Finland is a Northern European country with five million habitants. I’m one the five million. Until recently I have known shamefully little about my home country’s trade.

I knew that Sweden – our neighbor on the western side – is our biggest export destination, and that Europe’s economic giant Germany is a significant market as well.

But I wouldn’t have guessed that this year the U.S. bypassed Russia as the third biggest destination of Finnish exports.

Though it shouldn’t be a surprise.

Finland’s trade with Russia has stalled because of president Putin’s repellent expansion politics and the economic sanctions that EU has passed on Russia.

 

Finland – a small EU country and member in Eurozone –no longer has means to control its own economy with its’ own monetary policy as it no longer has its’ own currency. Many Finns now consider joining the monetary union was an unfortunate decision.

At the moment there is, however, one slight cause of happiness with weakening Euro, and that is the interest American buyers are showing towards Finnish products.

The overall exports of Finland have decreased at an annualized rate of six percent during last five years. During the first six months of year 2015, Finland’s exports to the U.S grew eight percent from the previous year. The markets of all the main export goods – electronics, machinery, ships and boats, paper and paperboard, refined petroleum products, and telecommunications equipment and parts – expanded, and the total value of Finland’s trade to the U.S is now €1.9 billion.

 

One man in Los Angeles is particularly happy and proud of the brightened prospects of Finnish products’ sales over the Atlantic. He is the consul general of Finland Juha Markkanen.

Markkanen has been in LA for three years focusing on helping Finnish companies to find buyers, investors and co-operations in the country.

He acts along Finnish governments (and previous governments) strategy. In 2011 the government of Finland created a project called Team Finland. Its’ goal is to bring together Finnish diplomats and government bodies with businesses and organizations to accelerate especially Finnish small and medium size companies’ exports. The whole staff of consulate of Finland in Los Angeles has reshaped its priorities since: they are here less for the foreign policy (that is done in Washington and more and more on EU level) and more for economic networking.

Processing passport and visa applications and issues are, of course, still an essential function of the consulate – but that, too, can be seen as clearing paths for the economic co-operation, says consul general Markkanen.

What else a diplomat does in order to accelerate trade?

Markkanen is a precise man and gives numbered answers.

Four ways how diplomacy is helping Finnish businesses to export.

 

One. The diplomat shares information. Markkanen and his consulate know all the details of legislation and agreements concerning the trade between Finland, EU, Eurozone and the U.S. The consulate helps business people with their concerns with trade tariffs and possible barriers. Equally important is to advice people how to approach the market. For that, Markkanen has created “ten commandments”: 1. Networking is key. 2. Visit the US early, often, and before you have a final product. 3. Ask questions, lots of them, and then ask more. 4. Local presence is crucial. 5. Work with local players. 6. Pick the best partner, never the first. 7. Be swift (24-hour-rule). 8. Be patient and think long-term (follow up). 9. Do the sales/marketing in the US way. 10. Give the market what it wants, not what you think it wants!

Two.  The diplomat offers connections. Consul general Juha Markkanen shows the folder where he has collected all the business cards he has got during his years in LA. There are hundreds of them. Consulates mission is to find networks and to connect Finnish professionals with Californian counterparts.

 

Three. The diplomat makes visits and organizes them for others. Markkanen points out lines of Finnish business that he thinks have nowadays particular potential in California: 1. Clean tech. 2. Health and wellness. 3. ICT. 4. Creative industries.

He wants entrepreneurs from those branches to know the hubs in California -LA / Silicon Beach, San Francisco / Silicon Valley and San Diego – and otherway round.

He visits these hubs and lobbies for Finnish innovations. When the consul general asks for an appointment with, companies and organizations usually find time for an appointment.

The Finnish consulate recently organized stage time for pitching for five Finnish clean tech companies in a big clean tech conference in LA.

 

Four. The diplomat uses his residence. The residence of consul general is a beautiful, big house. The foreign ministry of Finland does not buy or rent these kinds of beautiful big houses for its’ diplomats just because diplomats should have a nice home abroad. Juha Markkanen hosts numerous events in his residence where he brings together Finns and Americans. He may allow Finnish business delegations to organize meetings or conferences in his residence. He invites and receives Finnish groups over in LA.

 

Before I met consul general Juha Markkanen, I had a very vague image of what a consul general does. Now I know that he is an ambassador of Finnish exports.

Though that shouldn’t be a surprise.

If I was to expand my (imaginary) business from Finland to California, who would I contact to have advice? The consulate, surely.