nations and the global economy—and has already led to significant changes in the regulation of trade. The WTCSD team sat down with San Diego trade attorney Bob Bowen and law firm Procopio to learn how San Diego companies—particularly in energy, defense, and dual-use technologies—can prepare for these changes.

➝ Read More

SIDUS Solutions strengthens brand in Europe, Asia with MetroConnect

San Diego’s SIDUS Solutions, which generated 15 percent of revenue from exports but faced canceled trade shows due to COVID-19, needed to find new ways to connect with its international customers and retain revenue. Leveraging MetroConnect’s expert workshops, translation tools, and $5,000 grant, SIDUS strengthened its digital presence to expand brand awareness and build relationships in target overseas markets.

➝ Read More

How Tijuana can address San Diego’s battle for talent

When your San Diego business needs to find qualified digital talent in a competitive market, consider staying regional and look to Tijuana. Just 20 minutes south of San Diego and in the same time zone, firms like Thermo Fisher Scientific are already leveraging the benefits of a binational team, including visa flexibility, easy sample transport, and proximity for culture-building and quality assurance.

➝ Read More

San Diego News

Events

Grow your company in san diego↓

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies—free of charge—to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego.

  • Export Specialty Center: For small companies interested in learning about exporting and international growth.
  • MetroConnect: For small and medium-sized companies ready to export and grow internationally.

Plus: Get WTCSD’s Global Brief, monthly global news and updates delivered straight to your inbox.

You might also like:

For COVID-19 recovery resources and information: Visit this page, or see how we can help your company free of charge.

The crisis in Ukraine and its impact on San Diego businesses

By Lucas Coleman,

What San Diego companies need to know about the crisis in Ukraine

The situation in Ukraine has devolved rapidly over the past week and a half, in a conflict that has shaken the foundations of the post-Cold War world order. What happens in Ukraine has major implications for Russia’s relationship with Western nations and the global economy—and has already led to significant changes in the regulation of trade. It is important for San Diego companies—particularly in energy, defense, and dual use technologies—to be aware of these changes and prepare accordingly.

Our team spoke with Bob Bowen, a San Diego trade attorney who, throughout his career, has worked at major defense, aerospace, and tech companies, and helped them navigate the complexities of global trade and compliance. He points out the following aspects of new U.S. export control laws in response to the evolving situation in Ukraine:

  • The U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR) now apply to a broader range of items destined for Russia or Belarus, including items manufactured outside of the U.S. with components subject to the EAR
  • The EAR now require U.S. Department of Commerce export licenses for items destined for Russia or Belarus that previously did not require such export licenses
    • This includes items subject to the EAR that are intended for Government of Russia end-users or users at state-owned enterprises in Russia
    • There is a policy to deny applications for such export licenses
  • Nearly all items subject to the EAR are prohibited from going to military end-users, or for military end-uses, in Russia or Belarus without U.S. Department of Commerce export licenses (which are subject to a policy of denial)
  • Items subject to the EAR are prohibited from going to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine without U.S. Department of Commerce export licenses (which are subject to a policy of denial)
  • The Entity List of individuals, companies, and organizations in Russia and Belarus who are now prohibited from participating in transactions subject to the EAR has recently grown and is likely to continue growing

San Diego-headquartered law firm Procopio lists additional guidance to help ensure U.S. companies comply with federal law:

  • Ensure that you determine the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) for your technology from the Commerce Control List (CCL)
    • This is going to help you understand whether an export license is required for the product
    • It is highly unlikely that you will be able to secure license exceptions for Russia, Belarus, and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine at this time
  • Restricted entities include individuals, so your company needs to ensure that hiring processes properly screen and keep up with the latest version of the Entity List on the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) website
  • Foreign Direct Product (FDP) Rules extend the reach of US export regulations to include foreign-produced items comprising US-origin content
    • San Diego companies should be screening customers and evaluating for prohibited end-uses. Companies may request a Letter of Assurance from a foreign customer if needed

As always, it is critical that companies properly classify export items AND screen all parties to a transaction.

As the war in Ukraine unfolds, we are cognizant of and compassionate toward those personally affected and their loved ones. More than a million Ukrainians have already fled into neighboring countries, with hundreds of thousands more expected in the coming days. As the world grapples with this humanitarian crisis, there are organizations you can support to help make a difference:

Locally, the San Diego branch of the International Rescue Committee provides opportunities for refugees, asylees, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in the United States via immigration assistance and family reunification, financial literacy, and free English classes.

Charity Navigator is a resource to help you identify and evaluate 501(c)(3) foundations around the world to ensure that your charitable contributions are responsibly deployed.

Lucas Coleman
Lucas Coleman

Director, World Trade Center San Diego

WTCSD’s Q1 Global Brief: MetroConnect VI, export success, and more

By Caroline Murray,

Each month, World Trade Center San Diego delivers the latest global news and updates straight to your inbox. ➝ Get WTCSD’s Global Brief each quarter.

In Q1 2022, here’s what you need to know about San Diego’s global trade, investment, and engagement:

WTCSD’s MetroConnect to help 15 new SMEs go global

WTCSD welcomed the sixth cohort of companies named to its MetroConnect export accelerator, made possible by JPMorgan Chase & Co., Procopio, and more than a dozen additional sponsors. These 15 small and mid-sized companies represent a diverse cross-section of San Diego’s economy, from a Bay Area tech transplant to a hard kombucha brewer to an environmental science firm and many more. In its first five years, MetroConnect has helped San Diego firms grow exports by an average 63 percent.

➝ Read More

Blue Sky Network turns $5K grant into 36% export increase

Satellite-based communications and fleet management company Blue Sky Network encountered COVID-19-related supply chain issues and a substantial drop in revenue from aviation and oil and gas customers. Upon joining MetroConnect, it leveraged the program’s $5,000 grant, translation software, and market intelligence resources to generate a 36 percent increase in exports. Plus, as a top performing company, Blue Sky Network pitched—and won—MetroConnect’s Grand Prize Pitchfest, netting an additional $25,000 grant to support continued expansion into Brazil and other key markets.

➝ Read More

White Labs reduces Australian customs holds by 84% with MetroConnect

A yeast and fermentation innovator, San Diego-based White Labs needed support navigating customs and logistics regulations for exporting live cultures to target countries such as Australia, where it continued to encounter product returns. Equipped with expert knowledge from MetroConnect workshops, new partners, and access to critical tools, White Labs tackled its biggest logistics challenge—decreasing its annual customs holds in Australia by 84 percent since the start of the program.

➝ Read More

San Diego News

Events

Grow your company in san diego↓

World Trade Center San Diego works directly with companies—free of charge—to help them expand internationally and grow in San Diego.

  • Export Specialty Center: For small companies interested in learning about exporting and international growth.
  • MetroConnect: For small and medium-sized companies ready to export and grow internationally.

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