THE BENEFITS OF WORLD TRADE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP The MMAC’s World Trade Association (WTA) is the most experienced network of international exporters, importers, suppliers and service providers. It links companies and individuals interested in expanding their global business experience.
EDUCATIONAL FORUMS
WTA offers an extensive array of forums covering: l Logistics l Legal and Taxation Issues l International Finance l Distributors, Agents & Joint Ventures l Emerging Markets l Import/Export Regulations l Global Compliance
NETWORKING EVENTS
From company tours to wine tastings and golf outings, WTA sponsors several informal networking events throughout the year.
WISCONSIN’S PREMIER INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONFERENCE
For more than 55 years, WTA has presented the annual Wisconsin International Trade Conference – the largest of its kind in the state. In 2020 and 2021, WTA presented the Global Business Insights series, a virtual, indepth, seven-week series on international business challenges and opportunities.
COMPLIMENTARY EXPORT ASSESSMENT
WTA membership includes a complimentary export assessment designed to help both new and experienced exporters identify and implement available trade resources and programs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about WTA membership and its benefits, please visit: www.mmac.org/wta.html
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Navigate Business MKE
Port Milwaukee
G R OW T H
INTERNATIONAL TRADE HE MILWAUKEE REGION HAS A LEGACY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT. It was one of the main melting pots of American immigrants and used its European connections to forge global commerce. The region’s central location in the United States, as well as its access to Port Milwaukee, a major water port that connects to the St. Lawrence Seaway, and two major airports – Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport – continue to make the region a magnet for trade and investment. Foreign-owned firms employ 30,000 workers in the metropolitan area.
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MMAC, Milwaukee 7 and the World Trade Association (WTA) continue to promote the region. Recruiting efforts led to several companies locating their U.S. operations in southeastern Wisconsin, including Foxconn (Taiwan); HARIBO, Thomas Magnete and PTF Pfuller (Germany); Ingeteam, Inesa and Sic Lazaro (Spain); and Seda International
Packaging (Italy). The Milwaukee 7 team has also recruited in Dubai, Turkey, Brazil and China.
Expanding Milwaukee’s Maritime Economy
The Great Lakes play an important role in international trade, providing global access through Lake Michigan, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the inland river system. Milwaukee is one of the few Great Lakes’ ports open to navigation year-round and is at the center of two initiatives to increase the movement of goods and growth of international trade in the region. The stretch of water between Port Milwaukee and the Port of Muskegon in Michigan has been designated Lake Michigan’s first federal maritime highway, a federal designation intended to increase the shipment of goods by water. This initiative
