Senior Commerce Official to Lead Trade Mission to Dominican Republic, Jamaica

Rick Wade, senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, will lead a delegation of 10 small- and medium-sized U.S. businesses on a trade mission to Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Kingston, Jamaica, June 13-19 to promote U.S. exports in the Caribbean.

The trade mission will give participating U.S. companies the opportunity to meet with potential business partners and network with key Dominican and Jamaican government and industry officials. The business delegation will promote U.S. products and services in a range of consumer goods, construction and automotive sectors with foreign buyers and governments.

Trade missions are an important component to achieving the goals of President Obama’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports within five years to support the creation of two million jobs. This mission will help open doors for U.S. firms interested in entering or expanding their presence in the Caribbean region.

The United States is the primary trading partner for both the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. In 2009, U.S. exports to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica totaled $5.27 billion and $1.45 billion, respectively. The Caribbean region is the third-largest export market for U.S. manufactured goods in Latin America, behind Mexico and Brazil.

The trade mission is sponsored by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. For more information, please visit www.trade.gov.

The following companies were selected for participation in the trade mission:

Atlanta Global Resources, Inc. – Tucker, Ga.
Atrium Shutters (Global Protection Products) – Davie, Fla.
Bon Trade International Corporation – Miami, Fla. (Dominican Republic only)
CMD Trailer Sales & Leasing Inc. – Jacksonville, Fla.
Fast Enterprises, LLC – Boise, Idaho (Jamaica only)
Freeman Schwabe Machinery – Cincinnati, Ohio (Dominican Republic only)
Magna-Bon II, LLC – Okeechobee, Fla.
Morton Supplies, Inc. – Morton, Ill.
Palladio Beauty Group – Hollywood, Fla.
PGT Industries – North Venice, Fla. (Dominican Republic only)