DR1 - http://dr1.com/trade
Florida Trade
http://dr1.com/trade/articles/105/1/Florida-Trade/Page1.html
By Lu Olivero
Published on 08/29/2007
 

Florida already has extensive commercial, transportation, cultural and linguistic as well as family, and other ties with the DR-CAFTA countries. Florida's airports offer more direct flights to Dominican Republic and Central American destinations than all other airports in the United States combined. Florida accounts for about a third of the DR-CAFTA countries’ total merchandise trade with the rest of the world, and half of their trade with the United States – more than $16 billion a year – Florida’s role as the commercial gateway of the Americas is becoming even more prominent.

With the implementation of DR-CAFTA, Florida is likely to become a focal point for trade communications with the DR-CAFTA countries. According to the Florida-based CAFTA Intelligence Center, companies from all over the world are choosing to establish operations in Florida in order to access these rapidly-growing markets.

Florida Trade
Florida already has extensive commercial, transportation, cultural and linguistic as well as family, and other ties with the DR-CAFTA countries. Florida's airports offer more direct flights to Dominican Republic and Central American destinations than all other airports in the United States combined. Florida accounts for about a third of the DR-CAFTA countries’ total merchandise trade with the rest of the world, and half of their trade with the United States – more than $16 billion a year – Florida’s role as the commercial gateway of the Americas is becoming even more prominent.

With the implementation of DR-CAFTA, Florida is likely to become a focal point for trade communications with the DR-CAFTA countries. According to the Florida-based CAFTA Intelligence Center, companies from all over the world are choosing to establish operations in Florida in order to access these rapidly-growing markets.

Bilateral merchandise trade between the United States and the Dominican Republic amounts to nearly $9 billion in 2006. Of this, about half - US$4.5 billion - passes through Florida.

The Dominican Republic in particular is the only DR-CAFTA nation that is one of Florida’s top ten destinations for exports, the others being Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom and Venezuela. For this reason, the DR is ideally placed to maximize the advantages that come with the DR-CAFTA agreement. In addition, over 71,000 Dominicans live in Florida, which has a large Hispanic population.

The DR imports cars, clothes, electronics, jewelry, packaging and medical equipment, as well as raw materials and components for industry from Florida, with an estimated value of over US$1 billion annually. The main exports to Florida include clothes, jewelry, electrical equipment, leather, plastics, cigarettes and cigars.

The CAFTA Intelligence Center identifies new opportunities including expanded markets for US exports of information technology products, paper products, agricultural and construction equipment, wood, medical and scientific equipment, and pharmaceuticals. It notes that US investment in the DR has increased as US apparel firms and designers turn to the Dominican Republic to produce their creations.
 
See http://www.caftaintelligencecenter.com/