JACKSONVILLE — Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) met with the United Kingdom (UK)’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, to formalize the expansion of the transatlantic business partnership at Jacksonville’s cruise terminal on Nov. 14.
The UK is already Florida’s top foreign investor. The Sunshine State ranks among America’s top states for British business and tourists. The two leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) promising to further develop their relationship.
The signing marks only the latest move Mr. DeSantis has made to reshape Florida’s foreign relationships, following similar MOUs signed with Japan, South Korea, and Israel.
“I’m proud to build on this partnership between Florida and the UK by signing the memorandum of understanding ... to further expand trade bilateral investment business relationships and academic opportunities between the UK and the United States,” said the governor, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination.
A Growing Partnership
The governor explained that the new agreement will have a list of priorities, including space research and aerospace manufacturing, financial technology (fintech), transportation infrastructure, medical technologies, and emerging fields like artificial intelligence and semiconductors.“Additionally, we'll encourage UK-based companies to expand their footprint in the Florida marketplace,” he said. “We will be helping to facilitate partnerships between private sector companies with a focus on small and medium-sized businesses.
“Florida and the UK will also be connecting researchers, universities, and students to further support academic success and research sharing between Florida’s top-in-the-nation universities and the UK’s premier research institutions.”
The UK is already the Sunshine State’s largest foreign investor and eighth-largest bilateral trade partner.
The state plays host to more than 350 British companies that account for more than 70,000 jobs and an estimated $80 billion in investment holdings.
The governor’s office reported that bilateral trade between the state and the UK grew by more than 119 percent over the last five years, reaching a value of $5.8 billion in 2022.
In terms of global economies, Florida alone is the 14th largest, with the UK being the sixth largest.
Both Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Badenoch say they see room to grow the relationship.
“It will deepen economic cooperation and trade relations that will help us identify trade together,” the Parliament member said of the new agreement. “But we will also foster business links and help unlock new investment opportunities for companies on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Because, at the end of the day, it’s not government that creates economic growth. It’s businesses who do that. And this is not ideal for the short term. It will help us to deliver huge opportunities for corporations in some of the most important industries of the future.”
Florida and the UK promise to participate in a variety of activities, such as trade missions, joint projects, and facilitating private and public investment, as well as academic cooperation.
Ms. Badenoch and Mr. DeSantis were also joined by Florida’s Secretary of Commerce, Alex Kelly, and Florida’s Secretary of State, Cord Byrd. Both praised the governor for implementing “pro-business” and “pro-growth” policies.
“The time to invest in Florida has never been better,” said Mr. Byrd. “With mutually beneficial business relationships and expanding economy cultural assets, Florida offers a sturdy foundation from which international business can prosper.”
UK Is ‘a Second Home for Us’
“When you’re in the United Kingdom,” Mr. DeSantis said, “it doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is. If you’re an American, it’s a second home for us.“Because if you look at how our country was birthed, all the key things that we take for granted that inform our Constitution, our view of the rule of law, you know, that was all informed by our founding fathers being what they consider to be Englishmen, and that was something that was meaningful to them.
“And that’s the tradition that they took to be able to set a foundation here in the United States of America. You see that when you’re out there.”
Praising Jacksonville as a city built on free trade and free markets, Ms. Badenoch said, “The UK’s decision to gain independence from the EU and take back control of our trade policy is something that I know resonated with a lot of Americans.”
“As Florida’s chief cultural officer, I can’t overstate the importance that cultural exchange has played in developing our business relationships with the UK,” said Mr. Byrd. “Our shared set of values that emphasize respect for history, traditions, and courtesy of the rule of law has made our bond unshakable.”
The Florida secretary of state recalled his recent trips to the UK and welcomed the arrival of the Royal Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, at the nearby Mayport Naval Base.
“That meeting underscores the special relationship we have with the UK and the partnership between our militaries as they defend freedom around the globe,” he said.
