Each May, World Trade Month is celebrated in the United States to highlight how international trade unlocks new business opportunities, creates jobs, and strengthens the U.S. and global economy. According to the International Trade Administration at the US Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods and services reached a record $3.2 trillion in 2024. The latest figures show that in 2022, total U.S. exports supported an estimated 10.2 million jobs or 6.7 percent of total U.S. employment.
It is only fitting that earlier this month, East Bay EDA joined the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) California delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event in the United States to facilitate business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations (EDOs), and industry experts to make deals happen. Even during these uncertain times for international investment, this year’s 11th annual summit surpassed its previous record levels, gathering more than 5,500 attendees from over 100 international markets and 54 states and territories. Throughout the 4-day summit, participants were able to take advantage of in-person networking and informative programming on key industry topics affecting the FDI community.
At this year’s Meet California Breakfast, GO-Biz Director Dee Dee Myers and SelectUSA Executive Director Ashok Pinto kicked off the event with opening remarks before turning it over to two cutting-edge California companies in the autonomous vehicle sector, Zoox and Waymo. It was reassuring to learn that there is a continued strong desire from international businesses to do business in California. East Bay EDA will work diligently to connect companies and investors seeking to enter the Bay Area and East Bay market to local counterparts and continue to serve as a bridge to expand FDI into the region.
