A delegation of 24 people of the Florida, including 18 businessmen from the private sector and 6 U.S. officials of Miami-Dade County, went in Haiti from 21 to 24 October, as part of a business development mission between Haitian entrepreneurs and those of Florida through the Economic Development and International Trade Unit Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources of Miami-Dade County.

According to Jean Monestime (the first Haitian-American to serve on the Board of Commissioners of "Miami-Dade County") "this is the first trade mission between Haiti and Miami-Dade. Given its geographical position and its large community residing in Florida, Haiti is a very important trading partner for the County."

The mission objectives were to :

• Strengthen economic and trade ties between the Republic of Haiti and the Miami-Dade County ;

• Renew the agreement between the Governments of Haiti and the U.S., to provide technical assistance at ports and airports ;

• Promote tourism in the long term between Haiti and the United States to increase business in the ports and airports of the two countries.

In addition, the Consul General of Haiti in Miami, François Guillaume II, said he is already very satisfied with of Mission in Haiti. A potential bilateral Memorandum of Understanding is already underway between the Port of Miami, which was represented by Ms. Debra D. Owens, and the Director General of the National Port Authority (APN), Mr. Alix Célestin by the end of this year. Recall that last April 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed between the authorities of the Miami International Airport and those of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, to promote traffic cargo between the two cities.

In addition, one of American entrepreneurs of the delegation of Miami, Mr. Hamlet Cedeno, which enjoys a large sales contract obtained following various meetings with Haitian entrepreneurs, intends to motivate its partners to implement the company "Southern Valve and Fitting USA Inc." located in the Republic of China in the Caracol Industrial Park.

Mr. Guillaume hope, very soon many other benefits.

HL/ HaitiLibre