The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce (USRCC), a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization based in Houston, Texas, was established in 2009 to promote business between Russia and the U.S., with a focus on the State of Texas. The Chamber was created with the support of the Greater Houston Partnership, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the City of Houston, and the Texas business community. The USRCC has now expanded to the Midwest, and opened a Chicago and Midwestern USA branch. This branch cooperates with the City of Chicago, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and other civic and business groups. The USRCC assists U.S. companies intending to enter the Russian market or expand in Russia by providing access to specialized market research focused on delivering attractive new business growth opportunities, and assistance in identifying and selecting of reliable business partners. Russian companies benefit from USRCC’s in-depth knowledge of the business community in the U.S., and the USRCC provides access to high-level business and government decision-makers. Some of the USRCC’s key initiatives include: • Seminars for U.S. and Russian companies; • Trade missions for U.S.- based companies to Russia and Russian companies to the U.S.; • Participation in key international and regional exhibitions; • Outreach to a number of Russian regions, including Tyumen, Sakhalin, Tomsk, Tula, and others.