The Trade Council

What The Trade Council does

The Trade Council is the export and investment promotion agency of the Kingdom of Denmark, operating as an integrated division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Udenrigsministeriet) headquartered at Asiatisk Plads 2, Copenhagen. It provides free advisory services to Danish companies seeking to internationalize, organized around three core service lines: Export Advisory (Eksport), Government & Public Affairs (Interessevaretagelse), and Innovation Services. The organization serves over 3,000 Danish companies annually, spanning both small and medium-sized enterprises and large enterprises, with sector specialists covering eight key Danish export verticals: Tech and Digitalization, Health and Life Science, Defense Industry, Maritime, Sustainability, Energy, Food and Agriculture, and Water and Environment.

The Trade Council's operating model is built on a global network infrastructure rather than proprietary technology. It delivers services through 105 representations across 79 countries, leveraging Danish embassies, consulates general, and trade offices. Over 80% of the organization's 251–500 employees are stationed abroad, with more than half being locally hired staff who combine local market knowledge with Danish business expertise. Specialized advisory modules include Health Diplomats, Digitalization Diplomats (in Berlin, London, and Stockholm), 24 energy-specialized trade advisors, and sector attachés. Innovation services are delivered through seven Innovation Centre Denmark facilities in Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Boston, Munich, New Delhi, São Paulo, Seoul, and Tel Aviv, often with subsidized consulting access for SMEs.

The organization operates on a non-commercial basis: all advisory services are provided free of charge to Danish companies, and the operation is funded through appropriations from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Trade Council does not generate commercial revenue, has no external shareholders, and is not subject to traditional PE/VC/M&A ownership transitions. Execution is delivered via deep cross-ministerial alliances (Education and Research, Defense, Energy Agency, Environment, Food Administration) and sector-specific coalitions including Water Technology Alliances in the USA, EU, China, and UAE, plus Green Growth Alliances with India and South Korea.

Name

The Trade Council

Legal name

Udenrigsministeriet

Website

https://thetradecouncil.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Trade Council is Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs export and investment promotion agency, providing free advisory services to over 3,000 Danish companies annually across 79 countries through embassy-based trade advisors and seven Innovation Centres, covering eight key export sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Trade Promotion Services

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Export Promotion & Market Access Support (BPADAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN), Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance (BPAHAHAG), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Export advisory services
• Trade promotion
• Investment attraction
• Market intelligence reports
• Government public affairs

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded export promotion services: The Trade Council is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All advisory services are provided free of charge to Danish companies. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but operates as a public service entity supporting Danish export and internationalization.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Trade Council is Denmark's official export and investment promotion agency, operating as a division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Udenrigsministeriet). It provides free advisory services to Danish companies on internationalization, including market entry support, partner identification, regulatory navigation, and government relations across 70+ markets. Its three core service lines are Export Advisory, Government & Public Affairs, and Innovation Services, delivered through a network of 105 representations in 79 countries.

Product overview

The Trade Council is a government export and investment promotion organization under Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It provides advisory services organized around three core offerings: Export Advisory, Government & Public Affairs, and Innovation Services. The organization operates through a global network of 105 representations in 79 countries, with sector specialists covering eight key Danish export sectors (Tech/Digitalization, Health/Life Science, Defense, Maritime, Sustainability, Energy, Food/Agriculture, Water/Environment). The portfolio includes specialized advisory modules such as Health Diplomats and Digitalization Diplomats, strategic initiatives like Water Technology Advisory EU, and research products including market reports and analyses. Innovation support is delivered through seven Innovation Centres abroad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Export Advisory Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 Danish companies assisted annually with export and internationalization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Education and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Ministry of Education and Research to establish and operate seven Innovation Centres Denmark abroad, facilitating Danish entrepreneurship, research partnerships, and innovation collaboration.
• Energy Agency of Denmark (Energistyrelsen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration between the Danish Energy Agency and The Trade Council to identify opportunities for Danish energy companies abroad and work with foreign authorities on green energy and energy efficiency.
• Ministry of the Interior and Health (Indenrigs- og Sundhedsministeriet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on health diplomacy, identifying opportunities for Danish healthcare companies in target markets, and working with foreign health authorities and stakeholders.
• Ministry of Defence (Forsvarsministeriet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination on defense exports, with defense attachés at Danish embassies supporting Danish defense industry companies seeking to export defense solutions.
• Water Technology Alliance (WTA) - USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic export initiative supporting Danish water technology companies in the US market through specialized advisors with technical and commercial expertise focused on public utility customers.
• Water Technology Alliance (WTA) - EUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic export initiative active in Germany, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, providing tailored market support through a network of water sector advisors and experts.
• Danish Water Alliance ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic initiative between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish water industry, identifying focus areas for commercial activities with Chinese partners including wastewater, industrial wastewater, climate solutions, and water efficiency.
• Danish-Chinese Business ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Danish business community in China, providing quarterly indices measuring Danish business outlook on operating in China.
• Sino-Danish Center for Education and ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation on research and education initiatives supporting Danish companies operating in China.
• Green Strategic Partnership - IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-of-its-kind partnership for both countries, launched in 2020, with 11 thematic tracks covering water, energy, urban development, intellectual property, health, maritime, agriculture, and innovation/research.
• Ministry of Environment of Denmark (Miljøstyrelsen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic government cooperation between Danish EPA and Indian water authorities on water supply and environmental management.
• Aarhus MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation between Aarhus Municipality and the state of Rajasthan in India on water supply and wastewater management.
• Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic sector cooperation on food safety, food processing, and livestock and dairy production with Indian authorities.
• Green Growth Alliance - South KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual forum for exchanges on green transition and green growth, established in 2011 and formalized in 2012 as part of the strategic partnership between Denmark and South Korea.
• Smart Hospital Alliance - South KoreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance consisting of five Korean hospitals, the Danish embassy in South Korea, and Danish companies providing health-tech solutions for upgrading Korean hospitals.
• Systematic Steel Cooperation (SSC) - ThailandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment cooperation program on circular economy and waste management, contributing to Thai capacity building through Danish experiences.
• Danish Export AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for maritime sector promotion, focusing on green shipbuilding, green maritime technologies and fuels, SME assistance, and market access to Chinese shipyards.
• Danish MaritimecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for maritime sector promotion in China, focusing on green maritime solutions and Danish SME positioning.
• WEMA (Water Alliance) - UAEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater alliance in Dubai driven by The Trade Council for over 7 years, establishing strategic partnerships for knowledge exchange, training, and innovative solutions.
• Strategic Partnership Arrangement - AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership between Denmark and Australia signed in 2023, exploring cooperation across climate action, peace and security, and strategic areas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Business Sweden: Swedish government-backed trade and investment promotion agency. Highly comparable: provides export advisory, market intelligence, and partnership facilitation to Swedish companies through a global office network; similar mandate, governance, and funding model.
• JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization): Japanese government-related organization promoting trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. Comparable at the institutional level — government-backed, embassy-network-anchored export promotion with sector specialists and country desks.
• Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI): Germany's federal export promotion and inward investment agency. Closest structural parallel to The Trade Council — operates as a government-linked entity providing market entry advisory, investment promotion, and sector-specific support to German companies abroad.
• Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA): Dutch agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs focused on attracting foreign investment and supporting Dutch exporters. Comparable scope of services, similar reliance on embassies/consulates for in-market execution.
• Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE): Switzerland's official export and investment promotion agency, with mandate and Swiss embassy network comparable to The Trade Council. Both assist SMEs with market entry, partner search, and regulatory navigation.
• Enterprise Ireland: Irish government agency supporting Irish-owned enterprises in internationalization, innovation, and exporting. Same customer profile (national SMEs and large enterprises), same government-funded free-advisory model, similar advisor-based service delivery.
• KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency): South Korean government agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy supporting Korean exporters and attracting FDI. Directly comparable in mandate, embassy-anchored global network, and free government-funded advisory services.
• Business France: France's national agency supporting international development of French companies and attracting foreign investment. Directly comparable in mission (export promotion, FDI attraction, innovation support) and embassy-anchored delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Commercial Service (International Trade Administration): U.S. Department of Commerce unit promoting U.S. exports through a global network of trade professionals at U.S. embassies and consulates. Comparable delivery model (government-funded, embassy-anchored, fee-based and free services, sector specialists) but with a much larger commercial scale and broader mandate.
• UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT): UK government department responsible for trade promotion, export finance, and inward investment policy. Broader remit than The Trade Council (includes policy-making and trade negotiations), but its export support functions and overseas network are structurally similar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-trade-council
• Xx.com/thetradecouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/thetradecouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Trade Council