The Consular Corps Association of Philadelphia (CCAP) is the oldest and arguably the most dynamic consular organization in the United States.
Consuls and Honorary Consuls are appointed by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of sovereign nations, and, as such, are the highest ranking foreign officials in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Consuls and Honorary Consuls perform duties that fall into three categories:
1. Consuls assist visiting foreign nationals with their consular needs, and coordinate with US agencies:
- In 2024, an estimated 4 million foreign visitors came to Philadelphia
- Per Campus Philly, over 20,000 international students are enrolled in colleges and universities in the Greater PHL region
2. Consuls serve as liaison for the foreign governments to the local immigrant diaspora community:
- According to the Statistical Atlas, 80% of Philadelphians self-report foreign
- In 2024, 15.7% of Philadelphia’s population was born outside the U.S., which is higher than the national average of 9%, with foreign-born residents opening businesses at twice the rate of native-born, making the diaspora a significant economic drive.
3. Consuls pro-actively promote and develop economic, scientific, cultural and educational relationships between Philadelphia and the countries they represent.
CCAP Members represent over eighty countries from around the world, including, for example:
- Pennsylvania’s largest trading partners – Canada, Mexico, China, Netherlands and Japan
- The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority largest sources of cargo – South Korea and Germany
- PhilaPort’s origins for 2 billion pounds of annual fresh fruit shipments – Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and Uruguay
Because of CCAP Members, the City has MOUs with foreign Economic Ministries, Ports, Hospitals, Universities, Clubs and Professional Associations all around the world, and PHL industry leaders are connected to global partners.
CCAP attracts world leaders and international businesses and entrepreneurs to Pennsylvania, hosting delegations led by Presidents, Ministers, Ambassadors, and global innovators in a wide range of diverse industry sectors. For example, when international groups participate in trade shows in NYC, CCAP members bring these international participants to PHL; similarly, when foreign dignitaries and delegations come to DC, CCAP members bring them to PHL.
According to Dun & Bradstreet (July 2018), there are 6,549 foreign-owned companies in Pennsylvania, employing over 335,530 people. According to PA DCED, there are 641 international companies based in Philadelphia County alone, employing 37,878 people.
Examples of international companies with U.S. headquarters in the greater Philadelphia area: Swedish furniture company IKEA and hygiene product manufacturer Essity; Chinese medical device company WuXi AppTech; UK pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca and clinical stage biopharma Achilles Therapeutics; French homeopathic brand leader Boiron, building materials Saint-Gobain, and industrial chemical giant Arkema; Mexican Bimbo Bakeries; Japanese Ricoh imaging and electronics and Subaru automobile; German software company SAP and medical technology Siemens Healthcare; Canadian TD Bank; Irish Endo Pharmaceuticals; Israeli GNS Aviation and GB WAWA green building consultancies; Swiss ACE Insurance; Italian Leonardo helicopters.