At a glance
| Booth | S7330 |
| Country | US |
| Website | selectflorida.org/for-international-companies/international-offices/taiwan |
Company profile
SelectFlorida is the state of Florida’s official international commerce organization and official international trade and investment promotion agency, and it serves as a Direct Support Organization for the Florida Department of Commerce, FloridaCommerce. SelectFlorida, Inc. was formed and founded in 2023 to absorb Florida’s international commerce functions and operate as a model Direct Support Organization for FloridaCommerce. The organization is structured as a public-private partnership in which businesses, government leaders, economic development partners, private-sector leaders, and investors work with FloridaCommerce on economic growth. Its mission centers on attracting, retaining, and creating higher-wage jobs for Floridians, while its economic-development role includes diversification and expansion into targeted industries. SelectFlorida promotes Florida as a business destination, works with Florida, U.S., and international companies in key targeted industries, and connects those businesses with state and local resources. A statewide network of economic-development partners extends that work, while a network of international offices supports activities involving global markets. SelectFlorida serves mostly small and medium-sized companies seeking overseas growth through a consultative approach to export assistance, and it also works with international businesses that want to invest and expand in Florida. For companies expanding or locating in Florida, its core programs include industry expertise in key target industries, business intelligence about Florida assets and products, confidential site search, and permitting and regulatory assistance. For Florida companies pursuing global growth, its programs include international trade development, export assistance and export counselling, international offices, foreign direct investment work, and strategic partnerships that foster international business. SelectFlorida provides information and assistance to Taiwanese companies that are interested in establishing operations in Florida or identifying strategic partners in Florida. Florida and Taiwan are described as maintaining significant commercial ties, including more than $1 billion in bilateral trade each year, with Taiwanese companies operating in Florida to serve markets in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In 2022, bilateral merchandise trade between Florida and Taiwan totaled $1.3 billion, making Taiwan Florida’s 4th largest bilateral merchandise trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region and 35th largest partner overall. Florida exports to Taiwan totaled $220 million in 2022, when Taiwan was Florida’s 53rd largest export market; leading export commodities listed were vaccines, ferrous waste and scrap, civilian aircraft, and aluminum waste and scrap. Florida imports from Taiwan totaled $1,068 million in 2022, when Taiwan was Florida’s 28th largest source import market; leading import commodities listed were yachts, metal fasteners, car parts, and medical instruments. The Taiwan profile also reports that Taiwan was the 27th largest foreign direct investor in Florida, with Taiwanese-owned affiliates accounting for more than 400 Florida jobs, and the 7th largest Asia-Pacific investor in Florida. Taiwanese affiliates in Florida were estimated to hold USD $107.8 million in gross property, plant, and equipment in 2020, and SelectFlorida’s database lists more than 25 Taiwanese companies operating over 30 branch locations in Florida. Florida’s gateway infrastructure for Taiwanese businesses includes hundreds of airports, 15 deepwater ports, 3,000 miles of freight rail, more than 122,000 miles of highway, 61,000+ total fiber miles, 47,000+ fiber-connected buildings, and 275 data center locations. Florida also has Sister-City agreements with Xizhi District of New Taipei, Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung Municipality, Ping Jenn, Tainan City, Hengchun, and Xindian.
Exhibits
SelectFlorida assists businesses with developing new international markets and exporting their products and services around the globe. For Taiwanese companies, the organization’s assistance covers establishing operations in Florida and identifying strategic partners in Florida, giving companies a defined pathway for investment and partnership enquiries. Its Taiwan-facing work includes a focus on the semiconductor manufacturing industry, aligning that assistance with a sector specifically identified in its material for Taiwanese companies. The broader business-development offering includes confidential site search, permitting and regulatory assistance, business intelligence on Florida assets and products, and industry expertise for companies expanding or locating in the state. For exporters, SelectFlorida provides international trade development, export assistance and export counselling, supported by a network of international offices and strategic partnerships for international business. Florida companies interested in the Taiwanese market are also directed to export support, while Taiwanese investors can use information and investment resources tied to Florida operations and partner identification. The combination of market-development assistance, export support, investment facilitation, and semiconductor-manufacturing focus places SelectFlorida’s offering at the intersection of trade development and cross-border industrial cooperation.
Capabilities and products
- confidential site search in Florida
- Florida permitting and regulatory assistance
- international trade and export counselling
- Florida strategic partner matching for Taiwanese companies