Steven Meitzen, vice president of sales and marketing at Ven-Tel Plastics Corp., said his company is not averse to foreign trade. It has to be perfect. Solis is well aware of such resistance. He said that even though Florida's exports to Mexico have risen significantly since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement seven years ago, it still ranks just 12th among U.S. states. At the same time, he argued, there's never been a better time to do business with Mexico.
Low tariffs are one reason.
Mexico has participated in 15 free-trade agreements since 1986. Solis said it is the only country besides Israel to have trade agreements with both the United States and Europe. Solis was scheduled to meet Tuesday night with representatives of the Port of Tampa and Tampa International Airport to discuss solutions. Ken Parker, chief executive of the World Trade Center Tampa Bay, said the lack of non-stop flights and infrequent cargo shipments were a matter of supply and demand. St. Petersburg Times.