Partner Kyle Freeman Advances US State EDOs’ Aims in Asia During California and Utah Visit

Kyle Freeman, Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates, recently embarked on a two-week visit to Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, at the end of September. His mission: to engage with state economic development organizations (EDOs) and strengthen Asia trade and investment knowledge and capabilities of US companies.

In Utah, Kyle participated in discussions with numerous state EDOs, focusing on how these organizations can best support local businesses in expanding internationally and attract foreign investment to their respective states.

“It was encouraging to see state governments acknowledge the growing importance of new markets and supply chain diversification in Asia, which helps US companies remain competitive,” Kyle noted. “There’s a particularly strong interest in Southeast Asia and India as alternatives to China.”

Kyle added, “While attracting Asian investment to the US was a key topic, there was also a clear shift toward supporting US companies in leveraging Asia’s growing consumer markets. Programs like market research support, export advisory services, and in-market assistance are becoming central to these efforts. Our firm looks forward to continuing our work with state trade offices to bolster both investment attraction and Asia-focused support for US businesses.”

During the California leg of his trip, Kyle met with Asian trade officials, business partners, and clients. Reflecting on these meetings, he remarked, “Many of the clients I spoke with are exploring new markets and production opportunities in Southeast Asia and India. This aligns with the growing interest among state EDOs in these regions. Discussions about ‘China +1’ strategies were frequent, where companies are not necessarily exiting China but are diversifying their operations. The potential impact of the upcoming US elections on these strategies was also a significant concern for many businesses.”

If you are interested in exploring opportunities or alternative strategies in Asia for your business, you can get in touch with the North American desk at usa@dezshira.com.

Further Resources

For more resources on Asia, you can visit our Asia Briefing websites, where you can also read our articles about China, Vietnam, India, and ASEAN or visit our publication store on Asia Briefing, which houses in-depth business guides and magazines for multiple regions across Asia.