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7. Marge Bitetti, Marketing Manager, Hall Research Technologies <br />8. Dr. Joe Greco - California State University Fullerton Professor <br />9. Richard Swanson - Department of Commerce, Foreign Commercial <br /> Service <br /> <br />Highlights of this presentation are as follows: <br /> <br />· Orange County is the 33rd largest economy in the world, and ranks 12th <br /> of 253 metropolitan areas nationwide with total export sales exceeding <br /> $9.3 billion <br />· 40% of Orange County companies sell internationally, and exports <br /> account for 12% of the County's economy <br />· Small and medium sized businesses, the vast majority of the 60,000 <br /> plus businesses in the County, are unaware of existing international <br /> business development resources <br />· The International Business Center (IBC) is a one-stop center for small <br /> to medium sized businesses seeking export and import assistance to <br /> foreign markets <br />· The primary purpose of the IBC is to promote trade opportunities in <br /> California by bringing together all available international business <br /> development and capital resources in one location <br />· The IBC gives businesses the tools to expand their products and <br /> services into foreign markets <br />· In 2001, the IBC assisted 1,281 California companies and 807 Mexican <br /> companies <br />· In 2001, Exports to Mexico totaled $16.5 million and imports from <br /> Mexico totaled over $8.9 million <br />· Projections for 2002 include: 1,600 California companies assisted; $40 <br /> million in exports/imports/investments; and, 700 new jobs <br />· In 2001, Mexico President Vicente Fox located his U.S. headquarters <br /> for the Mexico Trade Center (MTC) within the IBC <br />· The IBC welcomed Rancho Santiago Community College District and <br /> its business development partners <br />· Plans for this calendar year include a signing of a historic port <br /> agreement creating a Maritime Bridge between the Port of Los Angeles <br /> and the Port of Manzanillo in Mexico, providing a cost-effective, <br /> quicker and safer means of transporting goods between the U.S. and <br /> Mexico; expanded operations from the Mexico Trade Center to include <br /> more trade specialists and product showcases; inviting President Fox <br /> to attend the "Summit of Mayors" in June, 2002 <br />· The City of Santa Ana International Trade Unit organized two highly <br /> successful seminars under the Export Trade Assistance Partnership <br /> Program (ETAP) <br />· The Department of Commerce will soon have a representative at the <br /> International Business Center <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 66 FEBRUARY 19, 2002 <br /> <br /> <br />