Tribune Editorial

A group representing manufacturers, food processors and higher education will travel to Turkey this week on a trade mission. It's one of many such trips in recent years that have helped triple the state's exports to $2 billion since 2000.

This work, extending the reach of the North Dakota market, has been critical to the state's economy. Missions this year already have visited South Korea, Colombia and Peru. Earlier excursions were to Russia and to members of the former Soviet Union, to Singapore and to Cuba. The sample cases typically contain farm equipment, peas, lentils and sunflowers. The state's wheat farmers have had a long history of exporting, now complimented by shipping organic grains and flours to new customers around the world.

What the state invests now in trade missions will pay off in the future with contracts and connections to move North Dakota goods and services around the world.

Not that every deal is a success. Recently an agreement to sell seed potatoes to Cuba fell through, mostly for technical reasons, in terms of inspections and contracts. But no deal in 2008. Yet more often than not, by doing its homework, the North Dakota Trade Office has been able to help leverage contracts and turn missions into deal-closers.

Interestingly, the mission to Turkey includes Mehmel Tulbek, technical director of the Northern Crops Institute at North Dakota State University. In addition to his technical expertise, Tulbek, a native of Turkey, will be recruiting undergraduate students to attend NDSU. The state's higher education system has become yet another service that's in demand on the world market. Bismarck State College recently began talks with a firm in Brazil about providing Internet based classes in power-plant technologies.

Moving into global markets takes patience for companies that see its possibilities. There are many hurdles: licensing, inspection, transportation, contracts, connection, language barriers and tariffs. But with each mission, with each contract signed, sealed and delivered, the state gains knowledge and experience. It becomes easier, as long as North Dakotans can find a competitive advantage. The state's farming, processing and manufacturing can offer reliability, quality and price.

The mission is made up of companies from Jamestown, Fargo, Mandan, Gilby, Harvey, Bismarck, Ross, Garrison and Bowman in North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Karlstad, and Moorhead in Minnesota. They range from one end of the state to the other, along with a few neighbors from Minnesota.

In addition to the Turkey visit, part of the delegation will travel to Cairo, Egypt, with the same agenda.

North Dakota exported $13.4 million in merchandise to Turkey last year, and six months into 2008 had exceeded that figure. Turkey is fertile ground for the state's exports and, hopefully, this trade mission will expand that market.

Trade, remember, means jobs.