Trade Diplomacy and Third Country Subnational "Actorness" in Europe: The Role and Activities of US States

While there is a significant literature on regional representation of EU member states to understand the channels of influence and the patterns of mobilization and organization of territorial representation (Callanen and Tatham, 2013; Tatham, 2010; Minto et al., 2023; Donas and Beyers, 2013), few studies have focused on non-European territorial mobilization and influence in Europe. While the importance of Brussels as a focal point for regional mobilization is often viewed through the lens of intra-European politics, this paper analyses third country subnational mobilization in Europe by examining the engagement strategies of eighteen American states in terms of trade diplomacy. Despite that some US states have for long had an active presence in Europe and advocated for their territorial interests in search of trade and investment opportunities (Antunes, Guimarães and Egan 2023), their activities remain understudied. Though US paradiplomacy takes place within a multilevel context similar to Europe, in which states seek to promote goals that require them to develop an international presence, there is limited research on their “actorness” in Europe. How do US states frame their efforts to promote their economic interests within Europe? What channels do they use to promote their economic interests in Europe? Does the increasing influence of EU trade policy decisions on third countries (the so-called Brussels effect) motivate US states to have a regional representation and presence in Europe? This paper provides an analysis of the “external” dimension of regional mobilization in Europe drawing on data collected from multiple US states through a mix of surveys and semi-structured interviews. It offers a comparative account of the American subnational representations in Europe highlighting the ways that states effectively or not exercise their commercial paradiplomacy.