From Miami Today

Miami-Dade is working to launch air and trade links to Africa in the same way it nurtured relationships with Latin America.

Commissioner Dennis Moss asked county staff for a study to examine the possibility of a gateway between Miami-Dade and countries in western and southern Africa.

“We in the US have been hesitant to make that move, but Africa has tremendous potential,” he said. “Right now the Chinese are everywhere in Africa, and it’s because they realize the opportunities.”

The goal is to make Miami-Dade a center for business and travel between the US and Africa by creating airline routes and strengthening relationships between Port Miami and African seaports.

The county could help streamline importation of cut flowers from Africa, for instance, eliminating the need for these goods to transit in Europe before reaching the US, Mr. Moss said.

“It seems to me there’s an opportunity there,” he said. “The way I look at it is, years ago when we were working on our relationship with South American countries, some people were basically scratching their heads and wondering, ‘Why are you wasting your time?’… Today that paid off for us. It wasn’t easy; it wasn’t fast. But we continued to nurture those relationships. And we benefit from it. We benefit, and the counties in South America also benefit.”

Written by Samantha Joseph | Read more at Miami Today