|
Who is Florida's Most Important International Economic Partner? You'd never guess, eh ...- July 2004 |
| General Interest and Trends | |
Florida, and in particular South Florida, markets itself as the “Gateway to the Americas”. For most residents of the nation’s south-eastern tip, that term implies a southerly link across the Caribbean basin and beyond to Latin America. But don’t let Miami’s salsa and samba beat fool you. Florida’s leading international partner is Canada and is likely to remain so for years to come. InfoAmericas, a leading regional market intelligence & consultancy firm, was asked to measure the economic importance of Canada as a partner to Florida, vis-à-vis its often higher-profile economic partners in Latin America, Europe and elsewhere. The results were surprising, except perhaps to those in both Florida and Canada who are quietly prospering from the booming relationship. Canada is Florida’s #1 source of in-bound tourism, the #1 source of foreign direct investment, and the #2 destination of Florida exports (after Brazil). The economic relationship with Canada sustains approximately 75,000 jobs in Florida and contributes $7.2 billion to the state’s economy each year, almost twice the value added by Florida’s citrus industry.
|