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German American Chambers of Commerce

The AHK Network within the USA

Under the AHK USA umbrella the German American Chambers of Commerce jointly market their services in the USA. With chambers in Atlanta, Chicago and New York and branch offices in Houston, Philadelphia and San Francisco we are able to provide our services to members and clients nationwide.

AHK – well connected worldwide

With 120 locations in 80 countries around the world, the members of the German Chamber Network (AHKs) offer their experience, connections and services to German and foreign companies. AHKs are located in all countries of particular importance to German companies.

Close Connection to Germany

AHKs are closely connected to the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHKs) in Germany. Together, they support German companies with strengthening and extending their business relations to foreign countries.

The umbrella organization of the IHKs is the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), which also coordinates and supports the AHKs.
Furthermore, the cooperation with various German trade associations strengthens the link from AHKs to business and markets.

Three Tasks

AHKs fulfill three main tasks at their locations:

1. Official Representation of German Companies
AHKs are the key players of German foreign business development on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany. They represent German business interests in their countries and they inform about and promote Germany as a business location.

2. Member Organizations
AHKs are member organizations for companies actively involved in bilateral business relations. These members give them the authority needed when interacting with politics, business and administration in terms of promoting bilateral business relations.

3. Service Providers to Companies
Under the brand “DEinternational” AHKs provide services to companies both from Germany and their host countries in order to support their foreign business activities.

Additionally, our liaison office in Washington, D.C., the Representative of German Industry and Trade (RGIT), represents the interests of the German business community vis-à-vis both the U.S. administration and the international organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Germany Trade and Invest

Germany Trade and Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. Formed following the merger of the German Office for Foreign Trade and the Invest in Germany GmbH, Germany Trade and Invest officially came into being on January 1, 2009. Germany Trade and Invest’s mission is to promote Germany as a location for industrial and technological investments and to identify investors for the German market. The organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to german companies that seek to tap into foreign markets. Germany Trade and Invest provides comprehensive and client-oriented economic and industry data as well as information about calls for proposals in foreign countries, investment and development projects, and legal and customs regulations. The promotion of economic activity in Germany’s new federal states, including Berlin, also forms an integral part of the agency’s external trade and business location marketing remit.

Germany Trade and Invest can count upon an international network of industry analysts who perform on-site research into foreign markets and supports foreign businesses looking to establish a company in Germany. Our international team of experts works closely together with the German Chamber Network (AHK) abroad. This growing partnership allows German exporters and potential foreign investors alike to benefit from a centralized first point of contact overseas, with client-specific information and consultancy services all provided under one roof. Germany Trade and Invest is headquartered in Berlin with an additional office in Cologne.

Germany Trade and Invest operates the websites iXPOS, e-trade-center, and the German Business Portal. It performs this task together with other actors promoting foreign trade in Germany and the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology. iXPOS combines the diverse offerings of foreign trade promotion in Germany into a central internet platform. The e-trade-center is the central internet forum for the promotion of foreign trade in Germany to search for international business contacts. The German Business Portal is the central information point about the German market for international entrepreneurs.

Promoted by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the Federal Government Commissioner for the New Federal States in accordance with a German Parliament resolution.