By Governor Tony Evers and WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes
Trade and exports are an essential part of our state’s success, with exports contributing more than $27.5 billion to Wisconsin’s economy in 2024. It’s one of the reasons why we recently completed a nine-day trade mission to Germany and France—two critical Wisconsin export partners—as we continue to help Wisconsin businesses enter the global marketplace and build meaningful relationships with potential future collaborators while also encouraging international companies to invest in Wisconsin.
This trip took on unexpected dimensions as the news about tariffs and a potential global trade war unfolded in real time and markets at home and abroad reflected the volatility of decision-making caused by policymakers in Washington DC. It also made our trip that much more important.
Given our work over the last several years to increase Wisconsin’s exports, add new trade markets and prioritize entrepreneurship and foster innovation by supporting our state’s start-up businesses, the timing of this trade mission created a unique opportunity to share our successes and reaffirm our steady commitment to our trans-Atlantic partners while laying critical groundwork for future collaboration and investments.
One of our first stops was Hannover Messe, the world’s largest trade show for industrial equipment—Wisconsin’s largest export—where we joined some of Wisconsin’s most iconic businesses, including Rockwell Automation and Johnson Controls. As the only formal U.S. delegation to attend, Wisconsin was highly sought-after, and our presence reminded the world of our state’s manufacturing prowess and our commitment to helping all our businesses succeed.
We also had to the opportunity to visit one of Europe’s titans of industry, Merck, which has several thriving operations here in Wisconsin employing more than 1,500 workers. Merck, doing business here as Millipore Sigma, is deeply connected in our communities, and represents an innovative, forward-looking company we have been proud to support, and we are hopeful for an even greater expansion of this relationship.
We also worked to continue making Wisconsin a world-recognized presence in the biohealth industry as we traveled to France and Berlin to introduce ourselves to a potential new market. Our designation as a Regional Technology Hub in personalized medicine gives us immense credibility as we talk to companies about the opportunity to expand here in the Badger State. Less expensive and more accessible than Boston or the Bay Area, Wisconsin’s promise as a soft landing pad for start-ups and others is undeniable. We are optimistic that future cooperation and collaboration will only stand to benefit Wisconsin’s reputation as a national and international biohealth leader. In Berlin, we attended the premier conference on digitalized medicine, visiting the booths of our own titans, GE Healthcare and Epic Systems, while meeting attendees looking to continue building bridges across the Atlantic.
Throughout the trip, most meetings started with questions about America’s new direction in trade relations, for which we had few answers. “Why now?” “Will it end?” “What is happening, and who can stop it?” Much like our conversations with businesses here at home, the feedback was crystal clear – economic unpredictability and increased costs are having a significant impact on business decision-makers, where they invest, and where they choose to expand.
Against this backdrop, our work was always to extend a hand, to create relationships, to find ways to work together. And despite the concerns we heard both from long friends and potential new partners, we worked to solidify those relationships and create new opportunities of engagement and cooperation. This was particularly evident in Hessen, where we joined the kick-off celebration marking the 50th anniversary of our sister-state relationship—the longest in Europe. On the mission, in this spirit of partnership, Secretary Hughes and the Hessen Trade and Invest GmbH CEO signed a memorandum of understanding to increase collaboration in global trade, business attraction and market opportunities.
We had a unique opportunity to keep making these enduring connections despite the global drama of tariffs and trade wars. These longstanding friendships and partnerships, from business to student to cultural exchanges, are essential to ensuring Wisconsin’s economic stability even in the face of national and global economic uncertainty. Wisconsin must continue this international outreach, especially with future trade missions, to ensure our future success. Wisconsin’s economy, our businesses, and our local communities’ successes rely on these people-to-people and business-to-business contacts in the global marketplace, and these businesses rely on these visits to witness firsthand the effects of global policies.
This trade mission underscored how important it is for these relationships to endure and continue, despite political headwinds from Washington. It was an important reminder of the relationships we have worked hard to build and that must now work even harder to maintain. It was an honor to represent Wisconsin on this trade mission and we look forward to additional opportunities to continue this work both here at home and abroad.
A version of this column appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal
