Seen on TV: Discussing the Global Economy on In Focus with Allison Walker Torres

January 4, 2019

Tampa Hillsborough EDC President and CEO Craig Richard recently appeared on Bay News 9’s In Focus with Allison Walker Torres to discuss the global economy and how international trade positively impacts our region. Richard was joined by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Manny Mencia with Enterprise Florida.

The top takeaways: Florida is a leader when it comes to exporting, and international trade creates local jobs. Therefore, it’s important that our government supports trade and that local businesses tap into available resources that can help them navigate the exporting process.

International trade supports 2.5 million jobs in Florida, and 70,000 of those are in Tampa alone, and it’s growing three times faster than total employment. Florida trade is valued at $147.7 billion, according to Enterprise Florida, which means that increasing international trade and foreign direct investment is vital to the growth of our region’s economy. This is why local economic development partners in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties have teamed up on a regional collaboration to help grow our local economy on a global level.

That regional collaboration, Global Tampa Bay, helps to increase international business opportunities for companies within the region and to market the region globally as a top business destination. Recent export trade missions to Mexico and Chile resulted in nearly $40 million in projected economic activity for dozens of local companies that attended. For example, Big Storm Brewing is venturing into exporting overseas for the first time thanks to Global Tampa Bay’s export sales mission to Chile last fall.

Global Tampa Bay’s next export sales mission is to Panama in March. For more information, visit the website and download a questionnaire.