SMALL and medium-sized businesses in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are being invited to take advantage of an exciting opportunity to reach the rapidly expanding market of Romania as it prepares to join the EU in January 2007.

The international trade team at Herefordshire and Worcester-shire Chamber of Commerce - on behalf of UK Trade & Investment, -- is organising a market visit to the former Soviet Bloc country.

It will take place from Monday, November 6, to Friday, Novem-ber 10, 2006, and is being organised specifically for West Midlands companies.

The closing date for applications is Friday, September 29.

Companies from any sector are eligible to take part in the trip provided that the visit is part of an agreed export strategy and they do not have a distributor or agent in the market.

Romania is the second largest Central European state in terms of population and political power and it will rank seventh among the 27 EU member states.

The visit will include the opportunity to visit two leading international exhibitions: IndAgra for agriculture and the food industry - www.indagra.ro and All Pack for packaging and production equipment - www.all-pack.ro

Both events will be held at Romexpo in the heart of the Romanian capital of Bucharest.

For further information about the visit contact Nick Corley at the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcester-shire on 0845 641 1512 or e-mail nickc@hwchamber.co.uk