Governor Phil Bredesen announced the creation of a new training program called “Export Tennessee” today, to help Tennessee companies navigate the world of international trade.
The Governor, recently back from a trade mission to Japan, says promoting Tennessee products ranging from Tennessee whisky to health care services will help create more jobs. He says the training sessions to be held around the state will help companies deal with the tariff, banking and shipping issues they’ll face.
“I genuinely believe that in Tennessee with the companies we have here there is a very rich opportunity for export if these companies see it as just a natural way of doing business, a natural extension of their business and not some esoteric, very difficult kind of thing.”
Bredesen was flanked by Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan who was in Nashville specifically for the announcement. State Economic and Community Development Department spokesman Mark Drury says Australia is a good place to start for first-time exporters because of cultural similarities, and a recently enacted free-trade agreement between the US and Australia.
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