It was good to be back in the United States, promoting British trade and investment and easing trade barriers.
Greg started this Trade visit to the US in Columbia, South Carolina. Where he first met the UK’s Consul General Rachel Galloway before signing the UK’s third MoU with a US state. South Carolina has an economy of £200bn and this MoU is designed to help make it easier, quicker and cheaper for UK companies to trade with the state. Greg used this opportunity to thank the hardworking negotiating teams from London, Washington DC and South Carolina together with Governor Henry McMaster.
It was great to speak to Christina Knauss at the Columbia Regional Business Report about the new UK-South Carolina MoU on trade, the strength of our automotive and life sciences industries and growing exports and investment across South Carolina and the UK.
The Minister held a successful meeting with South Carolina’s Senate President Thomas Alexander and fellow South Carolina state legislators to discuss the opportunities of the MoU. South Carolina already imports £1.4bn worth of goods from the UK and Greg looks forward to removing even more trade barriers to benefit businesses.
This visit also provided the great chance to tour the South Carolina state house and to meet elected Palmetto State representatives and talk to them about the new Britain - South Carolina agreement to promote trade.
It was a pleasure to meet South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette to discuss how the new MoU will help to grow trade and investment between South Carolina and the UK. 12,700 people in South Carolina currently work for UK companies and Greg wants to grow that even further.
Greg was delighted to be in the Golden State to meet business and political leaders to grow trade and investment even further. In 2021 California alone bought £2.8bn of UK goods.
The San Francisco Bay Area is a hub of technology and home to Silicon Valley - the global centre of innovation. It was great to explore opportunities for the UK in California with Sean Randolph and Bay Area Council members in their fantastic office on the Bay!
Greg addressed Californian business leaders at the California Chamber of Commerce and was interviewed by Bloomberg TV.
The Trade Minister met with California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis for talks where they agreed to launch the process for a UK-California MoU to boost the trade relationship between the UK and the US state of California which is the 5th biggest economy in the world and presents huge opportunities for UK businesses.
Last stop on this week-long US Trade Visit was Utah, the Beehive State. Greg visited Salt Lake City as Trade Minister in 2016 and it was great to be back. Did you know the UK is Utah’s largest export market?
Greg had a productive meeting with Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson and Franz Kolb, Utah’s Director of International Trade & Diplomacy at the impressive State Capitol. All parties are looking forward to finalising the UK-Utah MoU to help grow that trading relationship even further in the new year.
