Governor's Position on Global Trade and Business

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

  • One of the four cornerstones the governor set when he took office was for Utah to have the nation's leading economy and to be recognized internationally as a premier destination for business.
  • Achieving those aims helps create high-quality jobs in Utah, generate state and local tax revenues, increase foreign direct investment, maintain our enviable quality of life, and provide people throughout the world with a positive impression of our state.
  • As the 2002 Olympic Winter Games proved, Utah is adept at hosting the world. If Utah is to continue to be a global leader in business, it is time to take Utah to the world.

2015 PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES

  • Aggressively recruit businesses around the world and persuade them of the merits of doing business in Utah and with Utah companies.
  • Through the use of trade missions, spread the word about Utah to the international business community -- that:
    • Utahns are honest, friendly, hard-working and highly skilled and educated.
    • Utahns speak 130 languages every day in commerce.
    • Our quality of life is high.
    • So are the goods and services produced and offered here in Utah.
  • Assist Utah businesses wanting to do business internationally by familiarizing them with assets in place to help them, including:
    • The Governor's Office of Economic Development's "International Trade and Development" program, and
    • The World Trade Center Utah
  • Increase Utah's value-added exports by $1.4 billion over the next five years -- to $9 billion.
    • Utah has the 4th-most diverse economy in America. The governor believes it is time for Utah's exports to follow suit.

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • The governor has led trade missions recently to Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, the United Kingdom and China, which have enhanced Utah’s visibility, promoted Utah tourism, encouraged foreign direct investment in Utah, and forged stronger educational, cultural and political relationships.
  • Utah has eight sister-city relations with European cities, and one sister-state relationship with Taiwan.
  • Over the past decade, the governor or members of his staff have hosted close to 200 European foreign dignitaries in Utah.
  • Exports from Utah have doubled over the past decade.
  • From 2009 to 2013, Utah’s exports grew by 35.8 percent, compared to the national average of 29.5 percent.
    • As a result, Utah businesses that exported goods were able to employ more than 150,000 Utahns across all sectors of our state’s economy.