On 19 June, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in close collaboration with the Luxembourg American Chamber of Commerce in New York (LACC), and the American Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg (AMCHAM), organised the seminar, ‘How to expand your business into the U.S.’.
The seminar aimed to provide practical information about legal and administrative aspects as well as import/export issues and visa requirements for Luxembourg companies and their employees.
Mr Luc Frieden, President of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, emphasised, ‘Luxembourg and the United States have a long-lasting friendship based on common history and common values. The U.S. is an important trade partner of Luxembourg. The presence of various American companies in Luxembourg and vice versa clearly shows that even as a small country (in terms of geographical and demographical size), Luxembourg and its companies can be confident to grasp new business opportunities in countries such as the U.S.’.
However, for many companies, especially SMEs, exploring new markets sometimes turns out to be very challenging. Often, they face various difficulties like finding reliable partners and overcoming administrative barriers. Hence, the Chamber of Commerce plays an important role in accompanying companies on an international level, assisting them in their daily business, and providing them with the information they need in order to start or further expand their business abroad.
The programme of the event included presentations on corporate and commercial law to consider in U.S. operations, as well as U.S. tax pitfalls and opportunities to look out for, import/export implementation strategies, and visa options for U.S. operation launches. The presentations were held by experts from the United States, including Mrs Anne Wolfson (Attorney at Law and Counselor, Anne Wolfson PLLC), Mr Mark Van Der Linden (COO Americas, WTS Global), Mr Nunzio De Filippis (U.S. Licensed Customs Broker and CEO of CargoTrans, Inc.), and Mr Steve Maggi (Founder, SMA Law Firm – U.S. Immigration Attorneys).
The presentations were followed by testimonials from three Luxembourg companies: Moutarderie de Luxembourg, LuxScan Technologies, and Talkwalker all shared their experience on doing business with the U.S., provided some insights, and dos and don’ts with the other participants.
The event was followed by a lively Q&A session and a networking reception during which all participants had the opportunity to discuss their issues with the experts.
