New Financial Support Program with SIMEST

By the end of the summer, Italian companies will have access to a new financial support program presented by the governmental organization SIMEST (Italian Society for Mixed Enterprises Abroad).
This new program guarantees financing of up to a maximum of 2.5 million euros at a very advantageous interest rate of 0.4%, repayable over 6 years.
SIMEST has been supporting the growth of Italian businesses through the international expansion of their activities since 1991. It assists companies throughout the entire cycle of expanding abroad, from the initial assessment of entering a new market to expansion through direct investments. It operates through financing for internationalization, credit support for exports, and participation in the capital of companies.
The financing allows small and medium size companies to obtain the necessary liquidity to open a branch abroad and hire a Temporary Export Manager for the development of foreign markets. Additionally, it provides the opportunity to participate in trade shows and industry events, as well as invest in marketing and advertising.
The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast is collaborating with SIMEST to give maximum exposure to this initiative, and is available to provide further information on this program. It’s important to know that the financing is provided 50% at the beginning of the activity, while the remaining 50% is disbursed based on expense reporting. Approval times for projects are approximately 3 months, and it’s possible to request a grant of up to 10% of the obtained financing.
Please contact info@iacc-miami.com for more information.

BUSINESS TRIP TO COLOMBIA

 

JOIN THE IACCSE IN AN EXPLORATORY MISSION TO COLOMBIA

The Italy America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACCSE) is pleased to invite you to join the upcoming exploratory mission to Colombia. The 3-day exploratory mission offers first-hand information on investment opportunities, incentives, and the market. The program includes meetings with local Trade Agencies and Entrepreneurial organizations, along with testimonials from local Italian companies. This mission is designed to provide participants with valuable insights into the Colombian market and foster business opportunities between Italian, American and Colombian companies. The mission will take place from November 1st to November 3rd in Bogotá.

Program:

DAY 1- Wed Nov 1:

  • In the morning arrival in Bogotá, Colombia, and hotel accommodation. (preferred rate will be provided)
  • Early in the afternoon, at the office of the Italian Chamber in Colombia: meeting with the Chamber’s Board of Directors and testimonials from Italian companies in key industry sectors.
  • Brief presentation of the legal requirements to access the market presented by with 2 experts.
  • Welcome dinner and networking with members of the Italian Chamber in Colombia.

DAY 2 – Thu Nov 2nd:

  • In the morning, at ProColombia (Official Trade and Investments Agency of The Colombian Government), seminar about the incentives offered to foreign investors on key FDI industry sectors.
  • In the afternoon, meeting at ANDI (Asociacion Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia).
  • In the evening Reception at the Italian Embassy in Bogotá and meet&greet with the Italian diplomatic representatives.

DAY 3 – Fri Nov 3rd:

  • In the morning, specific roundtables with industry associations by sectors including: Real Estate, Tourisim and Infrastructure.
  • In the afternoon, guided tour across historic landmarks in Bogotá city center (optional).
  • In the evening return flight to Miami.

PARTICIPATION FEE:

 $ 800 per participant (IACCSE Members)

$ 1,000 per participant (Non-Members)

which includes:

  • Business and Networking Activities
  • Participation at Welcome Dinner and Reception
  • Historic City Center guided Tour

*Hotel accommodation suggested at a preferred rate.

The Exploratory mission will be organized only upon confirmation from 15 participants. A maximum of 20 people can attend the business trip.

Join the IACCSE on this exciting journey to Colombia and take advantage of this unique opportunity to explore new business horizons and foster valuable connections in one of Latin America’s most dynamic markets.

If you are interested in participating in this exploratory mission to Colombia, please fill out the pre-registration form available on our website (click here). Alternatively, you can send us an email at info@iacc-miami.com to receive more details and registration information.

 

Florida’s large cities register the lowest unemployment rates in the US

Among the metropolitan areas in the US that have registered the lowest unemployment rates, four out of five are in Florida, with its robust tourism activity, increasing population, and growing business investments.

According to the latest rankings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the lowest unemployment rate was registered in the Miami metropolitan area, in February 2023 at 2.2%, comparable to Birmingham, Alabama. Other major cities of Florida: Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando, registered unemployment rates below 2.7% in the same month, while the national average stood at 3.5% in March.

Florida has been experiencing high in-migration from US citizens moving away from colder areas and higher costs in the Northeast. In fact, according to the Census Bureau’s latest estimates, Florida had the biggest population gains due to domestic migration of any state from July 2021 to July 2022, growing by more than 300,000 residents, and the fastest-growing percentage.

The influx of residents increased consumer demand, thus more workers to satisfy new building demand.

Tourism in Florida has also been booming recently. More than 137 million people visited the state last year, exceeding 2019’s total. The last quarter of 2022 was the sixth consecutive that visitor numbers exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Florida also benefited from businesses moving into the state, as finance titans such as Citadel, Goldman Sachs and Blackstone have all announced plans to move part or all of their operations to Miami, and other financial sector firms will follow.

New Membership Benefits Package

We are glad to present our new membership benefits package. This package is part of our campaign to promote the new services of the IACCSE for its members and to reach out to new members in the Italian-American business community.
The new and enhanced benefits package continues to offer three levels of membership which are: Corporate Membership (Previously known as Business Membership), Sustaining Membership, and Premium Membership at the same fees that have remained the same for over 30 years.
As a member, you have many opportunities to get involved, including publishing articles in the Chambers’ newsletter, get visibility on our social media channels, free access to more than 20 events per year, access to our help desk for free advice sessions, listing in our membership list and exclusive access to the contact information of all the other members etc.
Members can also take advantage of special services offered by the Chamber at advantegous rates such as the J1 visa service and the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) refund.
If you are already a member start getting the most of your membership today.
Download here the new membership benefits package.
or if you want to learn more about it, do not hesitate to contact us at membership@iacc-miami.com or 305-577-9868.
                                       

Ambassador of Italy meets IACCSE’S Representatives

Approximately 100 representatives of the Italian scientific, cultural and business community in Florida met with Ambassador of Italy H.E. Mariangela Zappia on Friday March 17th at Istituto Marangoni in Miami.
Very insightful presentations, that highlighted the extraordinary growth of the Italian companies in this region, where given by Federico Ferrante President of Azimut-Benetti USA, Dania Maccaferri , CEO of Beghelli North America , Alessandro Biondi CFO of Mapei North America, Claudio Da Soller , SVP of Pininfarina of Americas and Graziano Sbroggio, Founder of Graspa Group, all of them distinguished members of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast, Inc
At the event, organized by the Consulate of Italy, Ambassador Zappia talked about the need to enhance the cooperation among the public and private sector to support Italian products in an important but extremely competitive market as the USA.
The day before, at the Consulate of Italy office, IACCSE President Tommaso Cardana and Executive Director Nevio Boccanera had the opportunity to present to Ambassador Zappia the progress made by our Chamber and the goals for the upcoming months that include a special effort reach out and connect with the Italian entrepreneurs and executives working in the US Southeast, outside Miami and Atlanta metropolitan areas.
The Ambassador made herself available to support the 5 official Italian Chambers in the USA in their endeavors, since they represent a network of invaluable importance for Italy, for their role in organizing local promotional activities as well as in providing a soft landing for new Italian companies approaching the US market.
                             

2022 best year ever for Italian exports to Florida

2022 marks the best year ever for Italian merchandise exports to Florida, the fourth biggest market in the USA.  Italy reached a significant 3,470.9 million dollars in value of goods exported to the Sunshine State, with a vigorous growth of +26.6% compared to the previous year.

According to data recently released by Enterprise Florida based on sources from the U.S. Department of Commerce, among the Italian products that record the most noteworthy growth the first one is Yachts and Boats, with a total value of 522.9 million dollars and a +37.5% compared to 2021.

The Motor cars and vehicles sector ranks second with a total value of 301.1 million dollars although with a slight decrease of -3.7%, followed in third position by Products from Petrol.

In fourth position, we find another iconic Italian product: Wine, with an impressive $197.9 millions and +5.5% growth compared to 2021.

Furniture, is up by as much as 24.1% over the previous year, followed by Ceramic tiles in sixth position, with growth of +8.7% and a total value of $ 110.4 millions.

Another important growth was recorded in the Cosmetics sector: +54.3% compared to the previous year.

Jewelry another strong “Made in Italy” exporting industry reached $64.8 millions in 2022, with a reduction of -5.8% in comparison with 2021

Among food and beverage products, in addition to wine, exports of mineral waters (+61.6%) olive oil (+28.9%), and pasta (+48.5%) recorded significant growth.

Message from IACCSE President

Dear Members and friends of the Italy America Chamber of Commerce Southeast (IACCSE),

As the calendar turns to 2023, I want to take the time to reach out to our membership, both new and longstanding, to thank you for making our Chamber of Commerce a continued success.

If you have been to any of our many initiatives in the last year, you have seen the energy and camaraderie present at the Chamber’s many events.

2022 has been again another positive year for our organization with a +20 in revenues in operational revenues in comparison with the previous year, becoming the second best year in the history of the Chamber.

This year, the Chamber will again offer a very exciting calendar of activities that includes: our traditional Business Breakfasts, the European Chambers networking cocktails, seminars on relevant business topics, the 4th edition of our “The Best of Italian Design” or the 4th edition of the Authentic Italian Food & Wine Festival.

We will also work jointly in partnership with important Italian organizations as the Chamber of Commerce of Turin or the Veneto Region to help small companies to introduce their products in the US market.

As always, the IACCSE will work on promoting networking opportunities among its members, provide orientation to many small Italian businesses approaching for the first time the US market and to create great events to showcase Made in Italy products and services.

The Board is planning to implement new benefits to offer to our members, so they can enjoy more tangible advantages, like access to first-class business training offered in collaboration with Florida International University.

All of you that may have any viable ideas on how to improve our services please send it to info@iacc-miami.com.

We are always very happy to receive any advice or ideas to keep innovating.

The Chamber presents an opportunity for all members to grow their network, and in turn, grow their business. It can allow you to forge professional and personal relationships which can last for many years.

I invite all of you to make the connections and be active in what I believe is one of the best resources our community has at its fingertips.

I would like to wish you all a prosper and Happy New Year!

Thank you again for your precious support to our non-profit organization.

Sincerely,

Tommaso Cardana

President

Previsioni economiche positive per la Florida nel 2023

Per il 2023, la Florida Chamber Foundation (FCF) prevede un altro anno positivo di crescita demografica ed economica per il Sunshine State, come rivelato durante il suo 2023 Florida Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit.

“Siamo entusiasti perché il 2023 sarà un altro anno di crescita demografica per la Florida, con una forte migrazione di ricchezza, più posti di lavoro e crescita economica”, ha dichiarato il presidente della Camera di Commercio della Florida e della FCF, Mark Wilson.

Il 2023 sarà un altro anno di forte crescita occupazionale: le imprese della Florida hanno creato 699.800 posti di lavoro dal 2019. La Florida è stata infatti uno dei primi quattro Stati a recuperare completamente i posti di lavoro ai livelli pre-Covid, con addirittura 487.400 posti di lavoro in più rispetto al periodo pre-pandemia. Nonostante la minaccia di una recessione nazionale, si stima che la Florida creerà più di 250.000 posti di lavoro nel 2023, continuando a mantenere la sua leadership come motore della crescita del mercato occupazionale.

La crescita della popolazione rimarrà forte. Dopo un anno, il 2022, in cui la Florida ha aggiunto più di 416.000 residenti, la FCF prevede una crescita di circa 350.000 nuovi residenti nel 2023, mentre i tassi di interesse aumentano, i timori di recessione si rafforzano e la scarsa fiducia dei consumatori a livello nazionale frena la migrazione interna. Attualmente la Florida aggiunge circa 1.000 nuovi residenti netti al giorno, di cui circa la metà proviene da un altro Stato e la metà da un altro Paese.

La disponibilità di forza lavoro e il tasso di partecipazione continueranno però a destare preoccupazione: Il tasso di disoccupazione in Florida continuerà ad essere inferiore alla media nazionale del 3,5% – attualmente la Florida è al 2,7%. Continueranno ad esserci più posti di lavoro vacanti che persone in cerca di lavoro. Infatti, attualmente per ogni 100 posti di lavoro aperti in Florida, ci sono solo 62 persone in cerca di occupazione.

L’economia della Florida è più preparata a gestire gli alti e bassi dell’economia nazionale rispetto alla maggior parte degli Stati. Mentre l’economia statunitense entrava in recessione, il PIL della Florida ha continuato a crescere. Ora che l’economia nazionale è uscita dalla recessione, ci si aspetta una forte crescita del PIL della Florida nel 2023.

L’inflazione sarà una preoccupazione significativa per i consumatori e le imprese nonostante le diminuzioni previste a fronte del calo del costo dell’energia dovuto alla minore domanda e dell’aumento dei tassi di interesse da parte della Federal Reserve.

Anche il mercato immobiliare tornerà ai livelli precedenti alla pandemia, ma senza una forte erosione dei prezzi: La Florida Chamber Foundation prevede circa 280.000-290.000 vendite (simili ai livelli pre-pandemici) in Florida, e che la Florida terminerà il 2023 con un prezzo di vendita mediano di 380.000 dollari, circa il 5% in meno rispetto al 2022.

La Florida continuerà a guidare la migrazione dei redditi. Gli ultimi dati disponibili dell’IRS mostrano 23,7 miliardi di dollari di migrazione annuale netta del reddito e la FCF prevede che questa cifra continuerà a crescere, considerate le opportunità economiche, le normative meno onerose, le eccellenti opportunità di istruzione, l’assenza di imposte statali sul reddito e una migliore qualità della vita che la Florida ha da offrire.

Fonte: Florida Chambers of Commerce

Record di aumento del costo della vita nelle grandi città americane

Il rapporto pubblicato nel dicembre 2022 dalla The Economist Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), “Worldwide Cost of Living 2022” (WCOL) rivela come l’inflazione globale abbia colpito nell’ultimo anno le 172 maggiori città del mondo, con una crescita media dei prezzi dell’8,1% rispetto all’anno precedente.

Secondo il rapporto della EIU, New York e Singapore si aggiudicano a pari merito il primato come città più costose del mondo. La Grande Mela raggiunge quindi la metropoli del Sud Est Asiatico, sul podio negli ultimi otto anni. Entrambe le città nel 2022 hanno sorpassato la capofila del precedente report 2021, Tel Aviv.

L’indice WCOL mostra inoltre l’impatto di un dollaro forte con conseguente crescita dei tassi di interesse e la scelta di investimenti più sicuri da parte degli investitori. Tutte le 22 città statunitensi prese in esame dal report scalano le posizioni che avevano raggiunto nei rapporti precedenti. Tra le dieci città che scalano più posizioni, ovvero dove la crescita del costo della vita ha avuto un incremento notevole, sei sono americane (Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis, San Diego, Portland e Boston). Tre importanti città degli Stati Uniti scalano le classifiche e si attestano tra le dieci città al mondo con il costo della vita più alto: New York (1° posizione), Los Angeles (4° posizione) e San Francisco (6° posizione).

A livello globale, l’aumento più rapido dei prezzi è stato registrato per la benzina (come nel 2021), che ha subito un’impennata del 22% in termini di valuta locale. Anche i prezzi delle utenze come l’elettricità, i generi alimentari e i beni di prima necessità per la casa sono aumentati rapidamente. Per contro, i prezzi di beni e servizi ricreativi sono stati contenuti in un certo senso riflettendo una domanda più debole, in quanto i consumatori potrebbero concentrare le loro spese, in tempi di crisi e incertezze, su beni considerati essenziali.

Fonte:

The Economist – Economic Intelligence Unit  – https://www.eiu.com/n/new-york-and-singapore-rank-as-the-worlds-most-expensive-cities/

Recognition to Chamber’s longstanding members

The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce Southeast, in the context of the Italian Business Community Night, will recognize with the Pillar Award, its longstanding members, to acknowledge the great support dedication and commitment to all of those who have contributed to our mission of strengthening trade and business relationships between Italy and the United States.

This year the Chamber will recognize

25 years membership anniversary:

15 years membership anniversary:

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