March 2, 2025 - Delaware's Personal Data Privacy Act, legislation protecting the personal data of Delawareans, went into effect on January 1st. You can go to this website from the Delaware Department of Justice to find out how it will impact consumers, parents, and businesses in our state. Personal Data Privacy Portal - Delaware Department of Justice - State of Delaware Read More
February 14, 2025 - Media contact: Carla Stone, PresidentPhone: 302-656-7905Email: cstone@wtcde.org WILMINGTON, Del. (Feb. 14, 2025) – World Trade Center Delaware is holding its 7th Annual Tastes of Chocolate and Beer from Around the World, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.19, 2025, at Midnight Oil Brewing Company, Newark, Delaware. Attendees will indulge in international chocolates from Sweet Dreams Confections of Delaware paired with Midnight Oil’s craft beers, blending global flavors and local craftsmanship while United Cocoa Processors, the premier cocoa products company, talks about just how the chocolate made its way across the globe and into our mouths. Community members, business leaders and international trade enthusiasts can socialize and network while trying intriguing flavor combinations. Event Details: Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Location: Midnight Oil Brewing Company 674 Pencader DriveNewark, DE 19702 WTC Members: $50; Future Members: $65 21+ Event Information and registration: Read More
February 14, 2025 - Media contact: Carla Stone, President Phone: 302-656-7905 Email: cstone@wtcde.org NEW CASTLE, Del. (Feb. 14, 2025) – World Trade Center Delaware invites its members and guests to an off-the-record discussion on the impact of recent and potential tariff changes on international trade. This confidential session will give business representatives a chance to share their experiences and concerns while exploring solutions and support. Tariffs and changing regulations are significant factors affecting global trade. World Trade Center Delaware is committed to helping business leaders navigate these complex questions. Event Details: Date: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 Time: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Location: World Trade Center Delaware, 42 Reads Way, Suite B, New Castle, DE 19720 Cost: FREE Features of the Listening Session: A confidential setting for business leaders to voice concerns A discussion on the impact of tariff changes An opportunity to talk with peers facing similar challenges Information about resources and support through World Trade Center Delaware Information and Registration: Read More
December 11, 2024 - WILMINGTON, Del. (Dec. 10, 2024) --World Trade Center® Delaware (WTC Delaware) announces the launch of its 2024 "International Delaware," marking the magazine's eighth edition. This year's theme highlights Delaware's critical role as the Eastern gateway to the United States. The magazine's cover features the Kalmar Nyckel, the ship that first brought colonists to establish New Sweden. The symbolic imagery underscores Delaware's long-standing maritime and trade heritage dating to 1638. Carla Stone, president of World Trade Center Delaware, emphasized the state's strategic importance. "Delaware is the Eastern gateway to the United States, positioned midway between New York City and Washington, D.C., providing unparalleled access to both the political and business capitals of the United States,” she said. In the 12 months ending in June, 2024, WTC Delaware provided critical support to 335 individuals and organizations, creating economic opportunities and promoting business development for companies across the state. WTC Delaware brings information to Delaware companies not found elsewhere in the state. For example, as Strategic Partner in Delaware for the U. S. International Trade Administration (ITA), WTC Delaware and ITA collaborate on programs to educate the public about trade, inward business investment, and strengthening U.S. supply chains critical to U.S. economic competitiveness, creating opportunities for individuals and businesses to compete internationally. Ayanna Khan, WTC board member and CEO of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, praised the organization's leadership. "From Day One, Carla provides the knowledge and expertise that lets people know they can do international business,” she said. Sam Waltz of the Strategic Capital & Business Counsel noted the organization's continued potential. "With Carla's leadership and the transformative Port of Wilmington project, we see unprecedented opportunities for growth and international trade in Delaware,” he said. This year’s magazine is published in partnership with Today Media. Robert F. Martinelli is CEO and president. World Trade Center Delaware is World Trade Center® Delaware (WTC Delaware) is the state’s premier international business resource. It helps Delaware companies expand their business leading to increased revenue, improved profitability, and more and higher paid employees contributing to Delaware's economic growth. --- Cutline: WTC Delaware staff, members, and supporters stand next to the unveiling of their 2024 "International Delaware" magazine. Read More
July 22, 2024 - Congratulations to our WTC Delaware President Carla Stone on her new appointment to the 2024-2025 EXIM Council on Advancing Women in Business and to the Council on Small Business! Export-Import Bank of the United States Announces Members of the EXIM 2024-2025 Advisory Councils FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2024 Media Contact Name/Phone media@exim.gov 202-469-1550/202-730-6639 Washington, DC – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) announced the appointment of the newest members to the four subcommittees of EXIM’s Advisory Committee. The subcommittees are the: Council on Climate and Energy Transition, Council on China Competition, Council on Advancing Women in Business and Council on Small Business. The councils advise EXIM on its various programs and initiatives as the agency works to advance key EXIM and Biden-Harris Administration policies. “EXIM’s four advisory councils are an important piece to ensuring all aspects of EXIM’s mission are addressed to the greatest degree possible,” said EXIM President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis. “The diversity of our council appointees contributes to the quality of the recommendations and insight we receive from these groups, which go a long way to inform the way EXIM operates in the global export credit landscape. As we continue our work to advance American export competitiveness and support Biden-Harris Administration priorities, I am excited to work with the four councils to increase the effectiveness of the Bank’s efforts.” The Council on China Competition consists of 16 members with Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, serving as Chair. The council provides guidance on advancing comparative leadership of the United States with respect to China and supporting U.S. innovation and employment through competitive export finance. The Council on Climate and Energy Transition is made up of 18 members with Jonathan Fantini-Porter, CEO and Executive Director at the Partnership for Central America serving as Chair. The council helps the agency identify gaps in private-sector financing opportunities and fulfill the mandate from Congress for EXIM to promote and support environmentally beneficial, renewable-energy, energy-efficiency, and energy-storage exports from the United States. The 11 members of the Council on Advancing Women in Business will see Tamara Rodriguez, Senior Vice President and CFO at Island TV and former U.S. Congresswoman, the Honorable Brenda Lawrence serving as Co-Chairs. The council provides recommendations on ways EXIM can reach more women in business and better consider equity goals set in the agency’s strategy. Nancy Flake Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta and Robin van Puyenbroeck, Executive Director at the World Trade Centers Association, will return as Co-Chairs of the 14-member Council on Small Business. The council provides recommendations on ways EXIM can help more American small business exporters find new markets, achieve more sales and lower the risk of selling internationally. About EXIM: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation’s official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance , working capital guarantees , loan guarantees , and direcct loans . As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Learn more at https://www.exim.gov/ . Read More
April 29, 2024 - The Delaware House of Representatives recently honored World Trade Center Delaware by naming April 27 as World Trade Center Delaware Day. The House honored WTC Delaware for earning the Export-Import Bank's REPP Member of the Year award in 2023 and its work providing opportunities and connections to support and grow Delaware businesses. Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Spiegelman, a member of the WTC Delaware board, it passed the House unanimously. Read More
December 4, 2023 - NEWS RELEASE World Trade Center Delaware Monday, December 4, 2023 Media contact: Carla Stone, 302-656-7905 , cstone@wtcde.com Workshop to Showcase Benefits of Foreign Trade Zones on Dec. 12 A workshop in Wilmington will highlight how business leaders and advisers can use Delaware’s foreign trade zone to potentially erase taxes and duties. The event, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Wilmington University School of Law, 10 Beaver Valley Road, is designed for attorneys, accountants, bankers, exporters and importers, custom brokers, warehousers, logistics specialists, and real estate developers and agents. “Foreign trade zones can defer, reduce or erase import duties and taxes, ending in major savings for an importer,” said Patty Cannon, grantee administrator of Foreign Trade Zone #99. “The combination of those savings and rapid movement of goods, thanks to I-95 and the Port of Wilmington, means Delaware is the ideal market for many foreign trade activities.” Registration is open at https://www.wtcde.com . Admission is $50. Attendees will learn what foreign trade zones are, how an FTZ can benefit clients, the process for companies to operate in an FTZ, and how the program works. The seminar will cover minimizing tariffs, maximizing deals and other business arrangements, and ensuring legal fair-trade compliance. Speakers will include attorney Scott Taylor, leader of the foreign trade zones practice at Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, who has developed more than 550 FTZ projects, and Sean Lydon, president of ISCM Inc., a consulting firm for organizations with international supply chains and a former FTZ operator. “ This is for anyone engaged in global trade, manufacturing, logistics, or research and development ,” said World Trade Center Delaware President Carla Stone. “We’re looking forward to the insights provided by Scott Taylor and Sean Lydon, developed over decades of supporting companies operating in foreign trade zones.” Event sponsors include CSC, Foreign Trade Zone 99 and the Delaware Division of Small Business, ISCM Inc., Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., Wilmington University School of Law, and World Trade Center Delaware. Read More
November 16, 2023 - NEWS RELEASE World Trade Center Delaware Thursday, November 16, 2023 Media contact: Carla Stone, 302-656-7905 , cstone@wtcde.com Ayanna Khan of Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce Joins World Trade Center Delaware Board of Directors WILMINGTON, Del. -- Ayanna Khan, Founder & President/CEO of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, has joined the World Trade Center Delaware board of directors, the organization announced today. Khan is the newest business leader to join the board, which guides and advises the operations of the state’s foremost global business resource. She is founder, president and CEO of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce; president and CEO of Khan Consulting LLC; and an adjunct instructor in grant writing at Delaware Technical Community College. Khan is also a former board member of the Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce and Middletown Main Street, and previously worked for Verizon Enterprise Solutions for 10 years. The Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce has been a World Trade Center Delaware member since 2021. With 634 members, it was named the Best Black Chamber for 2023 by the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and Khan was recently inducted into the Delaware Business Hall of Fame. “I am honored to join the board of World Trade Center Delaware and support its continued growth and success,” Khan said. “International trade and business are the next frontier for many Black-owned businesses. I look forward to contributing to the forward momentum World Trade Center provides for all of Delaware.” "We are very pleased to have Ayanna Khan join our Board. Her expertise in community building will allow us to increase our outreach to additional businesses throughout the state," said Carla Stone, president of World Trade Center Delaware. The Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center Delaware have been working together to promote international trade opportunities to underserved communities throughout the state. In 2023, World Trade Center Delaware organized two in-person events on financing trade and developing new markets. World Trade Center Delaware, which was recently named as EXIM's REPP Member of the Year 2023, assists companies, organizations to expand their business, increase profitability and hire additional employees through international trade. The World Trade Center Delaware board of directors also includes Acting Chair George E. Kearns of MCC Worldwide; Treasurer Stephanie L. Chapman of Belfint, Lyons & Shuman; state Sen. Nicole Poore; state Rep. Jeffrey N. Spiegelman; Mohamed Cisse of Tungsten Global Consulting Inc.; Janet H. Dougherty of Fulton Bank; Carmen Facciolo of NAI Emory Hill Real Estate Services Inc.; Lisa B. Himber of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay; David Máthé of the Delaware Division of Small Business; Anabel Panayotti of Port to Port International Corp.; and Rafael X. Zahralddin of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. World Trade Center Delaware ( www.wtcde.com ) is the state’s premier international business resource, supporting companies’ expansion around the globe. It provides trade and job leads, training programs, networking, trade missions, matchmaking and reverse trade mission opportunities for Delaware firms. Read More
October 6, 2023 - WTC Delaware EXIM Release WORLD TRADE CENTER DELAWARE | NEWS RELEASE Media contact: Carla Stone, 302-656-7905, cstone@wtcde.com World Trade Center Delaware President Carla Stone named to EXIM Bank Advisory Council on Small Business WILMINGTON, Del. – World Trade Center® Delaware President Carla Stone has been named to the Advisory Council on Small Business of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for the 2023-24 term. “I am honored and privileged to serve as a voice of small business to the federal government on such important issues,” Stone said. “Representing American entrepreneurs and exporters is fundamental to World Trade Center® Delaware’s work and mission. I appreciate the trust and confidence that the Administration has in our achievements working for a stronger international trade sector.” The 18-member subcommittee advises EXIM on its programs and initiatives as it works to advance key global trade priorities – specifically, recommendations to help small business exporters find new markets, achieve more sales, and lower risk. It will be co-chaired by Nancy Flake Johnson, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, and Robin van Puyenbroeck, executive director of business development at the World Trade Centers® Association. “I look forward to working with this year’s diverse group of council appointees,” said EXIM President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis. “The recommendations and insights we receive from our Advisory Councils are an integral part to the successful execution of the EXIM mission. As we endeavor to advance the competitiveness of America’s exporters while supporting Biden-Harris Administration priorities, I am eager to see how the work of our councils shape the Bank’s efforts.” World Trade Center® Delaware (WTC Delaware) is the state’s premier international business resource. Founded in 1987, for 36 years, the WTC Delaware has been Delaware’s leading partner in international trade. One of 320 World Trade Centers® in 100 countries, with over 15,000 employees, the WTC Delaware is Delaware’s bridge to an international community of trade experts, making us extremely agile in meeting Delaware’s need for trade assistance. Our goal is to help Delaware companies to benefit from their unique place in the world and expand the scope of their business leading to increased revenue, profitability, and numbers of employees. Learn more at www.wtcde.com. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation’s official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt. Learn more at www.exim.gov. Read More
March 3, 2023 - Announcing Delaware State Rep. Jeff Spiegelman as new Board member; Export-Import Bank of the United States conference on March 27 with EXIM President Reta Jo Lewis, Esq. and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. And more! Read More
September 28, 2021 - Do you have overseas vendors, customers, subsidiaries or employees? Do you ever need to convert foreign payables or receivables? Do you have exposure to fluctuating exchange rates? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, WTC Delaware, in partnership with Bannockburn Global Forex, could save you a significant amount of money. Bannockburn Global Forex is a boutique capital markets trading form specializing in foreign currency advisory, hedge analytics and transaction processing for small and medium size businesses. They work with WTC Delaware, and twenty other WTCs in North America, to provide our members with a free health check of their current foreign currency cost and processes. The goal is to reduce costs by around 80% and make sure any existing risk is uncovered and mitigated. “We are excited to offer this convenient, low-cost benefit for our members that don’t have a relationship with a financial institution that provides foreign exchange services which meet their international business needs,” said WTC Delaware President Carla Stone. “Not only do companies receive better service but better pricing,” said Bannockburn’s Marketing Director Mehgan Flynn. “We’re a boutique, so we don’t have locations on every corner and all of the expenses that brings. The way we’re structured, we cut out the middleman and the high overhead, allowing us to provide much lower rates for our clients.” Bannockburn hopes to save members up to 75-80% of their annual foreign exchange costs, which can amount to considerable overall savings explained Flynn, who was previously the Executive Director of World Trade Center Kansas City. Named by its founder after the famous Battle of Bannockburn portrayed in the movie, Braveheart and reflective of how “the little guy wins over the big guy,” according to Flynn, Bannockburn was founded in 2009 and has nine offices across the country with only twenty-three employees, therefore reducing the typical overhead costs that are factored in by larger financial institutions. Thus, they pass on this savings to their customers. Bannockburn’s partners apply specialized experience to a broad industry and geographically diverse client base. They focus on serving corporate clients that do between $1 million and $1 billion in EBITDA, providing free foreign exchange analyses which typically show they can save tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for each client—and they don’t charge any upfront advisory fees. They also provide “hedging” services for their clients which enables them to set an annual foreign exchange budget and not worry about the forex markets, allowing them to focus on what they do best. Part of the value they bring to the table is keeping clients informed on market moving events – things happening globally that may affect the value of certain currencies. As a WTC Delaware member, you have access to Bannockburn’s Managing Director and Chief Market Strategist, Marc Chandler, who is a prolific author and speaker, appearing regularly in the financial media. Chandler is often quoted in the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Bloomberg, and the Washington Post, among others. Marc also provides his insights and commentary on the markets on the most widely watched financial news channels, including CNBC, Bloomberg TV, CNN, and Fox. If you would like to visit with Marc Chandler, or to receive a health check on your currency processes, please reach out to advisory@bbgfx.com Read More
July 15, 2021 - New Castle, DE, 2021—Businesses from Delaware and across the region learned about best practices and opportunities to do trade with Africa yesterday at the virtual Kickoff to the US-Africa Business Summit moderated by World Trade Center Delaware’s President Carla Stone. The online event featured Ms. Florizelle Liser, President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa as Keynote Speaker and presentations by His Excellency Carlos Dos Santos, Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique to the US, His Excellency Onkokame Kitso Mokaila, Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the US and Mahmoud Nadjai, International Relations Manager of World Trade Center Algiers. Attendees learned about important projects and trade opportunities in a number of strategic African countries directly from their ambassadors and were able to not only ask questions but to make appointments to meet with them individually after the close of the meeting. Ambassador Liser said businesses of all sizes are welcome to do trade in Africa. “People think about the big guys” when it comes to doing international trade in Africa, she said, “but actually trade for the US in Africa is driven by small companies as well.” She added that trade and business opportunities in Africa are really expanding and “these are new times” as the pandemic is winding down; “countries are coming back from the COVID pandemic, and we are seeing a re-launching of companies and economies.” The ambassadors agreed that the time is ripe for US companies to form relationships and partnerships with African companies in strategic locations. They said that they would like to meet with Delaware companies in agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and medical devices, fintech and finance, construction, environmental services, IT, port management, and energy. Mr. Nadjai added that Africa is indeed a “pioneer destination” making up nearly a third of the world’s entire population and urged US businesses to have a “targeted approach in order to be successful. “You need to get the right information, the right support and the right direction,” he said, encouraging them to take advantage of events like this and organizations such as the World Trade Centers Association to do so. The 13th Annual US-Africa Business Summit will take place July 27-29 virtually. For more information or to register to attend visit: https://cca.glueup.com/event/u-s-africa-business-summit-2021-35917/ Read More