Florida Chamber to Build Trade Relations During Peru Trade Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Edie Ousley, 850-521-1231 or 850-251-6261
eousley@flchamber.com

 Peru Chamber of Commerce and
Florida Chamber to Sign MOU

TALLAHASSEE, FL. (March 20, 2015) – Building on Florida’s once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Florida’s economy into a global hub for trade, logistics and export-oriented manufacturing activities, the Florida Chamber of Commerce will join Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Enterprise Florida on a trade mission trip to Peru next week.

Alice Ancona, Director of Global Outreach for the Florida Chamber; Lee Sandler, Member, Florida Chamber Board of Directors, Chair of the Florida Chamber International Business Council, and Founding Member of Sandler, Travis, and Rosenberg, P.A.; and Bob Grammig, Member, Florida Chamber Board of Directors and Partner at Holland & Knight, will lead the Florida Chamber delegation.

“The Export Development Trade Mission to Peru will give Florida companies the opportunity to meet current and future trading partners in one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America,” said Bill Johnson, Florida Secretary of Commerce and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. “Expanding the exports of Florida products to Peru even higher than last year’s $2.8 billion will expand Florida businesses and put even more Floridians to work.”

According to research from the Florida Chamber Foundation, international business and foreign direct investment account for approximately 17 percent of Florida’s economic activity, and directly support more than 1 million Florida jobs. With more than 30 million people and one of the strongest economies in South America, there is a strong potential for Florida companies to expand their exports to Peru. Florida currently exports many different types of Florida-origin products to Peru, including industrial and electric machinery, fertilizers, vehicles, civilian aircraft, and medical instruments.

“Trade missions are effective investments in future trade and are an important way for Florida companies to develop relationships with prospective trade partners,” said Dr. Jerry Parrish, Chief Economist at the Florida Chamber Foundation. “Companies that want to expand their exports often find that investing in relationship building leads to more success in finding trading partners and markets.”

Consider These Peru and Florida Facts:

• With an estimated 229,000 Peruvian visitors to Florida in 2013, Peru is the 14th-highest nation for Florida visitors.
• According to the Florida Visitors Study 2013, Peru is also the 9th-highest country in terms of tourist spending while in Florida, with more than $364 million spent in 2013.
• Peru is Florida’s eighth largest trading partner with more than $2.8 billion in Florida products exported to Peru last year,
  Peruvian imports totaled $2.6 billion in 2013,
• In 2013, Peru achieved its 15th consecutive year of economic growth at 5 percent and Peru continues to be one of the best performing economies in Latin America.

Building a global economy means opportunities for Florida’s small businesses as well. In fact, 95 percent of our state’s 60,000 exporters are small-to-medium-sized businesses that produce two-thirds of Florida’s total export value, according to the Chamber Foundation’s recent Peru Mission Equal Jobs and Economic Opportunity report.

“Big businesses can, in many cases, take care of themselves on this,” said Bob Grammig, Partner at Holland & Knight in a recent Florida Chamber Series on Free Enterprise interview. “But for smaller businesses, it’s very helpful to have an organization like the Florida Chamber to help drive necessary changes.”

The impact international relationships have on Florida’s businesses can be particularly helpful for small businesses trying to break into international trade like Florida Chamber Foundation trustee Endoscopy Replacement Parts.

“Global trade is an important part of not only our business, but also Florida’s future,” said John Hartnett, Vice President of Global Business Development at Endoscopy Replacement Parts. “The boost Florida companies receive to compete worldwide positions them in helping Florida further develop international business, help our diversification, and help create more jobs in our state.”

While on the Peru Mission, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Lima Chamber of Commerce will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help promote trade and investment opportunities between Peru and the United States. The Wednesday, March 25 signing will include representatives from the Lima Chamber as well as Alice Ancona, Director of Global Outreach for the Florida Chamber, Lieutenant-Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Lee Sandler of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., and Bob Grammig, Partner at Holland & Knight.

Others participating in the Peru trip include: CAMACOL, AMCHAM, Port Miami, Florida Department of Transportation, Port Everglades and more.

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The Florida Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business and the state’s largest federation of employers, chambers of commerce and associations, aggressively representing small and large businesses from every industry and every region. The Florida Chamber works within all branches of government to affect those changes set forth in the annual Florida Business Agenda, and which are seen as critical to secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber works closely with its Political Operations and the Florida Chamber Foundation. Visit www.FloridaChamber.com for more information.