The past week provided companies with an updated view of the U.S. market

The United States continues to attract, but the rules are changing. The Amcham Finland event held in Tampere, together with its situational overview and the Finnish Government’s recent policy update, sharpen the picture of a market that remains appealing but requires companies to maintain an increasingly precise situational awareness.

Text and photos: Petri Kangas / Business Tampere

“Although the operating environment is not optimal at the moment, there are still strong opportunities for cooperation with the United States,” said Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson at the transatlantic trade event held on Wednesday (15 April 2026).

Pasternak-Jackson is the CEO of the U.S. trade-promoting network Amcham Finland, which brought its annual flagship event outside Helsinki for the first time. Transatlantic Opportunity was held at Tampere Hall.

Her remarks were grounded in Amcham’s latest overview, Finland-U.S. Economic Deep Dive 2026. The key message from both her and the report was that the United States was Finland’s largest export market in 2025.

In addition to business leaders, the speaker lineup included senior government representatives.

Among them were U.S. Ambassador to Finland Howard Brodie and Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.

Both speakers emphasized the same message: transatlantic cooperation is increasingly built on security, technology and industrial collaboration. Defence, energy, digital infrastructure and the maritime industry are at the core of export-driven sectors.

The event also brought together representatives from international technology companies and export industries, including Coherent, Fastems, Microsoft and sports equipment company Nalamoves, all of which have a strong presence in Tampere.

Another timely tool

For companies already engaged in U.S. trade or considering it, the day following the event offered additional tools.

On Thursday (16 April 2026), the Finnish Government published its policy update on changes in the foreign and security policy environment.

Finland’s foreign and security policy report is typically prepared once per government term, but is supplemented with updates when the operating environment changes. The latest full report dates from 2024.

In its section on transatlantic cooperation, the update describes the situation as a shift in the operating environment.

“The United States is a key ally for European security, and the alliance is built on a long-standing and multifaceted partnership. In many areas, Finland’s cooperation with the United States is closer than ever. Finland’s objective remains to continue strengthening cooperation that advances Finland’s and Europe’s foreign, security and economic interests,” the update states.

The policy update introduces a more cautious tone. In public discussion, it has been described as at times vague, and greater uncertainty is now associated with the transatlantic relationship.