Ohio-Hubei Partnership

G1×7: Ohio, USA
Ohio ranks seventh in GDP among US States, and is positioned at the 1×7 slot within the G8x8.
G2×8: Hubei, China
Hubei ranks eighth in GDP among provinces of China, and is positioned at the 2×8 slot within the G8x8.

Amid rising trade tensions between China and the Trump administration, Chinese officials met with Ohio business leaders in Columbus on Wednesday for a business and policy luncheon.

The Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce and JobsOhio organized the meeting, which was held at The Blackwell Inn, to discuss the business relationship between the U.S. and China.

Yumin Zhao, the Acting Consul General in New York, says they’re focused on collaboration in light of the escalating trade war with the U.S.

“The Chinese people did notice there are some differences compared to the past decades with the relationship between China and the United States,” Zhao says. “We do see it as a reflection of the average American people.”

He urged Americans and Chinese people to focus on how they can work together.

“We still think that only by cooperation we can overcome the difficulties. Not setting the barriers or lifting the tariffs and make the flow of people, flow of goods slower,” Zhao says. “That’s not our goal.”

Monica Xia, chair of the Greater Columbus Chinese Chamber of Commerce, says some Ohio businesses look to Hubei, China, for advancement in medicine and biotechnology.

“I think globalization cannot be stopped. I think that’s the message that we want our audience to take away,” Xia says. “Just let’s contribute positively to this globalization trend.”

Hubei, China, and Ohio have been sister provinces for almost 40 years.

Both of Ohio’s U.S. senators, and Gov. John Kasich, have raised concerns about the Trump administration’s trade policies. Ohio’s agricultural industry has been particularly hard hit by Chinese retaliation against soybeans and pork, though Trump has tried to offset some damages to farmers with subsidies.

Ohio exports $4 billion in agricultural goods to China every year.

Image and info source: http://radio.wosu.org/post/chinese-officials-discuss-trade-ohio-business-leaders

200 Years of Illinois

G1x5: Illinois, USA
Illinois ranks fifth in GDP among USA states, and is positioned at the 1×5 slot within the G8x8. In 2016, it achieved a GDP of 791.6 billion $ and a share of 4.3 percent of the national total. Its GDP was slightly lower than that of Turkey and higher than the Netherlands.

Illinois became the 21st state of the United States of America on 3 December 1818. Governor Bruce Rauner authorized by executive order a year-long celebration to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the event, with a multimedia campain at its center. Motto: Every day in Illinois, amazing things are being born, built and grown. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the celebration by visiting the website www.illinois200.com. Partners, event and project managers planning and implementing activities between 3 December 2017 and 3 December 2018 are encouraged to be endorsed as official parts of the Illinois Bicentennial.

Points of Pride

The twitter hashtag #IllinoisProud lists reasons for citizens to be proud:

  • Illinois is where the nation’s greatest rivers meet (Illinois and Mississippi rivers).
  • It’s where the largest Native American city once thrived.
  • Where the most trains cross and daily flights soar.
  • Where automobiles and hard roads got a start.
  • Where sound movies began.
  • Where a nuclear chain reaction was first controlled.
  • Where the first transistor gave rise to the computer age.
  • Where the theory of superconductivity was born.
  • Where the biggest fair in the nation’s history was held.
  • Where the mail-order catalog and the warehouse of goods behind it got its start.
  • Where the Blues echo and comedy is king.
  • Where more than a quarter million men volunteered to fight to end slavery and save the Union.
  • Where the nation’s biggest plant helped make the world safe for democracy.
  • Where the biggest restaurant company, biggest makers of mining equipment, aircraft, and tractors are based and where hundreds of start-up companies each year keep the engine humming.

Image source: Visit Alton, information source: www.illinois200.com

USA Economic Climate Ranking

CNBC have been publishing their economic climate ranking of all 50 states of the USA for eleven years. Now they issued their new ranking for 2017. Workforce and infrastructure are at the top of the list among 10 major categories and 66 metrics used in crowning the Top State for Business 2017. Key messages this year: (1) The skills gap across the labor market is big and getting bigger. (2) As President Trump talks up a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, states are talking more about the strength of their roads, rails, ports and utilities.

Check out the 2017 data table, sortable for all criteria, a chart and maps at CNBC Top States for Business.

Their overall ranking lists the following eight on top:

  • Washington
  • Georgia
  • Minnesota
  • Texas
  • North Carolina
  • Colorado
  • Virginia
  • Utah

Interesting enough: only one of their top eight business climate states is also a top eight GDP state, and thus listed among our G8x8. Try to find out which one it is!

Info and image source: CNBC

Texas Tops US Exports

Texas has been the top exporting state in the USA for 14 consecutive years. With over $251 billion in exports for 2015, this state continues to be the USA leader in international trade. It combines the following advantages:

  • a strategic location
  • the largest US rail and road infrastructure
  • the most US ports of entry
  • a multilingual workforce twice the national average
  • a vibrant international banking center
  • a diplomatic hub with a Consular Corps representing some 90 nations
  • and a concentration of corporate and financial resources

Many international firms base facilities such as warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing here to take advantage of excellent access to global markets.

From Texas, small, medium, and large businesses alike have found great success in doing business globally. Far from being the exclusive domain of large corporations, export trade here is driven by its most innovate, nimble, and oftentimes small firms. In fact, more than 90 percent of exporters are small businesses – and their numbers continue to grow. With its extensive global ties, Texas has a natural advantage in exporting knowledge-intensive services. It has become a major global exporter of high value-added services, including

  • accounting
  • communications
  • consulting
  • engineering
  • financial services
  • legal services
  • medical services
  • transportation services

With the slogan “Go Big in Texas”, the Department of Business Assistance (DBA) serves businesses and communities. It works to strengthen their competitiveness by promoting international trade, foreign direct investment, business retention and expansion. It also provides small business advocacy and entrepreneurial support. See their website at https://businessintexas.com/. For an overview of Texas trade and foreign direct investment, see especially this 2016 Report.

Image source: Texas Department of Business Assistance.

In terms of GDP, Texas ranks 2nd in the USA after California, contributing 8.8 percent to the national GDP of the United States. The “Lone Star State” occupies the 1×2 field of the G8x8 chess board. 2016 GDP stood at $1,616.8 billion, which was more than the national GDP of Canada or Russia.

 

Florida Evacuates Seven Cities

According to the Florida Department of Emergency Management, Governor Rick Scott ordered an estimated 6.3 million Floridians to evacuate in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The governor ordered mandatory evacuations in the cities surrounding the southern half of Lake Okeechobee from Lake Port to Canal Point in Hendry, Palm Beach and Glades counties. He made this decision due to his focus on life safety as the hurricane approached. The seven cities affected by these orders are as follows:

  • South Bay
  • Lake Harbor
  • Pahokee
  • Moore Haven
  • Clewiston
  • Belle Glade
  • Canal Point

The National Hurricane Center re-classified Irma as a category 4 cyclone before it reached the Everglade State. Category 4 is the second highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale and includes maximum sustained winds of 200 to 250 km per hour. Irma had the strength of category 5 twice before. It is the only tropical cyclone on record with sustained winds of 295 km per hour for 37 hours.

Source and more information at http://www.flgov.com/. Image source: ABC News.

Florida ranks 4th in GDP among US states and is thus located on the 1×4 field of the G8x8 chess board. The state’s 2016 GDP amounted to $ 926.8 billion. This was 5.0 percent of the USA total, and more than the national production of countries such as Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, or Turkey.

 

California Business Portal

The official California website promoting international trade and investment is found at http://www.businessportal.ca.gov. Their address is

1325 J St., Suite 1800
Sacramento, CA 95814

And their telephone: +1 877 345-4633

California ranks first in GDP among US states, placing it at the 1×1 pole position within the G8x8 territories. In 2016, California took a share of 14.1% of the USA total GDP. This was worth $2,602,672 million or 2.6 trillion US Dollars, just as much as the GDP of the United Kingdom (ranking 5th among countries).

 

New York Promotes Guangxi

The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce will hold an investment and trade promotion event for Guangxi province of China on 25 October 2017. Participation is free for members, non-members will be charged $25. Contact +1 212-686-7220 or info@chamber.nyc for more information and to register, or see their event announcement here.

The event is promoted by the Guangxi provincial department of commerce.

A similar event was hosted by the Greater New York Chamber in October 2015. At that time, the Guangxi delegation included six governmental delegates, six economic and trade delegates, and five delegates from the Chinese Consulate General in New York. They spoke about investment opportunities in Guangxi.

Information and image source: Greater New York Chamber of Commerce.

The State of New York ranks third among US states in GDP, placing it on the 1×3 field of the global G8x8 chess board of most productive territories of the most productive countries. In 2016, the state contributed 8.1 percent to the national GDP. This was an amount of $1,488 billion, almost as much as all of Canada produced at the same time. Guangxi Autonomous Region, on the other hand, ranks only 17th among Chinese provinces and is not yet listed a G8x8 member.

 

Rhône-Alpes and Pennsylvania reinforce their partnership

The National Institute of the Applied Sciences (INSA) in Lyon and Penn State University have signed an partnership agreement which organizes student, researchers and expert exchanges as well as development of common programs leading to qualifications. Both plan on leading joint research and formation projects, and to participate in scientific events.

The partnership was signed in the presence of Jean-Jacques Queyranne, President of the Rhône-Alpes region (former minister), Clayton Stanger, Consul General of the United States in Lyon, Wilfred Muskens, Under-Secretary for International Development, State of Pennsylvania, Pr. Amr Elnashai, Dean of Penn-State Engineering, and Eric Maurincomme, Director of INSA Lyon.

For this occasion, numerous events about economy, culture, tourism, higher education and research, combining “Rhônalpins” actors and the american community installed in the region, were organised.

Since 2006, Rhône-Alpes and Pennsylvania are engaged in a unique cooperation, the Region being in fact the only one in France, to be partners of an american federated state. These links lead to a closer relations in the economic, research, tourism and culture domains and will allow Pennsylvania to participate in the world-wide summit on climate and territories on the 1st and 2nd of July in the Regional Council..

Image and information source: https://www.france-science.org/Rhone-Alpes-and-Pennsylvania.html