The IEDA Awards Tractus Asia its Representation in China. Welcome Aboard, IEDA’s New China Team!

August 18, 2020; Shanghai, China—In July 2020, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) appointed Tractus Asia Ltd., (Tractus) a leading trade and investment promotion consulting firm in Asia, to represent the State of Iowa’s strategic trade and FDI promotion interests in China.

Exports form a critical part of Iowa’s economy, and as consultants, Tractus will support Iowa Economic Development Authority’s efforts to help Iowa members increase exports to China. With 20-plus years of experience helping American companies from myriad industrial sectors build their businesses in China, Tractus looks forward to leveraging its regional expertise and network to facilitate Iowa companies’ export prospects.

Tractus’ China Country Manager Herminio Andres said, “I see tremendous potential for Iowa companies to increase their engagement in China. Our goal is to strengthen the economic relationship between Iowa and China and increase the awareness of Iowa in China. We will strive to assist Iowa in proactive outreach, thereby enhancing their trade and investment relationships with China.”

China offers large markets for Iowa’s key industry clusters such as bioscience, food processing and agricultural machinery. Iowa is well-positioned to add to its successful track record of attracting Chinese investment into a number of its core sectors, including food processing, clean energy and manufacturing. Tractus will build on these successes and expand Iowa’s reputation as a China-friendly investor location. Members are welcome to join in investment potentials and upcoming events.

The COVID-19 pandemic, while certainly a catastrophic event on many levels, affords an opportunity for IEDA investment attraction candidates. As companies are now in the process of de-risking and realigning their global manufacturing and supply footprints out of China, many companies—not just Chinese, but also US and multi-national corporations—are considering options for reshoring to avoid tariffs and be closer to their important customer bases.

“We are extremely excited about Iowa’s continued commitment to China and increasing cross-border trade and investment,” said Tractus Managing Director John Evans. “Iowa is uniquely positioned to take advantage of its strengths across the agro-foods value-chain and the opportunities created due to China’s commitment to the Phase-1 US-China Trade Agreement and food sector demand related to the COVID pandemic.”

Among other responsibilities, Tractus’ representation of Iowa Economic Development Authority membership in the region will include strategic partner searches, advocacy, planning and executing virtual and in-person trade missions and serving as the in-country point of contact for trade shows and events. We strive for innovation of services and set out to connect members with opportunities.

Iowa is so much more than just corn, soybeans and hogs. And it is also about advanced agricultural machinery, bioscience, and food processing. We are in China to articulate Iowa’s value proposition,” remarked Tractus Analyst, JJ (Ms. Jie Mao), who has assumed the lead representative role and is the contact for IEDA. Ms. Mao will oversee both trade and investment attraction and will personally spearhead the FDI outreach. She specializes in leading projects with a focus on brand positioning and strategy development in the food and retail segments.

Tractus Research Analyst, Cherish Liu, will lead the export trade promotion activities for IEDA. She has worked on a wide variety of consulting assignments for consumer goods projects, including the F&B and cosmetics segments. Ms. Liu has undertaken market research, developed consumer research and designed market entry strategies for a variety of international clients. She has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and navigates cross-cultural issues well.

About the IEDA

The Iowa Economic Development Authority is dedicated to making Iowa a great place to work, live and visit. IEDA can help start a business, expand an existing business, locate a business, as well as develop international business for Iowa.

For more information and news about IEDA, please visit them HERE.