WARSAW: A Polish trade delegation is to visit Toledo next week as part of a business-development fact-finding swing through Ohio.
Jim Hartung, president of Toledo Sister Cities International board of trustees, is coordinating the Toledo stop of the trip, though not as a sister cities event. He said the purpose of the trip is somewhat open-ended.
“There’s certainly exposure within the international circle. Business opportunities sometimes lie just beyond our sight,”. Hartung said. “When we start to dialogue with foreign interests, there’s always that potential.”
Hartung said that with the United States focusing under President Trump on renegotiating international trade deals, the meeting is an opportunity to discuss relationships.
Leading the delegation is Maciej Golubiewski, consul general of the Republic of Poland, and Sabina Klimek, consul and trade commissioner.
The schedule calls for a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the office of Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson.
Present, in addition to the mayor, Hartung, and the two Polish emissaries, will be Paul Zito, vice president of international development for the Regional Growth Partnership; Brad Moffitt, director of market development and membership for Ohio Corn and Wheat; and Joseph Cappel, vice president of business development for the port authority.
A meet-and-greet is planned for 5 p.m. at the Toledo Club.
On the itinerary is The Andersons grain operation on the Maumee River, Hartung said.
The group will continue in Ohio to Marion on Tuesday and also visit Akron, Lorain, and Cleveland.
Ohio in 2015 imported $310.2 million worth of merchandise from Poland — a significant increase compared to the previous four years, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Slightly over half of that merchandise was “transportation equipment.”
Imports to Poland from Ohio in 2015 totaled $167.9 million, also an increase from previous years. Machinery and transportation equipment were the top categories, according to the commerce department.
