The DC Chamber of Commerce will lead a delegation of Washington, D.C., business, community, and higher education leaders to London, England, and Dublin, Ireland, for a trade mission focused on building and expanding international business opportunities and strengthening economic ties between the District of Columbia and the two capital cities.
The mission will take place Oct. 4 through 8, during which time DC Chamber members will meet with English and Irish business and industry leaders. These meetings will create business-to-business exchanges and promote growth opportunities.
“This mission is about positioning DC businesses to compete, grow and lead on a global stage,” said DC Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chinyere J. Hubbard. “When we open doors to new markets and build relationships beyond our borders, we create pathways for investment, partnerships and revenue that strengthen our businesses and our economy here at home. We want our delegation to return to Washington, D.C., with meaningful connections, actionable opportunities and a broader perspective vision for what is possible for their businesses and for the District.”
During the trip, DC Chamber members will be in direct conversation with potential partners and learning what London and Dublin are doing around economic development, innovation, and higher education.
The U.K. has been the United States’ second-largest trading partner since 2021, representing more than $450 billion of direct investment into the U.S. Over $300 million of that investment came directly into the District of Columbia by U.K. companies and investors. U.S.-Ireland trade relations comprise nearly $9 billion annually of foreign direct investment between the two countries, representing meaningful opportunities for the District to strengthen economic ties with global markets.
“The District of Columbia is a city where international businesses want to locate,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert. “We are home to a thriving international community, are an easy place from which to access the rest of the United States, and our industry base is diverse and growing. D.C.’s economic growth strategy includes international business expansion, and trade missions create an important platform for those discussions.”
The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and two members of DMPED’s business development team will represent the District and meet with her counterparts in London and Dublin to strengthen existing relationships and discuss new ways in which to partner.
The delegation will also explore approaches to downtown revitalization and innovation districts. Canary Wharf in London has expanded beyond its traditional financial services and now incorporates innovation, higher education, retail and residential to create a new mix of uses. The tour will include a visit to Level39, Canary Wharf’s innovation hub and accelerator and a meeting with University College London.
In Dublin, the mission will build on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2025 by the District of Columbia and World Trade Center Dublin, which has resulted in a recent visit by approximately 60 Irish CEOs and business leaders to D.C. The delegation will meet with World Trade Center Dublin and other partners to advance trade, investment and business connections.
“Our members are looking for opportunities to expand overseas and our job is to help them make the connections to do it,” said Hubbard. “Throughout the trade mission, the delegation will meet with and be provided with peer-to-peer opportunities to strengthen connections with companies in London and Dublin.”
In Dublin, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and the National College of Ireland (NCI) will formalize a new partnership that grew from conversations initiated during the Irish delegation’s visit to Washington earlier this year. A framework for collaboration will be built around student opportunity and mobility, AI and digital transformation, and faculty and institutional exchange.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to creating opportunities for our students that extend beyond the classroom and beyond our borders,” said University of the District of Columbia President Maurice Edington, Ph.D. “By connecting our students and faculty with international partners, we can expand access to new ideas, emerging technologies, and career pathways while strengthening the communities we serve.”
This mission builds on several years of engagement by Washington, D.C., including participation in London Tech Week in 2024 and 2026 and growing relationships in Ireland through the World Trade Center network, Ireland Gateway to Europe, and a D.C.–Dublin–Boston relationship. In 2025, DMPED, WDCEP, and World Trade Center Dublin signed an agreement to attract Irish companies and high-growth technology firms to establish a presence in the District via its Global Soft Landing program.
For more information, visit the DC Chamber at dcchamber.org; WDCEP at wdcep.com/dc-global-soft-landing; and DMPED at dmped.dc.gov
