Mayor Choi: 'A meaningful step toward helping local firms enter the US market'
Namyangju held a meeting with the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of New York at City Hall on Monday to discuss ways to help local businesses enter the US market and expand their overseas sales channels.
The meeting followed consultations Namyangju held with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in September on strategies for breaking into the US East Coast market, including identifying potential buyers and providing export support. It was organized to deepen direct engagement with business leaders based in New York.
Kim Sang-ho, South Korea's consul general in New York, also expressed interest in the visit and said he would actively support Namyangju companies seeking to enter the New York market.
Attendees included Namyangju Mayor Choi Hyun-deok, Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of New York President Lee Chang-mu and association executives, and Gyeonggi Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Lee Hong-gyun along with other officials. The association's delegation visited Namyangju after attending the World Korean Business Convention held in Shenzhen, China.
Following the meeting, the visiting delegation joined Gyeonggi Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials on tours of three local companies to assess their product competitiveness and potential for entering the US market.
The companies visited were Haneul Nongga Co., a producer of traditional namul vegetables and ready-to-eat meals; Sangshin Co., a specialist manufacturer of hair brushes; and Sweet Cup Co., a manufacturer of food and beverage ingredients. The delegation toured each company's production facilities and exhibition spaces, reviewing key products and current production status.
The Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of New York serves as the New York chapter of the World Korean Trade Association (World-OKTA). It supports Korea-US economic and trade exchanges, helps domestic companies enter the US market, and facilitates buyer identification and business matching through its local business network.
"Directly engaging with New York business leaders, following our consultations with KOTRA, is a meaningful step toward helping our local companies enter the US market," Mayor Choi said. "We will work to translate buyer outreach and export consultations into actual deals by leveraging the expertise and local networks of each organization."
He added that the city would "actively support existing businesses in securing new growth opportunities in overseas markets, while also building Namyangju's future industrial foundation through the Wangseok development project."
Meanwhile, the city plans to use the exchange as a foundation to assess local companies' products, export capabilities and target markets, and to strengthen tailored export support by linking KOTRA's overseas market intelligence with the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of New York's local network.
The city also intends to develop follow-up initiatives — including US East Coast market development and buyer consultations — to ensure that expanded exports by local companies translate into higher sales and job growth.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
