BritishAmerican Business has released its updated Trade and Investment 2026/27 Guide to the US, and for UK companies considering expansion across the Atlantic, it is one of the most useful starting points available.
The guide is practical, timely and realistic. It does not simply celebrate the size of the U.S. market. It walks companies through the decisions they actually need to make: where to locate, how to assess demand, how to navigate legal and tax issues, how to build a workforce, how to use state and local economic development partners, and how to turn transatlantic ambition into a real U.S. presence.
For Missouri, the guide also highlights a significant opportunity.
The United States remains the UK’s most important trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching £331.5 billion in the four quarters to Q4 2025. UK outward foreign direct investment into the U.S. stood at £529.9 billion at the end of 2024, a clear sign of the depth and resilience of the UK-U.S. commercial relationship. The guide also notes that the U.S. is the world’s largest consumer market, accounting for approximately 30 percent of global household consumption.
That matters because UK companies are not simply looking for a market. They are looking for the right market entry point.
The guide makes clear that the U.S. should not be treated as one single market. It is a country of regions, states, sectors, cost structures, workforce pipelines and business ecosystems. It is 50 different economies. Companies are encouraged to define their expansion parameters early and to select locations that match their sector, customers, cost base, logistics needs and talent requirements.
That is exactly where Missouri has a compelling story to tell.
Missouri as a practical U.S. landing point
Missouri offers UK companies a combination that is often difficult to find in larger coastal markets: central location, competitive costs, strong logistics, world-class sector strengths and direct access to both customers and talent.
For companies that are ready to enter the U.S., Missouri is not an alternative to the obvious markets, but as a smarter first move for the right company.
The BAB guide highlights several priority sectors for U.S. expansion that align directly with Missouri’s strengths, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, electronics, space, software, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, agribusiness, food, ag-tech, professional services, financial services and fintech.
These are not abstract categories for Missouri. They are real areas of existing strength.
In aerospace and defense, Missouri has one of the most significant clusters in the country, anchored by Boeing Defense, Space & Security in St. Louis and supported by a deep network of suppliers, engineers and advanced manufacturing capabilities. For UK companies in aerospace, defense technology, autonomy, drones, advanced materials or electronic systems, Missouri offers proximity to major defense activity without the cost and congestion of more traditional coastal defense markets.
In geospatial technology, St. Louis has become one of the most important emerging ecosystems in the United States. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s western headquarters, combined with university, startup and defense-adjacent activity, creates a serious opportunity for UK firms working in geospatial intelligence, AI, mapping, cybersecurity, data analytics and dual-use technologies.
In agribusiness, food and agritech, Missouri is especially well positioned. The BAB guide notes that the U.S. is a global leader in agritech innovation, including precision agriculture, biotechnology, robotics and sustainable food systems. Missouri can connect that national opportunity to real local assets: the St. Louis agtech corridor, the Danforth Plant Science Center, major global agribusiness companies, Missouri’s agricultural base and the broader animal health and food production ecosystem across the state and region. The St. Louis region is not the largest concentration of PhD plant scientists in the world for nothing.
In logistics and distribution, Missouri’s central location and competitive costs gives UK companies a practical platform to reach the wider U.S. market. For manufacturers, consumer goods companies, food and beverage brands, industrial suppliers and e-commerce businesses, Missouri offers the ability to serve customers across the country from the middle of the map.
And in financial and professional services, Missouri offers strong urban business centers, competitive operating costs and a skilled workforce. The guide identifies professional services, financial services and fintech as major U.S. opportunities, including consulting, legal, accounting, scientific, technical services, digital payments and AI-enabled financial tools. Those sectors are strong in Missouri, and UK companies should take note.
A natural home for UK companies
Missouri’s opportunity with the UK is not only economic. It is also historic, diplomatic and deeply rooted.
The relationship between Missouri and the United Kingdom has been built over generations. Missouri was the birthplace of the phrase “special relationship,” delivered by Winston Churchill in his historic 1946 speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. That speech did more than define a moment in history. It helped give language to the enduring partnership between Britain and America.
Missouri is also home to the first state-level Friends of the United Kingdom Caucus in the United States, a clear recognition that relationships between nations are strengthened not only in capitals, but also in states, communities, universities, businesses and civic institutions.
That connection continues today.
Missouri is home to the England team during the World Cup, providing another global moment to showcase the state’s hospitality, infrastructure and international relevance. And with the newest direct air route into the United States from London Heathrow serving St. Louis, the practical connection between Missouri and the UK has never been stronger.
For a UK company considering the U.S., that matters.
Direct air access reduces friction. Established relationships build confidence. Shared history creates familiarity. A welcoming business environment turns interest into investment.
Missouri offers UK companies more than a location. It offers a relationship.
Where UK companies can find opportunity
For UK companies, Missouri’s value proposition is straightforward: this is a state where companies can build, hire, manufacture, distribute, research, test, partner and grow.
A UK advanced manufacturing company can find industrial sites, engineering talent and access to North American customers.
A UK aerospace or defense company can find a serious ecosystem of prime contractors, suppliers, military connections and technical expertise.
A UK agritech or food innovation company can find proximity to farms, research institutions, global agribusiness leaders and real-world testing environments.
A UK geospatial, AI or cybersecurity company can find a fast-growing cluster with national security relevance and strong institutional support.
A UK logistics, distribution or consumer products company can use Missouri’s central location to serve the U.S. market more efficiently.
A UK financial services, fintech or professional services company can find a cost-effective operating base with access to skilled talent and major business markets.
These are the kinds of practical advantages that matter when a company moves from interest to execution.
The BAB guide makes clear that successful U.S. expansion requires companies to choose carefully. The right state can shape cost, talent, customers, logistics, incentives and long-term success. The wrong state can guarantee failure.
Missouri should be considered in that decision as one of the best choices to make.
A moment of opportunity
The UK-U.S. economic relationship remains one of the most important commercial relationships in the world. The BAB guide confirms that UK companies continue to see the United States as a market for growth, investment and long-term opportunity.
Missouri is at the center of that conversation.
For the right UK company, Missouri offers a practical, connected and cost-effective way to enter the U.S. market. It offers sector depth without unnecessary complexity. It offers central access without coastal costs. It offers world-class strengths in industries where UK companies are already looking for growth.
And perhaps most importantly, it offers a genuine connection to the United Kingdom — one built on history, diplomacy, business, aviation, sport and shared ambition.
The BAB guide is a valuable resource for UK businesses exploring the United States.
It is also a reminder that Missouri has exactly the kind of story UK companies should hear.