DOVER, Del. — Today’s announcement that China has made the decision to lift its ban on poultry imports is welcomed news for Delmarva poultry producers.

“The opening of Chinese markets has been something that we have been looking forward to for a number of years,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The ability to export poultry to China will help our producers here on Delmarva and across the United States.”

According to the 2017 USDA Agriculture Census, 734 family farms in Delaware produced more than 52 million chickens and other poultry for meat production. Poultry production generates nearly $3.4 billion dollars of economic impact on Delmarva.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

Governor will meet with business and government leaders in Munich and Berlin to strengthen economic ties

Wilmington, DE – Having made it a top priority to ensure Delaware fully benefits from the global economy, Governor Markell will be in Germany beginning next Tuesday to strengthen relationships with German companies and business organizations.

The visit follows this year’s launch of the Department of State’s ‘Global Delaware’ initiative  (global.delaware.gov) and focuses on the three goals of the program: paving the way for Delaware companies to increase exports, building on Delaware’s global leadership in corporate governance and as a preferred site of incorporation, and promoting the state as a place for foreign companies to expand.

“Success for our state in the 21^st century means looking beyond our borders for ways to create jobs and economic opportunity for Delawareans,” said Markell. “In a world where businesses have more choices than ever about where to invest and where Delaware companies have more opportunities than ever to sell their products around the globe, we must ensure that leading international business communities appreciate all that Delaware has to offer.”

The primary goal of the mission is to strengthen ties with the prospering small- and medium-sized companies (known as “Mittelstand”) of Bavaria, and its capital city of Munich, by meeting with individual businesses as well as organizations that represent and support them. The State aims to leverage its recently strengthened relationship with German companies, including the research company Fraunhofer and the manufacturer Uzin Utz, which will soon open its first U.S. plant in Dover.

“As a German company that has found Delaware to be a great place to do business, we are excited that the Governor is making this trip not only to our home country, but specifically to build relationships in the South of Germany,” said Philipp Utz, President of Uzin Utz Manufacturing North America Inc., a manufacturer of specialty flooring installation products. “Delaware has a lot to be proud of, with a growing business community, a state-of-the-art infrastructure and the ability to offer a skilled workforce. It will be of great benefit to many other German entrepreneurs to learn about the state and Delaware companies will also have a lot to gain from better ties with Germany’s economy.”

As part of Governor Markell’s new export initiative, he will work to develop a network of trade partners for Delaware companies to build on recent success. Germany was one of four key international markets identified as part of the initiative, which focuses on countries with the most buying potential for the products and services that Delaware has to offer.

Delaware exports to Germany have grown by 28.8 percent in the last 2 years. In 2014, Delaware exported $390.4 million in goods and services to Germany. The German economy represents the world’s fourth largest, accounting for more than one-fifth of the European Union’s GDP, and Germany is the United States’ largest European trading partner, as well as the sixth-largest market for U.S. exports.

The Governor will also take advantage of the opportunity to meet with prominent leaders of Germany’s legal community to promote the advantages of forming Delaware business entities and using Delaware’s courts for dispute resolution. Significant international growth has been a chief reason that Delaware set historic highs in the number of new companies formed last year.

Finally, the Governor will discuss opportunities to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) by Germany in Delaware. Germany invests more than $270 billion per year in the U.S., making it one of the leading sources for FDI. Germany invests the fourth-most of any country in Delaware, investing more than $270 million per year as of 2013.

In addition to connecting with individual companies and entrepreneurs across a variety of industries, Markell will meet with leaders from:

• IHK’s Munich and Upper Bavaria chapter, with about 400,000 member companies;
• The Bavarian Industry Association, which represents more than 100 Bavarian economic and employers’ associations, as well as 30 individual companies from diverse industries;
• BioM, the networking agency for the biotechnology sector in Munich and Bavaria; and
• Factory Berlin, Germany’s largest start-up campus, which supports many thriving new companies, particularly in technology fields.

The State delegation, which arrives in Munich on Tuesday and returns the following Monday, will also include:

• Ian Wright, Board Member of the Delaware Bioscience Association who is a German-speaking former employee of Siemens (headquartered in Munich) and an active member of the Delaware business community;
• Lydia Sarson, Director of the German American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia;
• Andrea Tinianow, Director of Global Delaware; and
• Michael Marquardt, global advisor to the Department of State

The trip is estimated to cost less than $50,000 and will be the first foreign trade mission in which the Governor is participating since he visited Israel two years ago.

The launch of Global Delaware provides an opportunity to expand on progress from the Governor’s earlier international efforts and has already produced results. The program helped recruit AB Group Packaging Inc., a 30-year-old paper bag and flexible packaging producer with plants in Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom, which is slated to open its first U.S. plant in Delaware this summer, creating 87 new full-time jobs.

In addition, Global Delaware sponsored a mission to Canada so that Delaware farmers could meet with senior purchasing executives of Canada’s four largest retail chains, giving them unprecedented access to key buyers. The Canadian retailers – none of which had bought from Delaware before – all made commitments to purchase produce from Delaware growers.

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Photos from today’s event

Delegation visits Port of Wilmington to discuss business relations with Delaware leaders

Wilmington, DE – Joined by U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Congressman John Carney, dozens of local business leaders, as well as state and local officials, Governor Markell welcomed Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to the Port of Wilmington to discuss ways the two countries can increase trade opportunities and strengthen business relationships. Joining President Bachelet was a delegation that included Chilean authorities and business leaders.

“We were honored to welcome President Bachelet to Delaware today,” said Governor Markell. “We are fortunate to have strong commercial relationships with Chilean growers and businesses through the Port of Wilmington, and visits like this aim to enhance those relationships and determine new ways in which we can work together to grow our economies.”

Bachelet, serving the second of two non-consecutive terms as president of Chile, became the first woman elected to that office in 2006. In 2002, she became the first woman to lead the Chile’s Defense Ministry and has also served as the country’s health minister. She was elected as president of Chile for the second time in 2014.

To commemorate the first visit by a President of the Republic of Chile to the Port of Wilmington, President Bachelet unveiled a plaque as part of today’s event. Sponsored by the Chilean Exporters Association (Asoex), the plaque will be permanently displayed at the Robert F. Senseny Administration Building.

“This visit aims to enhance and extend links between Chile and this region, so we can do more and better business, and generate more jobs and prosperity for our people,” said President Bachelet. “This is a great opportunity to learn about the operations of one of the most modern and relevant U.S. ports. And, of course, I am especially honored the plate was unveiled in commemoration of this visit as a symbol of brotherhood between Chile and the United States.”

The Port of Wilmington, the nation’s leading hub for imported perishable cargo and fruit concentrates, serves as a major East Coast gateway for Chilean fruit and has been handling shipments from the country since 1988.

“The Port’s relationship with Chile is a strong one built on years of cooperation and synergy. With a global economy facing times of uncertainty, partnerships like this are crucial,” said Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office and Chairman of the Diamond State Port Corporation. “We applaud Chilean business and government officials, especially President Bachelet, for their role in this partnership, which has brought significant jobs and revenue to the State of Delaware.”

In 2014, Chilean fruit business accounted for more than 167,000 pallets and was responsible for 835 jobs; $48 million in related business revenue; $45 million in personal income for all those involved with this cargo; and about $4.4 million in tax revenue for Delaware and the region.

“We are extremely honored to welcome President Michelle Bachelet, the first Chilean head of state to visit the Port of Wilmington,” said Gene Bailey, the Port’s Executive Director. “Her visit is the highest compliment to our Port and to the efforts of men and women working here. Their hard work and dedication have been key to the commercial success of Chilean fruit with the North American consumer, and Chile’s commitment to our port for more than twenty-five years has been so important to the economic vitality of the Port of Wilmington and the surrounding region.”

Global Reefers NV, the successor company to Pacific Seaways, operates the only direct Chilean fruit express service between Chilean ports and the Port of Wilmington. The current shipment to the Port includes Chilean table grapes, blueberries, plums, peaches and other deciduous fruit. Those crops will be discharged from specialized reefer ships overseen by Global Reefers NV to the Port of Wilmington through April.

“Since 1988, the relationship between Chile and the Port of Wilmington has been vital to the economy of Delaware and the region,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. “I look forward to strengthening that relationship – one that provides over 800 jobs and millions of dollars in revenue – for many years to come.”

In addition to fruit from Chile and other countries, the Port handles between 30,000-40,000 tons of sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, lithium carbonate, potassium sulfate and related chemicals shipped from Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) to Wilmington, where it is stored and distributed by Intercontinental Services of Delaware LLC. These chemicals are used for industrial, agricultural and solar energy applications. The Port also handles large amounts of Chilean salt for various chemical processes used by DelDOT and others to battle snow and ice.

The Port offers the largest on-dock cold storage complex in North America. It is operated by Diamond State Port Corp., and is responsible for 5,200 family sustaining jobs annually, generating $384 million in business revenue, $360 million in personal income and $35 million in state and regional taxes.

“I was very pleased to join Governor Markell and Senator Carper in welcoming President Bachelet to Delaware,” Congressman John Carney said. “Millions of Americans enjoy fruit every day and probably don’t think very much about where it came from.  But, here in Delaware, we think about it a lot because the Port of Wilmington is the entry point for Chilean fruit that feeds families all across North America. The strong relationship that Delaware and our port workers have with Chile creates jobs and supports the economy of both countries. I’m proud that the Port of Wilmington plays such an important role in this exchange, and I look forward to building on this relationship in the future.”

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Tel Aviv, Israel – In his weekly message, filmed while leading a business development trip in Israel, Governor Markell underscores the importance of strengthening global relationships to create more jobs for Delawareans.

“We live in a different world these days, a world where our future prosperity is largely dependent upon how effectively we connect with businesses and with people around the world,” said Governor Markell. “And so we come to Israel to learn, to make connections. It’s this kind of effort that will ensure we keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every Friday, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: http://youtu.be/sysKlkOfAGM
Delaware.Gov:  http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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Facebook:  www.facebook.com/governormarkell
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Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message:  Creating Jobs Through Global Partnerships

MILFORD – On December 7, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) visited The Soap Fairy, a manufacturer of handcrafted soaps that takes part in the Small Business Administration’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Program. Nationally and in Delaware, exports are a growing part of the small business economy. The U.S. Small Business Administration supports this initiative through its Export Loan program and grants authorized by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, under the State Trade and Export Promotion Program (STEP).

The Delaware STEP grant was nearly $250 thousand last year and another $187 thousand has been authorized for 2013 to be used to help Delaware small businesses start or increase exports. The participants from 2012 have already identified opportunities for more than $3 million in additional sales.

“Exports create jobs in Delaware–that’s what this program is about,” said Governor Markell. “The STEP initiative provides efficient tools to help hardworking small business owners find new opportunities for growth. We’re excited to continue our partnership with the SBA and many local organizations.”

“Programs like this one that make it easier for small businesses to take advantage of global customers are important to our recovering economy,” said Sen. Carper. “The role of government is to create a nurturing environment for business growth, and this is a great example of the government providing small business with the tools to grow.”

“Small businesses like The Soap Fairy have access to growing international markets will help create good jobs and drive our economic recovery,” Senator Coons said. “Small Business Administration programs like the Delaware STEP grant are imperative to give the boost our small businesses need to expand into overseas markets.”

The STEP program aligns with President Obama’s National Export Initiative to double U.S. exports in five years – and in so doing, create two million jobs. The program provides federal government funding for 65 to75 percent of program costs, with states supplying the remainder.

The funding will support participation in foreign trade missions, sales trips, services provided by the Department of Commerce, website translations fees, design of international marketing media, trade show exhibitions, training workshops, and other critical export initiatives.

The SBA Export Loan program assists small businesses by providing a number of loan programs specifically designed to help them develop or expand their export activities.

Small businesses seeking assistance under the STEP program will find more information at http://itc.sos.delaware.gov/services/step.shtml and more information on the SBA Export loan program can be found at http://www.sba.gov/content/export-loan-programs.

Hear directly from more of the 2012 STEP participants in this video, produced by Mobius New Media: http://youtu.be/aYFrENBhS68.