Mobile Area Chamber Receives Award from US Department of Commerce for Trade Program

Nov 18th, 2003

MOBILE - On Monday, the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce was presented an award of achievement from Donald Evans, Secretary of Commerce of the U.S. Department of Commerce, for creating international trade opportunities for companies across the state and region.

Chamber President Win Hallett received the award on behalf of the Mobile Area Chamber during a Southwest Alabama economic development summit held in Mobile. The Mobile Chamber, through its economic development department, has an international trade division. Tony vanAken is director of that division, which is responsible for trade missions, international trade shows and promoting regional companies to global markets. The division has been in existence since 1997, and is well-known and respected across the country for its progressive programs of work.

To learn more about the Chamber's international trade program, contact vanAken at 431-8651 or Bridgette Clark at 694-0702. Attached is a brief summary of the Mobile Area Chamber's trade program

Mobile, Alabama

In only six years, Mobile, Alabama, is accomplishing what many cities - and states - across the country dream of... building an excellent international trade program that crosses county and state barriers. This trade program, through its many partners, is a beacon in the southeastern United States.

As a Port City, Mobile area business and community leaders understand the importance of globalization, and for more than 300 years, have used the Gulf of Mexico to their advantage. After many years of focusing business growth efforts elsewhere, a group of business owners, the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and city government worked to create the Chamber's Trade division in 1997, which directs the area's trade program.

Since its inception in 1997, some of the globalization program's successes have been:

• Partnering with groups such as the Alabama Development Office, the Northwest Florida Trade Council, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Birmingham Export Assistance Center, and the Alabama International Trade Center on grassroots legislative efforts, special events and educational programs.
  
• Coordinating and hosting 12 trade missions and shows in Hong Kong and China, Costa Rica and Chile, Brazil and Argentina, Venezuela and Honduras, Thailand and Vietnam, Mexico - Mexico City, Veracruz and Monterey, Spain, Australia, the United Kingdom and Netherlands, Guatemala and El Salvador, CeBit Hanover, CeBit Asia, SITEF Toulouse and EXPO Veracruz.
  
• Creating the Gulf Coast Regional Chamber Coalition. Members of the GCRCC are from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. International trade is one of the focus areas of the CGRCC and together the region is analyzing, discussing and developing solutions to challenges they share. In addition to trade, the group's efforts are focused on jobs, education, transportation and infrastructure.
  
• Collaborating in programs such as TradeRoots, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce grassroots initiative to organize key community and business leaders to visit with exporters and their employees to discuss the importance of their role in international trade efforts. Both Mobile and Huntsville have hosted TradeRoots tours.
  
• Developed a quarterly newsletter - The Globe - with a circulation of more than 3,500 to businesses in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The newsletter's purpose is to provide updated information on news and events that impact international trade efforts.
  
• Working in tandem with the Alabama State Port Authority and the Mobile Airport Authority to develop an international trade program strategic plan that will enhance products and services already in place and complement current programs, as well as recruit new products and services to these facilities. Assisting the Alabama State Port Authority in attracting new shippers and carriers by providing statistical data and analyses.
  
• Hosting dozens of international contingencies in Mobile. Some of the dignitaries meeting with area business and community leaders included Ambassador Jim Rosapepe, U.S. Ambassador for Romania; Consul General Wu of China; Ambassador Donna J. Hrinak, U.S. Ambassador to Brazil; George Munoz, President of Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and eight African Oil Ministers.
  
• Expanding Mobile's single site general purpose Foreign Trade Zone to 13 sites in a two-county region, further enhancing the opportunity for growth in southwest Alabama.
  
• Coordinating and sponsoring an annual regional World Trade Conference. The conference is rotated among Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Northwest Florida each year and attended by participants from throughout the region. The goal of the conference is to provide insights to exporters on the opportunities of international trade. Past conferences have covered topics including the European Union, NAFTA and the Free Trade Area of the Americas, the Resources, Research, and Reality of International Trade, and China.
  
• Hosting 60 business leaders from Alabama to discuss the Impact of China's Accession to the WTO on Alabama. In partnership with the Alabama World Trade Association, then-Congressman Sonny Callahan presented a study, which demonstrates the multiple ways that Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China are beneficial to the entire state of Alabama.
  
• Lobbying Congress on the issue of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). As the Mobile area economy is impacted by the success of the Alabama State Docks and regional exports, it was important that Senate and House Representatives understand that granting President Bush Trade Promotion Authority can only benefit our city and region. The Alabama delegation met with Senator Jeff Sessions and an associate from Senator Richard Shelby's office. A meeting was also held with Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who at the time was a Congressman in D.C.
  
• Participating actively and holding board positions on several international trade organizations including the Alabama World Trade Association, Alabama District Exports Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce International Advisory Board, Southern Global Strategies Council, a subsidiary of the Southern Growth Policies Board; and the Alabama Alliance for U.S.-China Trade.
  
• Developing and maintaining sister-city relationships with Katowice, Poland; Kosice, Slovakia; Worms, Germany; Constanta, Romania; King Shaka Municipality, South Africa; Havana, Cuba; Veracruz City, Veracruz, Mexico; Ichihara City, Japan; Heping District, Tianjin, China; and Pyongtaek City, Korea.