On Monday morning in Seattle, WA, Ambassador Kirk also participated in a business roundtable discussion at the Port of Seattle, hosted by Governor Chris Gregoire (D-WA). Ambassador Kirk and Governor Gregoire were joined by members of Washington's congressional delegation, as well as by representatives of the Washington business and labor communities - from Starbucks to the Washington State Potato Commission to Longshoremen. About 70 percent of the containerized cargo at the Port of Seattle either comes from or is bound for regions of the country outside the Pacific Northwest, making Seattle a major gateway for America's international trade. At the roundtable, Ambassador Kirk discussed President Obama's National Export Initiative, and ways that trade-dependent states like Washington can participate in the effort to grow 2 million jobs here in the United States by doubling American exports.
Washington is a state of 6.5 million people where more than 1 in 3 jobs are related to international trade. More than 8,000 Washington businesses exported a good or service in the year 2007. For more information on what international trade means to Washington state residents in terms of jobs and economic opportunity, read this week's USTR.gov Weekly Trade Spotlight.
Ambassador Ron Kirk meets at the Port of Seattle with Tay Yoshitani, CEO of the Port of Seattle, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), and Governor Chris Gregoire (D-WA)
