State Forum Cites Challenges, Potential of Florida Trade

 
"Florida Without Borders" was the theme of the Third Annual Florida Chamber's International Business Forum in Jacksonville, Florida on September 6-7, 2001. The fast-paced and extensive program, which highlighted the challenges and opportunities for Florida in a globalized world, included two presentations by Florida International University's Summit of the Americas Center. Bruce Jay, senior analyst for labor and civil society, led the first panel discussion of labor's views on the subject of "Globalization and its Critics." The center's director, Carl Cira, reviewed the status of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations and their potential impact on Florida's economy. Concern was expressed during the program for the need to get legislative action for Trade Promotion Authority, an issue that has stalled in Congress. One session was entitled, "If Trade Is So Good for Florida, Why Won't They Vote for It?"

Jay's opening remarks addressed the distinction between free and fair trade and its effects on Florida, citing findings of a recent study by FIU's Center for Labor and Research (www.fiu.edu/~clrs). An examination of the unique dependence of Florida's economy on the service sector's relations with just one region, Latin America and the Caribbean, sheds light on some of the differences between good income, job creation and wage, benefit and poverty figures, Jay pointed out. A stable Latin America where equity and development are more important than mere macroeconomic growth is key to the improved well-being of Floridians. Trade can be an significant factor, but Jay stressed the importance of fair trade for the state's future.

One of the most exciting presentations addressed the challenges of crime and corruption. Ambassador Mike Skol gave a wide-ranging review of mechanisms being used to improve government practices in this area. On the same panel, Joel Kurtman, global lead partner for thought leadership and innovation at PricewaterhouseCoopers, presented the "Opacity Index," a tool to measure the losses incurred and the costs of corruption to a nation. According to Kurtman, opacity refers to "the lack of clear, accurate, formal, easily discernible and widely accepted practices in the broad arena where business, finance and government meet." The Opacity Index, he said, "was conceived to bring the light of quantitative measurement to a topic about which ethical judgments have often dominated public and private discussion" and can be used to estimate "how much certain behaviors and structures cost governments as well as domestic and foreign businesses."

Despite the relevance of trade to Florida business and commercial concerns, turnout at the conference was disappointing. Florida chambers of commerce face the challenge of building enthusiasm for the topic among their members.