Marking the First Anniversary of Launching the U.S.-Norway Comprehensive Dialogue for Commerce and Sustainability

David De Falco is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Europe and Eurasia

It’s been just over a year since the United States and Norway came together to launch the Comprehensive Dialogue for Commerce and Sustainability (CDCS), and the progress we’ve seen is remarkable. On November 17, 2023, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago and Norway’s State Secretary for Trade and Industry Tore Sandvik signed a Memorandum of Understanding that kicked off this collaboration with a shared goal: strengthening trade, investment, and sustainability between our two nations.

Since then, the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA), in collaboration with Norway’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries, has been hard at work creating opportunities and delivering outcomes for our companies and citizens. Whether it’s ITA’s trade experts advising American businesses about exporting to Norway, or helping attract Norwegian investment to U.S. shores, the cooperation under the CDCS has already delivered tangible results.

What exactly is the CDCS? It’s a dialogue between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries focused on exploring trade opportunities and tackling sustainability challenges—like energy security and global supply chain resilience. The second CDCS meeting, held in Oslo on June 7, 2024, built on the momentum of the first, with both countries working together to drive forward a green transition in areas like clean energy and critical emerging technologies.

This cooperative relationship has also brought to life successful industry roundtables in Washington, D.C. and Oslo in support of the CDCS’s goals. These roundtables engaged companies from sectors that are critical to the green transition—offshore wind, advanced batteries, clean hydrogen, and more. In just one year, ITA has supported more than 150 U.S. companies, many of them small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), looking to break into the Norwegian market. ITA has also guided more than 30 Norwegian companies looking to expand into the United States especially in clean energy and green tech sectors.

Our efforts don’t stop there. Through programs like Discover Global Markets, ITA has been actively promoting Norwegian market opportunities to audiences across the United States and has facilitated dozens of one-on-one meetings with American exporters.

As we reflect on the past year, it’s clear the U.S.-Norway Comprehensive Dialogue for Commerce and Sustainability is already making a difference. Through continued collaboration, both countries are well-positioned to meet the challenges of today’s green transition while creating new opportunities for growth and innovation.