A multisectoral trade mission to London kicks off this 7 June, organised by the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the embassy of the grand duchy of Luxembourg in London, taking place over two days.
This evening will also mark the launch of the Chamber’s fourth business club abroad, with London joining the international network of business clubs already established in three other locations. Director of international affairs, Cindy Tereba, launched the first one in Berlin in 2012--this year marks its 10th anniversary--while the Paris and Brussels clubs were launched in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The official launch takes place at the residence of Jean Olinger, ambassador of the grand duchy of Luxembourg to the UK.
“It’s those markets that represent our main trading partners, so it’s absolutely crucial for us to open business clubs in those four markets, to really connect the business communities which are already very much interlinked, but to give them a platform to network, to engage in partnerships, exchange ideas, and so on,” Brighi told Delano.
In addition to participants having the opportunity to learn about trade and investment opportunities in the UK, they’ll have the chance to see some of the flagship projects making waves in the London landscape. During a May visit to the grand duchy, the , estimated the bilateral trade to be “worth about £13bn a year. Over 90-95% of that is in the services sector, in financial services, other business services--telecom, IT and so on.”
Brighi, whose role has already involved helping Luxembourg companies with their internationalisation strategies and help advise them on market strategies for entering the UK, said that “following Brexit, it makes even more sense to really bring those countries closer together, with a special focus on the business communities, and to really nurture the existing business links between both markets.”
Although the club is initiated by the Chamber of Commerce, Brighi adds that it will be directed by the companies themselves, the future president of which is still to be announced.
Over the past year, Brighi adds, much of his work had been governed by the UK's exit from the EU. “My main tasks at the beginning of last year and throughout the year was to support our companies which suffered from the direct impact that Brexit had on their business activities,” he explained. “We set up a Brexit hotline… all the companies which were impacted in any way could contact us, and we did research and advised them on the new realities, new administrative burdens which were imposed when trading with the UK… the trade is not as frictionless as it was before.”
The original date for the launch had been anticipated in Q1 2022, but the launch was postponed because of the covid pandemic. But now with its launch taking place the evening of 7 June, in the presence of individuals like finance minister , Brighi says the club’s opening “is a very strong signal that the UK remains a very important trading partner for us… it’s a strong signal also to the business community that both markets are really interlinked and complementary to each other.”
The Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce’s international agenda has been quite charged this year. In March, they hit a record 300 registrants for the property market trade fair Mipim in Cannes, France, which marked the 15th anniversary of Luxembourg hosting a national pavilion there.
For more information on the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming events, including its international agenda, visit