Secretary Evans Continues US Grassroots Trade Tour

Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 01 Jul 2002 21:43

Secretary Donald Evans visited Tampa, Florida to promote the benefits of expanded trade for the American people. The visit was the second stop on a nationwide grassroots tour to educate businessmen and women, workers, and investors about the positive effects that international trade has on our economy.

At the Tampa Port town hall meeting last week, Evans and other senior officials encouraged local citizens to pursue international trade. “New markets open doors of opportunity for workers to prosper and businesses to grow. Trade offers a higher quality of life for Americans and people around the world who are our trading partners,” Evans said.

Export sales from the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area increased to $2.4 billion in 1999, up from $1.3 billion in 1993, according to most recent figures. The Port of Tampa generates more than 90,000 jobs alone, most of which are related to exports and has an impact of $10 billion on its local economy. Tampa exporting manuafacturers also pay an average of 10% more than the US average.

Evans also pointed out that exports accounted for more than one-fifth of the nation’s economic growth during the last decade, that trade supports 12 million US jobs, and that export-supported jobs pay nearly 18% more than the average US wage.

Evans tentatively plans to visit the following cities on the trade tour this year: Orlando, FL; Little Rock, Ark; Albuquerque, NM; Manchester, NH; Minneapolis, Minn.; Sioux Falls, SD; Milwaukee, WI; Seattle and Spokane, WA; and Des Moines, Iowa.

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