The 5th New York International Trade Fair & Chamber Annual Business Expo 2026 opened on September 17 at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, drawing exhibitors, investors and chamber officials from the United States, Bangladesh and neighbouring South Asian countries.

The event, organised jointly by the Bangladesh-US Chamber of Commerce & Industries and the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, was opened with addresses from Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh-US Chamber; Mark Jaffe, president and chief executive of the Greater New York Chamber; and Kelly Loeffler, administrator of the US Small Business Administration.

Ms Loeffler used her remarks to underline the role of small businesses in job creation and economic growth, calling for continued support for entrepreneurs seeking to expand internationally.

Ahmed highlighted the record of Bangladeshi-Americans in science, engineering and business, citing figures including structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan, Khan Academy founder Salman Khan, YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim, chemist Abul Hussam, entrepreneur Abdus Sattar Khan, physicist M Zahid Hasan and Syed Zaki Hossain.

He described US-Bangladesh trade – anchored by American demand for Bangladeshi ready-made garments – as a foundation for deeper investment and innovation ties, and thanked Jaffe and Amit Shah for a five-year partnership between the two chambers.

Jaffe noted the Greater New York Chamber’s 25 years of running the Business Expo, saying the format was designed to connect large corporations with smaller and emerging firms across borders.

Alongside American and Bangladeshi delegations, businesspeople from India, China, Nepal and Pakistan attended the fair, which centres on a business-to-business matchmaking programme pairing exhibitors with prospective buyers, investors and partners.

The programme includes the Global Investment, Banking, Finance & Remittances Forum 2026, plus sessions on trade, artificial intelligence, supply-chain strategy and non-resident Bangladeshi (NRB) investment. Six individuals were recognised at the accompanying International Business Excellence Awards 2026 for contributions to business and community development.

Organisers said the fair was intended to strengthen long-term commercial partnerships between the participating countries, positioning it as a platform for market access and cross-border investment.