Miami-Dade County International Trade Consortium

Today marks the beginning of #HispanicHeritageMonth, an annual celebration in the U.S. that runs from September 15 to October 15! 🌎✨ ITC proudly recognizes and honors the rich histories, vibrant cultures, and enduring contributions of American Latino communities. September 15 is especially significant, as it commemorates the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico follows on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21, further reflecting the region’s diversity and unity. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Consular Corps in Miami to promote #MiamiDade as a global trade hub and true #GatewaytotheAmericas, strengthening multilateral trade relations across both regions. #GlobalGateway

ITC hosted an informative Briefing Session for African Food & Beverage Companies. The session featured insightful briefings from Gerard Philippeaux, Executive Director of ITC, Dimitrios Jimmy Nares, Section Chief for Marketing at Miami International Airport and ITC Board Member, Baltazar Jacques, Chief Data Analyst at PortMiami, Gavin van der Burgh, CEO of US Africa Trade Desk, and Dr. Golden Mahove, CEO of Ndarama Works. Discussions centered on how to improve bilateral trade, the strategic advantages of utilizing Foreign Trade Zones, e-Commerce, Pharmaceuticals and the importance of cold chain processing facilities to ensure the safe transport of food products across borders. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our ties with African businesses and expanding trade and investment opportunities between #Africa and Miami-Dade County.

The DR–Miami-Dade Economics and Investment Opportunities Forum 2025, hosted by the Dominican International Business & Tourism Chamber and Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Miami, brought together leaders from government, business, and trade to explore new avenues of collaboration between Miami-Dade County and the #DominicanRepublic. ITC Executive Director Gerard Philippeaux participated in Panel 1 alongside Miami-Dade County Senior Advisor for Economic Opportunity Manny Cid, Miami-Dade Beacon Council Vice President of Business Development Nidia Martinez Quezada, and Miami International Airport Section Chief for Cargo Development Dimitrios Jimmy Nares. In this exchange on the current state and future outlook of trade, Mr. Philippeaux underscored Miami-Dade’s $8.1B trade relationship with the Dominican Republic, emphasized Miami-Dade’s unique role as the Global Gateway, and highlighted how the Dominican Republic is well-positioned to benefit from nearshoring as long as it continues to strengthen its infrastructure. He also spoke about the importance of logistics modernization, digital trade, and expanding opportunities for small businesses to participate in international commerce. The discussion also addressed how ITC connects Miami-Dade businesses with international partners, the role of infrastructure such as PortMiami and Miami International Airport in sustaining growth, and how bilateral cooperation can unlock new investment opportunities. Following Panel 1, Mr. Philippeaux was invited to continue contributing to Panel 2, where the dialogue turned to supply chain resilience, cargo development, and investment in aviation and maritime trade. Drawing on his background in seaport strategy and intergovernmental affairs, he emphasized that nearshoring will thrive only if both Miami-Dade and the Dominican Republic continue to invest strategically in their ports, airports, and logistics networks. The ITC’s participation at the Forum reflects its mission to champion Miami-Dade’s role as the #GlobalGateway while fostering enduring and mutually beneficial ties with the Dominican Republic. We also extend a thanks to Grant Miller of Miami's Community Newspapers for reporting on this event: https://lnkd.in/eH8w_VSR

🇧🇷 Happy Independence Day to the Federative Republic of Brazil! ITC proudly extends its greetings to the people of Brazil and to Consul General André Odenbreit Carvalho and his team at the User Consulate General of Brazil in Miami. #Brazil is Miami-Dade County’s #1 trading partner, with over $19.3 billion in total trade recorded in FY 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau—underscoring the vital role of Brazil in our local and regional economy. Our partnership is further strengthened through Sister Cities International agreements with São Paulo and Curitiba and a Sister Seaport agreement between PortMiami and the Port of Suape, fostering closer ties in commerce, culture, and innovation. We look forward to continuing to build on these strong connections and shared opportunities for growth.

ITC was honored to attend the award ceremony recognizing Berta Soler Fernández, a courageous Cuban human rights activist and leader of the opposition group Ladies in White, at The Biltmore Hotel on September 2, 2025. The ceremony highlighted Ms. Fernández’s remarkable efforts in advocating for freedom and human rights, and although she was not allowed to travel, her strong presence was felt across the room. Distinguished guests included the US Secretary of State, The Honorable Marco Rubio and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Radosław Sikorski. ITC was privileged to be part of this important moment in the fight for justice. Later, ITC participated in a reception hosted by Ambassador Mark Wallace and Dr. Hiva Wallace in honor of the Ladies in White and Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski. We sincerely thank the Embassy of the Republic of #Poland for the kind invitation and for facilitating such impactful dialogues.

World Affairs Council series at Miami Dade College: A Talk with Ambassador Mayorga on U.S.- El Salvador Relations 🇺🇸 🇸🇻 ITC was honored to take part in a thoughtful conversation hosted by the World Affairs Council of Miami featuring Ambassador Milena Mayorga focusing on U.S.–El Salvador relations. Executive Director Gerard Philippeaux took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of the strong bilateral relations between #ElSalvador and Miami-Dade County.

Congratulations to Republic of Uruguay on its Independence Day! ITC Director Gerard Philippeaux joined Consul General Maria Virginia Tebot Denis in celebrating this important occasion and reaffirming the strong economic, commercial, and cultural ties between #Uruguay and Miami-Dade County.

ITC was honored to welcome PROPANAMA.GOB to Miami-Dade County for a dynamic visit that included tours of Interport Logistics LLC and the City of Doral, as well as a networking reception hosted by the World Trade Center Miami. The visit highlighted opportunities to strengthen trade and investment between #Panama and our region. Eduardo Antonio Cuadra