On the second day of a trade mission to Italy, Florida's transportation and logistics industry took center stage as Governor Ron DeSantis met with leading Italian yacht makers. The governor announced the opening of a new SelectFlorida office in Italy to foster trade relations between the two regions. Italy exports goods valued at $4.4 billion to Florida, with boats and yachts being significant components.
"Under the Governor’s leadership this mission continues to be a success, today was focused on Florida’s nation-leading shipbuilding industry and our 16 deepwater seaports," stated Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. He added that Viareggio is recognized as a global hub for yacht building, while Florida holds similar prominence outside Italy with over 500 shipbuilding companies.
The delegation engaged with Sanlorenzo Yachts, Benetti, and Overmarine—key players in the yacht-building sector—and participated in discussions on port logistics and potential expansions between Florida ports and the Port of Viareggio.
Governor DeSantis highlighted that SelectFlorida now has 18 offices worldwide, offering support to Italian businesses looking to establish operations or partnerships in Florida.
In Florence, further meetings were held with various companies and institutions. This week-long mission aims to forge numerous connections that would typically take years to develop.
The trade mission runs from November 11-15, led by Governor DeSantis along with several key figures including agency heads and university presidents such as J. Alex Kelly from the Department of Commerce, Rob Long from Space Florida, Jared Perdue from the Department of Transportation, Jason Weida from Health Care Administration, Cord Byrd as Secretary of State, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, among others.