U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez is met at the Carraco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay by U.S. Ambassador Frank E. Baxter on October 8, 2007. During his visit to Uruguay, Secretary Gutierrez will meet with senior government officials including President Tabare Vazquez, Foreign Minister Reinaldo Gargano and the Minister of Industry and Energy Jorge Lepra, as well as business community leaders particularly from the high-tech and software sectors.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez arrived in Uruguay today to meet with senior government officials and the business community and discuss ways to promote greater bilateral trade, economic growth and opportunity and to foster greater commercial cooperation between the United States and Uruguay.

The Secretary will follow-up on the President’s March 2007 visit to emphasize the commitment the United States has to President Vázquez’s Administration and to expanding the partnership with Uruguay.

“The United States is committed to advancing freedom, economic opportunity and social justice throughout the Western Hemisphere by opening markets and fostering economic growth,” said Gutierrez. “I look forward to traveling to Uruguay and Brazil to discuss our greater commercial cooperation and expanding our common goals and objectives.”

The Secretary will meet with President Tabaré Vázquez to discuss ways to deepen the economic trade relationship between the United States and Uruguay. Gutierrez will also meet with Uruguayan entrepreneurs from the high-tech and software sectors, as well as the leadership of Uruguay’s newly-created Innovation Agency to discuss regional efforts to foster innovation. This will be the Secretary’s first trip to Uruguay.

“Uruguay is a dynamic trading partner,” said Gutierrez. “U.S. exports to Uruguay grew a remarkable 131 percent—from $209 million in 2002 to $482 million in 2006—outperforming overall U.S. export growth, which was 14 percent for the same period. I look forward to continuing our efforts to build on the great successes we have already accomplished.”

The United States is Uruguay’s third-largest trading partner, accounting for 12.8 percent of Uruguay’s exports and supplying 6.8 percent of the country’s imports in 2006. Uruguay-U.S. bilateral trade has more than doubled since 2002, rising $583 million to $995 million in two-way trade in 2006.

>Official Biography of Secretary Guiterrez

 
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