About Us
Mission
To serve as Delaware's International Trade Gateway, connecting the state's economy and its small and medium-sized enterprises to global capital, global resources, and global research, linking Delaware exporters and importers to markets worldwide through more than 300 World Trade Centers in over 100 countries, and converting that access into measurable economic growth.
Vision
To define how a state economy engages the world: a strategic gateway where global capital, global resources, and global research converge, and where Delaware's small and medium-sized enterprises export, import, and compete globally, driving the state's economic growth for generations to come.
Why Delaware?
Delaware is not simply a place to do business. It is the legal and logistical infrastructure on which global business is built. Companies that establish in Delaware gain the most trusted corporate law framework in the world, one of the most favorable tax environments in the United States, the premier trust jurisdiction in the nation, and a deepwater port that moves goods to and from every continent. World Trade Center Delaware puts this infrastructure to work for international trade.
The Premier Trust Jurisdiction
Delaware's trust laws are the national benchmark. The state permits dynasty trusts that can endure for generations, directed trusts that separate investment and administrative control, and asset protection trusts, and it imposes no Delaware income tax on trust income accumulated for beneficiaries who live outside the state. These advantages draw families, family offices, and institutions from around the world to administer wealth through Delaware, supported by the same Court of Chancery that anchors the state's corporate law leadership.
A Tax Environment Built for Global Business
Delaware imposes no state sales tax, no personal property tax, and no state corporate income tax on Delaware corporations that do not operate within the state. Income from intangible assets such as trademarks, patents, and investments can be exempt from Delaware taxation, and shares of Delaware companies held by nonresidents are not subject to Delaware taxes. Complete guidance is available through the Delaware Division of Revenue. For companies structuring international operations, these advantages translate directly into capital that can be reinvested in growth.
The World's Corporate Capital
 Delaware is the legal home of the majority of Fortune 500 companies and more than two million business entities, and nearly 70 percent of U.S. initial public offerings in 2025 were Delaware corporations, according to the Delaware Division of Corporations. The Delaware Division of Corporations offers same-day and even one-hour filing capabilities, and the Delaware Court of Chancery, with more than two centuries of business case law decided by expert judges rather than juries, gives companies and investors worldwide a level of legal predictability no other jurisdiction can match. For international companies entering the U.S. market, a Delaware entity is the recognized global standard.
Leading Global Trade
Corporate law, tax advantage, trust leadership, port logistics, and a statewide Foreign Trade Zone: no other state combines these assets in a single jurisdiction. Delaware pairs them with active global trade initiatives, from Export Delaware, the state's official export resource, to the state's international investment attraction efforts through the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, to World Trade Center Delaware's own bilateral trade programs and its network of more than 300 World Trade Centers in over 100 countries. Delaware is where the world incorporates, protects, finances, and ships. World Trade Center Delaware is the gateway that connects it all to global trade.
A Deepwater Port Serving the World
The Port of Wilmington, owned by the State of Delaware through the Diamond State Port Corporation, is a full-service deepwater port and multi-modal marine terminal on the Delaware River. It is North America's leading seaport for imports of fresh fruit, bananas, and juice concentrate, home to the largest dockside refrigerated complex in the country, and a major gateway for vehicles, machinery, and specialized cargo. With 40 percent of U.S. consumers within eight hours of Delaware, and with Foreign Trade Zone #99 covering the entire state, goods move through Delaware to global markets with speed and duty efficiency few locations can offer.
How We Work
We work collaboratively with all of Delaware's trade resources and with World Trade Center resources around the globe to ensure every company receives specialized attention. Our partners include the Office of the Governor and the Delaware Secretary of State's office; Export Delaware, the state's official export resource within the Delaware Department of State; the International Trade Administration; the U.S. Small Business Administration; the Export-Import Bank of the United States; the U.S. Trade and Development Agency; CSC; and Delaware's ports, universities, and industry organizations. No company navigates alone. Every client receives specialized, personal attention from a team that treats their growth as the measure of our success.
Agriculture holds a special place in this collaboration. Agriculture is Delaware's leading industry, and we work with the Delaware Department of Agriculture to connect the state's growers, producers, processors, and food companies to export markets worldwide. World Trade Center Delaware gives Delaware's agricultural community direct access to agricultural trade expertise across more than 300 World Trade Centers in over 100 countries, matched by the Port of Wilmington's standing as North America's leading gateway for fresh produce.