U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Monday presented Mayor Greg Stanton and the City of Phoenix with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
Phoenix is only the fifth city to earn the honor in 54 years. It is typically reserved for companies and private sector entities.
Over the last four years, Phoenix has earned a reputation as a model city for making trade and exports a priority. Stanton has led 14 trade missions to Mexico, signed trade agreements with his Mexican counterparts, and was the only U.S. mayor to participate in a World Economic Forum meeting in 2013. He launched the City’s export boot camp initiative, which teaches local small- and medium-sized businesses how to trade abroad.
“The City of Phoenix has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The ‘E’ Awards committee was very impressed with the city’s significant and broad-based support to grow exports from Phoenix, which is responsible for more than half of the exports from the State of Arizona,” said Secretary Pritzker in her congratulatory letter to the city announcing its selection as an award recipient. “The city’s sponsorship of 13 trade missions between 2012-2105 was also particularly notable. The City of Phoenix’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American.”
The City of Phoenix is a provider of export services for small and medium-sized U.S. businesses, including freight forwarding, export counseling, exporting financing, strategic planning and more.
“Exporting is essential to the success of the businesses we work with,” said Greg Stanton, mayor of the City of Phoenix. “Every day we see the growth of Phoenix businesses, due in large part to exporting. This growth has enabled our Phoenix businesses to add jobs and support their local communities as they expand their bottom line while at the same time making a significant and valued contribution to the expansion of our export economy.”
Last year, U.S. exports totaled $2.23 trillion, accounting for nearly 13 percent of U.S. GDP. Nationally, exports contributed to the U.S. economy, supporting an estimated 11.5 million jobs.
Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth and case studies which demonstrate valuable support to exporters resulting in increased exports for the company’s clients.
For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.
