Made in Alabama, exporting worldwide. It’s a win-win-win proposition.

Doing business on a global scale fosters diversification, enhances revenues, and creates jobs for individual firms, as well as providing a boost to the local economy.

To honor the importance of world trade in North Alabama, NAITA and the Port of Huntsville will present the 38th Annual NAITA World Trade Day luncheon on Thursday, October 28 at Toyota Field.

The 2021 NAITA Global Trade Award will also be presented to a selected company at the event. This award honors local businesses for their dedication in pursuing and penetrating global markets. By recognizing these efforts, NAITA hopes to encourage others to explore and/or expand their international business and to strengthen the network of businesses involved in international trade.

If applicable, NAITA will also work with the award recipient to complete an application for the “E” Award. This award is designated by the President of the United States, representing the highest honor an American firm can receive for its exporting activity.

Vice President of Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA Mark Brazeal

Mark Brazeal, Vice President of Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM), will be the keynote speaker at the World Trade Day event. Brazeal will discuss MTM’s global impact on the North Alabama region, along with its global supply chain.

Despite a dip during the pandemic, exports from Alabama have increased by more than 40 percent since 2000. Auto products lead the state’s exports, followed by metals, chemicals, aerospace products, and agricultural goods.

Transportation equipment remains Alabama’s largest export category, by far. Motor vehicles represent the largest portion of exports in this category, totaling $6.7 billion in 2019, up 4 percent over the year.

In fact, Alabama was ranked as the nation’s fourth largest auto-exporting state, trailing behind South Carolina, Michigan, and California.

Aerospace products and parts also represent a significant portion of the transportation equipment category. Alabama-made exports of aerospace products have jumped more than 60% since 2016, and exports of these items approached $2.5 billion in 2019, an increase of nearly 5 percent from the previous year.

Eighty-six years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially proclaimed a national observance, extolling the benefits of global trade. Since then, every U.S. President has continued to renew that declaration.

The World Trade Day event honors the international trade community and its contributions to the economic power and growth of our business community and celebrates exporters from across our region.

For 38 years, NAITA has hosted the World Trade Day event here in North Alabama, focusing on the importance of international trade to the world economy – and what it means in our local communities. Exports and foreign investment equal jobs, business opportunities, and economic prosperity for North Alabama.

The 38th Annual NAITA World Trade Day Luncheon Celebration will be held on Thursday, October 28.

For more info, contact Anne Burkett, Executive Director at naita@naita.org or go to https://naita.org/