Ghanaians seek business links in S. Florida

First came a Florida chamber of commerce for business with South Africa, then groups for Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, and now, one for Ghana.

As Florida seeks to become the U.S. gateway for business with Africa, much as it already is with Latin America, new groups are sprouting up in the Sunshine State to strengthen business links with specific African nations across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Ghana-American Chamber of Commerce kicked off this week in Miami, highlighting opportunities under a 3-year-old U.S. trade law that allows many African products to enter the U.S. market duty-free. Organizers also touted potential for services, noting that Margate-based Global Response Corp. has plans for a data entry center in Ghana, with an initial 500 seats.

"We are not interested in aid. We're interested in trade," Gilbert Kubayanda, the chamber's secretary, said at the Sunday kickoff, unveiling plans to send a Florida business mission next year to his West African homeland of 20 million people.

Enterprise Florida, the state's partnership for economic development, has been targeting Africa as a new business frontier for at least three years, stressing that the state offers the closest U.S. ports for direct commerce with the continent of 800 million-plus residents. Much U.S.-Africa trade now is routed instead through Europe.

"Why do we take a cargo ship and send it to France to go to West Africa? We've got to stop that," Bryan Salter, director of Enterprise Florida's African trade expansion program, told the Ghana chamber meeting, urging speedy development of direct U.S.-Africa shipping and air links to stimulate commerce.

To be sure, Florida's business with Africa won't rival links with Latin America, Europe or Asia anytime soon.

Only one African nation appears among Florida's top 50 partners for trade in goods, with South Africa squeaking in at No. 50. Indeed, all of Florida's direct trade in goods with Africa doesn't even near $1 billion of the $70 billion in goods the state traded worldwide last year, government data shows.

Yet advocates for Africa business recall the skepticism just 25 to 30 years ago about Florida's business opportunities with Latin America, a region seen then as burdened by dictators and protectionism. Florida's direct trade in goods with the Latin American region now tops $40 billion a year.

"It's our turn now," said Kubayanda, one of an estimated 500 Ghanaians living in South Florida and perhaps 1,000 living across the state.

The Florida push comes as the White House also is boosting ties with Africa, a move sure to gain attention among African-American voters.

President Bush plans a July 7-12 trip to Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria. Bush has met with 25 heads of government from Africa in his first two years in office, more than any other U.S. president, according to White House reports.

Later in July, Miami also will host the sixth annual AfriCando business conference and festival, organized by the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Democracy in Africa. This year's conference will focus on tourism opportunities in Africa, with more than 250 people, including tourism and trade ministers from several African nations, expected at sessions set for July 22-26 at the Radisson Hotel at 1601 Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami.