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Following four foreign missions last year, and with trips in the works for Spain and the United Kingdom, Enterprise Florida is now setting up plans for a Gov. Rick Scott-led trade mission to Colombia, one of the states largest trading partners.
And while no formal announcement for the end-of-year trip to South America has been made, word of the endeavor couldnt be timelier.
Foreign trade and the growth of Floridas ports -- something that has been one of Scotts goals -- are expected to be featured items Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the Florida Chamber of Commerces International Days.
I anticipate a lot of that, said Edie Ousley, Chamber vice president of public affairs, when asked if the growth of the states port system will be prominently discussed at the two-day conference.
Take a look at the lineup and our goal of where we're moving to, to double Floridas origin exports, Ousley said.
The Chamber event being held at Florida State Universitys Conference Center in Tallahassee will feature speeches on Wednesday by Gabriel Silva, Colombia's ambassador to the United States, and Alberto Aleman Zubieta, administrator of the Panama Canal Authority.
Scott will also make an appearance on Tuesday with Gary Doer, Canada's ambassador to the United States.
Scott headed four trade missions last year, each with Enterprise Florida, visiting Panama in March, Canada in June, Brazil in October and Israel in December.
As of now, the Colombia trip is scheduled for Dec. 2-5, with the main objective to expand trade between Florida and Colombia, according to governors office spokeswoman Jackie Schutz.
Manny Mencia, Enterprise Florida's senior vice president of international business development, called the Colombia trip a classic trade mission like the one in Brazil that drew more than 200 last October.
The U.S.Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement signed in October is hoped to attract more companies for the trip to Colombia, Mencia said.
Our hope is to take advantage of that free-trade agreement to help rather significant Florida companies to enter into the market, Mencia said. The country is in the midst of a tremendous amount of infrastructure investment which would create opportunities across the board for Florida companies.
Colombia, with $7.6 billion in merchandise trade for Florida in 2011, ranks third in terms of Florida trade.
Jennifer Krell Davis, vice president of public affairs for the Florida Ports Council, expects most of the states 15 ports to be actively engaged in the trade mission in Colombia.
Many Florida ports have Colombia as a trade partner and we are especially excited about new opportunities involving Colombia in light of the trade agreement that was recently passed by Congress, she said.
Texas and Florida are the top exporters to Colombia, with petroleum and coal products at the top of the list, followed by basic chemicals, agricultural and construction machinery, computer equipment, beverages and construction material.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush headed a contingent of 180 in an Enterprise Florida trip to Colombia in February 2005 that participants projected resulted in more than $132 million in sales.Since that trip, Colombia has jumped from the states No. 6 export partner -- ahead of China, Japan and Switzerland -- to the No. 2 spot behind Brazil.
The trade mission to Spain is planned for May and considered part of the states 500th anniversary in 2013, marking Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon y Figueroas first expedition to Florida.
The trip to the United Kingdom is being viewed as a trade exhibition in July, with displays being set up as part of the Farnborough International Air Show, an international trade show for the aerospace industry in Hampshire, England, in July.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
