FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross visited the Port of Fernandina on Friday, calling it the gateway to the future of discovery, business opportunity, and the entrepreneurial spirit.
Ross talked about the history of the port and how early settlers, developers and railroad owners navigated through it as they built the foundation of an economic powerhouse.
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Ross said Florida's economy is phenomenal with the state's GDP now exceeding $1 trillion.
He said if Florida was a country, it would have the 17th largest economy in the world and tourism is thriving. Ross said Florida is the top travel destination in the world with the state attracting 126 million visitors last year.
Ross said the Trump administration has changed the tax code so it's competitive with foreign rivals and enables economic growth. He said the administration is also removing burdensome regulations that deter companies from expanding their U.S. operations and hiring American workers.
He acknowledged new rules requiring minimum levels of U.S content in automobiles as well as competitive wage rates to benefit American workers. He said he knows the retaliatory tariffs placed on American exports have been harmful to many producers, but the trump administration is hopeful that it can finally put an end to Chinese trade practices that have injured so many industries, workers and communities.
Ross mentioned Rayonier Timber's new headquarters in Nassau County, in which the company repositioned 24,000 acres of prime timberland to create a premier mixed-use community in Northeast Florida.
He said the Trump administration wants producers of timber, paper, cars, steel, electronics, chemicals, consumer goods, textiles, food, and every product to be filling containers with high-value-added goods made in America.