JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced a new trade agreement between Florida and the United Kingdom to strengthen and expand business ties in several industries.
DeSantis and UK Secretary for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch signed a memorandum of understanding in Jacksonville. DeSantis said the MOU would encourage UK-based companies to expand their presence in Florida’s markets.
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“The United Kingdom just happens to be Florida’s top and foreign investor,” DeSantis said. “British companies account for more than 70,000 jobs in Florida, making the United Kingdom the number one source for international investment in Florida’s entire economy, with British affiliates estimated to have $80 billion in total holdings in Florida and more than 350 companies.”
The MOU will prioritize industries like space research, aerospace manufacturing, medical technology, financial technology, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. It will also support research sharing between Florida’s universities and the UK’s schools.
DeSantis said he met with Badenoch during a trade mission he undertook to several countries earlier this year.
“It’ll deepen economic cooperation and trade relations. It’ll help us identify barriers to trade and overcome them together,” Badenoch said. “But it will also foster business links and help unlock new investment opportunities for companies on both sides of the Atlantic. Because at the end of the day, it’s not government that creates economic growth businesses, so we want to help support them to do that.”
The secretary and Tory member of the British parliament is a popular figure in the majority government, and is also considered a favorite to replace Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should he leave the post next year.
It’s DeSantis’ first major government appearance in some time. He has been campaigning for the Republican nomination for president.
On Monday, he also signed four bills into law, all passed by the Florida Legislature during the special session last week.
News 6 will stream the news conference when it happens in the video player above.
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